453:, Budd Schulberg wrote in the 30 May 1955 edition, "Except for the technicality of wearing eight-ounce gloves, Don Cockell's stand against Rocky Marciano in the fading daylight hours of a cool San Francisco sunlit day was a glorious—or appalling—throwback to this pre-Marquess of Queensberry condition. This was a bare-knuckle brawl with gloves—and not a pleasant sight either—as an uncouth, merciless, uncontrolled and truly vicious fighter (the unbeaten Champion Marciano) wore down an ox-legged, resolute fat man who came into the ring with the honor of the British Empire weighing heavily—and consciously—on his massive, blubbery shoulders. He had promised his Union Jack supporters that he would not let them down, and the first words he mumbled through swollen lips after his fearful beating in nine rounds were an apology to his fellow countrymen for not having done better."
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even, but as it progressed further
Cockell began to take more and more punishment, without being able to hurt Marciano much. Cockell ended the eighth round hanging through the ropes after withstanding a terrific beating. Marciano won the fight by a technical knockout 54 seconds into round nine after Cockell had been knocked down twice, for counts of eight and seven. After the fight, Marciano stated, "He's got a lot of guts. I don't think I ever hit anyone else any more often or harder."
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Cockell had his first professional fight on 26 June 1946 against Trevor Lowder and won it by a knockout in the fifth round. He won 24 of his first 26 fights (suffering his first two losses to Jock Taylor). From there continued to build up an impressive fighting record marred by the occasional defeat.
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On 16 May 1955, Cockell fought
Marciano for the world heavyweight title at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, CA. Cockell was a 10–1 underdog and weighed 14 st 9 lbs against Marciano's 13 st 7 lbs, coming into the fight weighing 205 pounds to Rocky's 189. For the first three rounds the fight was fairly
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Cockell decisively lost his next fight against the
American heavyweight Jimmy Slade. Fighting at Harringay Arena, Cockell was knocked down twice in the first round, once in the second, and twice more in the fourth. The referee then stopped the fight. Cockell followed this defeat with a points win
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on 10 June 1952. Cockell was knocked down three times during the fight and lost on a technical knockout in the eleventh round. One of the reasons for the defeat was the difficulty that
Cockell had in making the weight for light-heavyweight fights. He therefore decided to fight subsequently as a
365:, becoming world middleweight champion as a result before losing his title in the rematch. Cockell was defending his British title, and both fighters were contesting the vacant Commonwealth light-heavyweight title. The bout was at the
295:. He never knew his father. He was a blacksmith by trade, and as a result developed a strong physique. He began boxing in fairground booths and soon rose through the amateur ranks until he was ready to turn professional in 1946.
480:, known as the "Tongan Terror". That was his final fight. In May 1956 he was stripped of his Commonwealth title and in July he surrendered his British title and declared his retirement.
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at the White City
Stadium by a technical knockout in the third round. He weighed 15 st 6 lbs for the fight. In April 1956 he was knocked out in the second round by
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In 1954, Cockell moved rapidly up the heavyweight rankings by scoring four wins against top rated
American fighters. He first defeated heavyweight challenger
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praised
Cockell's brave effort, writing, "The fight was all Rocky's from the beginning. The Englishman showed amazing capacity for soaking up punishment."
507:, and running a haulage firm based at Ninfield in East Sussex. By 1975 he was working as a craftsman blacksmith in the permanent way machine shops at the
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after the newspaper had described him as being 'overweight and flabby' for his last fight, and not giving his all. He received ÂŁ7,500 damages with costs.
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The fight against Farr was a final eliminator for the
British heavyweight title, and so put Cockell in line for a title challenge against the holder
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Cockell found success at heavyweight, and in his next three heavyweight fights, all were won by technical knockouts. The third one was against the
316:. Cockell defeated Jimmy Carroll in an eliminator match (avenging a previous loss to him in the process) before facing Mark Hart on 17 October at
397:. The bout for the British and Commonwealth titles was held at Harringay Arena on 12 May 1953, and Cockell won on points over fifteen rounds.
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Many boxing fans in
Britain felt that Marciano employed unfair tactics, such as hitting after the bell and low punches, but although the
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In 1950 Cockell entered a brief tournament to crown a new
British light-heavyweight champion, recently vacated due to the retirement of
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The title fight had taken much out of Cockell, and he lost his subsequent two fights. In September 1955 he lost to the
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522:. He was married to Patricia Mary Cockell and had a son Patrick and Brother (David Hammond) worked with him
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He had 81 official fights, winning 66, of which 38 were by knockouts, and lost 14, with one drawn fight.
