{"id":96397,"date":"2018-09-19T13:09:00","date_gmt":"2018-09-19T18:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=96397"},"modified":"2026-10-02T09:24:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T14:24:30","slug":"rocky-marciano-mike-stanton-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/culture\/history\/rocky-marciano-mike-stanton-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Podcast #442: Rocky Marciano’s Fight for Perfection in a Crooked World"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rocky Marciano was a slow, stocky kid, with short arms and stubby legs. He wasn\u2019t the kind of kid you\u2019d pick to one day be an elite boxer, yet he went on to become the only undefeated heavyweight champion in boxing history. In the process, Marciano became a cultural icon in 1950s America, rubbing shoulders with presidents, movie stars, and gangsters.<\/p>\n

How did someone who got a late start in the sport, become one of boxing’s greatest athletes? And what happens to a man when fame and fortune are suddenly thrust upon him?<\/p>\n

My guest today explores those questions in his new book Unbeaten: Rocky Marciano\u2019s Fight for Perfection in a Crooked World<\/i><\/a>. His name is Mike Stanton and today on the show Mike shares how grit, discipline, and fate led Rocky to become the only undefeated heavyweight fighter in boxing history. Mike then shares the challenges Rocky faced with his newfound fame \u2014 from balancing work and family<\/a>, to managing a huge influx of money, to navigating the crooked world of organized crime that controlled the sport of boxing. We end by talking about how Rocky is both an inspiring and tragic figure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rocky Marciano was a slow, stocky kid, with short arms and stubby legs. He wasn\u2019t the kind of kid you\u2019d pick to one day be an elite boxer, yet he went on to become the only undefeated heavyweight champion in boxing history. In the process, Marciano became a cultural icon in 1950s America, rubbing shoulders […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":195454,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42376,42385,156],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-history","category-podcast"],"featured_image_urls":{"large":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/442-538x280.png","medium_large":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/442-768x432.png","aom":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/442-372x230.png","reactor-320":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/442-320x180.png","reactor-640":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/442-640x360.png"},"yoast_head":"\nRocky Marciano \u2014\u00a0His Life and Legacy | Art of Manliness Podcast<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How did someone who got a late start in the sport, become one of boxing's greatest athletes? 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