Tony Zale by Rob Snell

[Mofo2]

Lincoln Journal

11th June 1948

Zale KO’s Rocky in 3rd Round

RUPPERT STADIUM,Newark, N. J. Tony Zale, a 12 to 5 under-dog consigned to the fistic scrap heap before the fight, regained his middleweight championship Thursday night by Knocking out Rocky Graziano in 1:08 of the third round.

The ex-Gary, Ind., steel mill hand dropped the befuddled Rocky on his back for a ten count with a left hook to the head. Dr. Vincent Nardiello, who looked at the beaten champion after the fight, said Graziano suffered a concussion.

"HE IS IN A dazed condition, the New York Athletic commission physician added, "and unable to recognize even me." "His reflexes are all gone. It could be serious. I will examine him tomorrow." Later, Nardiello said he thought the former champion would be all right after a night's rest. He ordered Graziano to bed. Nardiello has no official' status in New Jersey.

Zale lived up to his pre-fight predictions that he would score a third round knockout.Referee Paul Cavalier tolled the fatal ten over the prostrate ruler who made no attempt to regain his feet. His seconds dragged Graziano to his corner and administered smelling salts. The Rock was down for three in the first round and was almost out earlier in the third when he sunk to the canvas for a count of seven.

ZALE, a cool, polished battler thrilled the near-capacity crowd of around 25,000 with his demonstration of savage punching power. He never gave Rock a chance although the champion, who rallied strongly in the second after taking a three-count knockdown in the first. .

This once postponed battle, the first promotional venture of the newly organized Tournament of Champions, inc., lived up to all advance billings. It didn't last as long as the first two slugrfests in which this pair exchanged six round knockouts. But while it lasted it was murder.

Catching Rocky with a brain scrambling left hook to the head early -in the first, Zale floored Graziano for a three-count and reduced the champion's attack to wild haymaker swings that too often found him running flush into counter-wallops by the cagy veteran.

EIGHT YEARS' difference in ages didn't help Graziano when Zale started to connect. Blinking his eyes, the Rock lost his head and started to punch wildly with both hands. This was all the stolid challenger needed.

Zale drove Rocky to the ropes with a right and climbed all over him with his fierce body attack. Tony landed two or three blows after .the bell which apparently was not heard by Zale.The referee didn’t intervene until Zale got in his pokes.

Thirty four year old Zale shook the Dead End Kid from New York's lower east side with a one-two to the body as Graziano swung wildly and missed at the start of the second. Although staggered by a right to the head, Rock fought back wildly In the closing seconds of the round when he hurt Zale with a right that started in Jersey City and wound up on Tony's jaw,

THE THIRD was only seconds old when a left hook sagged Rocky's knees and left him swinging on the ropes. Zale cut loose with all the power of both fists, hitting Graziano at least seven times in a row before Rocky finally went down from a left hook to the head and a right to the body.

Obviously badly hurt and dazed, Graziano dragged himself out of the resin dust to run into a searing left hook that put out the lights. Cavalier could have counted a hundred over the punch frozen lad who lost his title in his first defense.

Thus the unshaven Rocky who smiled and bowed to the terrific ovation that greeted him as he -entered the ring, failed to make good in his first and last start as 'a champion only 12 miles from home.

BECAUSE he failed to report an alleged bribe offer for a fight that never came off his New York license was lifted a year and a half ago. At home he never has been recognized as champion. The title was ruled "in abeyance." Some months after he ended Zale's first reign as a 160- pound champion, he was banned in other states because of a spotty war record.

What action the New York State Athletic commission now will take is problematical but it is considered likely that Zale will be recognized as champion.

In the dressing room, Zale said he had forgotten all talk of retirement and was willing and eager to fight anybody, "I knew I had him all along after the first round," he said. "He never hurt me. I was sharper 'or this one than for the other two."

THERE WAS wild excitement in the Zale camp as co-managers ,Sam Pian and Art Winch celebrated the return of the title - to their stable. As challengers they had to take the small side if the purse Thursday night which amounted to a guarantee of $60,000 or 20 percent of the gate. Graziano was guaranteed $120,000 or 40 percent.

Before the fight the promoters talked of matching the winner with Marcel Cerdan, the French thumper ..-who recently was upset by Cyrille Dellanoit in Brussels. If Cerdan reverses it next month, he'll probably get Zale later this summer.