Brockton finally getting its Marciano statue

BROCKTON, Mass. (AP)  A larger-than-life statue of undefeated heavyweight boxing champ Rocky Marciano is scheduled to go up in his home town of Brockton next year.

World Boxing Council President Jose Sulaiman (sah-LEY'-mahn) as well as Marciano's brother, Peter, announced Tuesday that the $250,000, 20-foot tall sculpture is scheduled to be dedicated on Sept. 1, 2012, on what would have been the champ's 89th birthday.

The statute is being erected outside the city's sports stadium, which bears Rocky Marciano's name.

A new design for the statue is modeled on Marciano's famous knockout blow of "Jersey" Joe Walcott in their 1952 world title bout.

Sulaiman tells The Enterprise of Brockton that the honor is "overdue."

Marciano, who died in a 1969 plane crash in Iowa, is the only heavyweight to retire undefeated at 49-0.

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