Rocky Marciano vs Ezzard Charles II

The Yankee Stadium witnessed a spectacular heavyweight boxing rematch between the undefeated champion Rocky Marciano and former titleholder Ezzard Charles on Friday, 17th September 1954. This encounter was highly anticipated, with Marciano defending his world heavyweight title for the fourth time. The match ended in a decisive victory for Marciano, with Charles succumbing to a knockout at 2:36 of the eighth round. It was an arduous fight, with Marciano demonstrating his devastating power, and Charles showcasing his skill and resilience.

Rocky Marciano, the reigning champion from Brockton, Massachusetts, entered the fight boasting an unblemished professional record of 46-0-0. Charles, from Cincinnati, entered the ring with a considerable record of his own, 85-11-1. Marciano started the contest as the clear favorite with odds of 9 to 2 to dispose of Charles with a knockout.

Their first encounter on June 17 was an intense affair where Charles surprised the boxing world by taking the fight to the full distance before Marciano won a unanimous decision. However, the rematch proved to be more one-sided with Marciano winning every round, except the first, according to this observer's scorecard. Despite this dominance, Charles displayed notable resilience, staying on his feet throughout their previous match.

The second round saw Marciano exert his dominance with a right jab to the jaw and a two-fisted attack to Charles' body, which dropped the former champion. This seemed to take the wind out of Charles' sails, and he adopted a more cautious approach, with his leads becoming infrequent.

Despite this cautious approach, a sliver of opportunity appeared for Charles in the sixth round. Marciano emerged from a clinch with a serious cut on his nose. Seizing this opportunity, Charles targeted the wound and also landed on a cut that had opened beside Marciano's left eye in the eighth. However, the champion proved his resilience and weathered this assault.

Despite a contentious display where Marciano was twice guilty of hitting after the bell and once warned for heeling Charles, the champion secured victory in the eighth round. Marciano's knockout punch came at 2:36, securing his forty-first knockout win and extending his flawless record to 47-0-0. While Charles fought valiantly, it was Marciano's night as he successfully defended his world heavyweight title for the fourth time.