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and Uber Bacilieri. In his earlier incarnation as a Light Heavyweight he defeated top contenders such as
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against Italian light-heavyweight Renato Tontini, despite being knocked down twice in the second round.
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Over the course of Cockell's career he defeated a number the of top heavyweights of the time, including
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518:. His last job was as an emergency maintenance man. He died of cancer on 18 July 1983 at a hospital in
346:, who had previously been British welterweight champion. The bout was held on 16 October 1951, at
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These victories put him in line for a title fight against undefeated heavyweight world champion
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on points at Earls Court Arena, then won three close successive victories over the highly rated
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Cockell then had two more wins before defending his Commonwealth title against Johnny Arthur in
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Albert Yvel for his European light-heavyweight title. The bout took place on 27 March 1951 at
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light heavyweight titles, and later moved up in weight to become the British and Commonwealth
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430:. This was the first British world title bid since Tommy Farr had fought Joe Louis in 1937.
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Cockell had two more wins before defending his British and European titles against
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His full name was Donald John Cockell and he was born on 22 September 1928 in
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who competed from 1946 to 1956. One of the most well known boxers from the
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He tried various jobs including running a farm, being a
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title after scoring a knockout in the fourteenth round.
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Cockell fought and won two more fights against future
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champion. He is best remembered for fighting against
582:List of British light-heavyweight boxing champions
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433:
446:protested, Cockell himself made no complaints.
654:Boxers from the London Borough of Wandsworth
577:List of British heavyweight boxing champions
217:(22 September 1928 – 18 July 1983) was an
540:"Mark Hart vs. Don Cockell (2nd meeting)"
244:for the world heavyweight championship.
608:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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331:Lloyd Marshal, before challenging the
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127:180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
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228:during the era, Cockell held the
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444:British Boxing Board of Control
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594:Boxing record for Don Cockell
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434:World heavyweight title fight
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557:National Union of Railwaymen
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357:Cockell then fought against
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449:In covering the fight for
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634:Light-heavyweight boxers
135:180 cm (71 in)
601:(registration required)
456:Jack Gallagher of the
563:, 21 March 1975, p.8.
413:Harry (Kid) Matthews
659:English blacksmiths
624:English male boxers
512:Lillie Bridge Depot
299:Professional career
259:, Freddie Beshore,
215:Donald John Cockell
35:Donald John Cockell
649:People from Balham
629:Heavyweight boxers
561:The Railway Review
509:London Underground
451:Sports Illustrated
367:White City Stadium
363:Sugar Ray Robinson
320:. Cockell won the
483:Cockell sued the
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114:Light heavyweight
45:22 September 1928
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409:Roland La Starza
304:Light-heavywight
249:Roland La Starza
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395:Johnny Williams
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359:Randolph Turpin
348:Harringay Arena
318:Harringay Arena
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265:Johnny Williams
255:(three times),
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428:Rocky Marciano
417:Sicks' Stadium
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273:Lloyd Marshall
253:Harry Matthews
242:Rocky Marciano
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370:heavyweight.
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329:Hall of Famer
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155:Boxing record
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16:English boxer
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491:Fight record
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478:Kitione Lave
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402:Johannesburg
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344:Albert Finch
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277:Albert Finch
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161:Total fights
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69:(1983-07-18)
67:18 July 1983
18:
644:1983 deaths
639:1928 births
605:Biography,
474:Nino Valdes
374:Heavyweight
337:Earls Court
269:Nick Barone
238:heavyweight
201:No contests
118:Heavyweight
83:Nationality
25:Don Cockell
618:Categories
499:Retirement
485:Daily Mail
472:contender
384:Tommy Farr
283:Early life
257:Tommy Farr
177:Wins by KO
102:Statistics
41:1928-09-22
526:Footnotes
464:Aftermath
388:Joe Louis
333:Frenchman
293:Battersea
109:Weight(s)
571:See also
505:publican
380:Welshman
234:European
144:Orthodox
77:, London
588:Sources
544:Box Rec
520:Tooting
421:Seattle
230:British
219:English
95:British
75:Tooting
57:England
598:BoxRec
516:Fulham
322:BBBofC
289:Balham
185:Losses
140:Stance
124:Height
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53:London
49:Balham
596:from
470:Cuban
222:boxer
193:Draws
132:Reach
275:and
232:and
169:Wins
64:Died
31:Born
514:in
620::
559:,
542:.
423:.
419:,
382:,
263:,
251:,
226:UK
188:14
180:38
172:66
164:81
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51:,
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39:(
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