Hub boxers tough as Brockton Rock
As with so many endeavors in American history — simply because of traditional East-toWest migratory patterns dating back to the formation of the United States — the origins of fighting for sport in our country can be traced to the large cities populated first by European transplants. That gave a city like Boston a head start on its West Coast counterparts. To start, look no further than forever-unbeaten Rocky Marciano, who retired as a champion, unbeaten in 49 fights. The Rock from Brockton is consistently considered to be one of the best fighters ever. His knockout-to-win percentage of better than 87 percent is still among the top all-time among heavyweights. Even the high school here pays tribute to that legacy with its mascot — they are the Brockton Boxers. But the Boston area is far from a one-trick pony on the boxing scene. Though born in New Jersey, “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler also called the area home. He first learned to fight here, and won the AAU 165pound title in 1973 to springboard his career, which spanned into the late 1980s. He went 62-3-2 and was the undisputed middleweight champion from 1980-87. Boxing Illustrated named him Boxer of the Decade for the 1980s. And there have been many more — John L. Sullivan, Paul Pender and, more recently, John Ruiz (449-1-1, 30 KOs), who is widely regarded as the first Latino heavyweight king. This is not to knock what Southern California has done for the sport in the past few decades. Indeed, the region has become a training mecca, of sorts, for some of the world’s top pugilists. Mikey Garcia is a young fighter in his prime right now, holding a pair of lightweight belts while holding a 39-0 record. He hails from Ventura. And of course Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya was born in East Los Angeles and found amazing success. But SoCal still has a long way to go to match Boston’s success in the ring.