Died. Rocky Marciano, 45, the "Brockton Blockbuster," former world heavyweight champion and one of the prize ring's alltime greats; in the crash of a light plane; near Des Moines. The son of a Brockton, Mass., factory worker, Marciano wanted to be a professional baseball player but lacked the whiplash arm for that game. His chunky muscles were perfect for boxing, though, and what he lacked in finesse he more than made up in battering-ram power. After turning pro in 1947, he piled up 42 straight victories, most of them by knockouts, before earning a...
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