Tony Zale
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Tony Zale (May 29 1913 - March 20 1997) (real name Anthony Florian Saleski), "the man of steel" was an American boxer. He was 2-time world middleweight champion and made the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. Zale is best remembered for his three bout series with Rocky Graziano for the middleweight crown. These three bouts were among the most brutal and exciting championship matches of all time.
The first match took place in Yankee Stadium, New York. Zale served in World War II, was thirty-four years old, and had been inactive for about four years. Graziano was on a winning knockout streak and seemed to be in his prime. After flooring Grazinao in the first round, Zale took a savage beating from Graziano, and was on the verge of losing the fight by TKO. However, he rallied and knocked out Graziano in the sixth round to retain his crown. The rematch, a year later in Chicago, was a mirror image of their first fight. Graziano, was battered around the ring, suffered a closed eye and appeared ready to succomb by knockout, when he rallied and knocked Zale out in the sixth round, thereby becoming middleweight champion of the world.
Their last fight was held in New Jersey. Zale regained his crown and won the match going away by knockout in the third round. The knockout combination consisted of a picture perfect left hook to the liver, and in the same motion, Zale brought his hook up to Graziano's jaw. Graziano was knocked out cold.This fight was Zale's last hurrah. His age and the many ring wars he fought seemed to catch up with him in his next fight against Eurpoean Champion Marcel Cerdan, who stopped him in the eleventh round to win the middleweight championship of the world.