Roland LaStarza

Born May 12, 1927 in The Bronx, New York, Roland was considered by many the best defensive style heavyweight fighting during the late 1940's and early 1950's. He knew how to neutralize an opponents attack and score with his accurate combinations. LaStarza was a very good fighter who probably would have been champion had he not come along at the same time as Marciano. Going into their first fight, LaStarza's record was 37-0 and Marciano's was 25-0,'with 23 KOs.
The fight was a 10 rounder and was the closest fight of Rocky's career. Roland fought expertly; slipping punches, sliding along the ropes, firing quick combinations and then tying Marciano up. Rocky, always the aggressor, kept the pressure on the clever boxer, constantly driving him back and trying to pin him on the ropes. In the end, it was a split decision that was as close as possible in boxing. One judge had it 5-4-1 for LaStarza, the other had it 5-4-1 for Marciano, while the referee had it dead even at 5-5. They had to go to the score cards and count points, and Rocky pulled it out with a three point edge. LaStarza felt he won and would get a rematch when Marciano was champion. The rematch ended in a TKO of Roland in the 11th round, with surgery required on both his arms due to Rocky beating through his defense rather than trying again to get around it.

Record: 55-8 (25 KOs) 

TB	KO	WD	WF	D	LD	LF	KOBY	ND	NC
63	25	30	0	0	6	0	2	0	0	


1947
Jul	7	Dave Glanton	Queens	        W	6
Jul	15	Jack Johnson	NewYork 	KO	6
Aug	12	Al Zapalla	NewYork	        KO	5
Aug	25	Jim Dodd	NewYork	        KO	5
Sep	9	Jim Johnson	NewYork	        KO	1
Oct	10	Zeke Brown	NewYork	        KO	1
Oct	21	Matt Mincey	NewYork	        W	6
Oct	31	Jimmy Evans	NewYork	        W	6
Nov	11	Lorne McCarthy	NewYork	        W	6
Dec	1	Matt Mincey	NewYork	        W	6
Dec	13	Fred Ramsey	Brooklyn	KO	4
Dec	23	Luther McMillam	NewYork	        W	6

			1948
Jan	30	Mike Belluscio	NewYork	        W	6
Feb	14	Frankie Reed	Brooklyn	KO	4
Feb	24	Jimmy White	NewYork	        KO	2
Mar	19	Steve King	NewYork	        W	6
Apr	7	Cluade McClintock Bridgeport	W	6
Apr	24	John Holloway	Brooklyn	KO	5
May	4	Freddie McManus	NewYork	        W	6
Jun	25	Ben Rusk	NewYork	        W	6
Jul	14	Tony Gangemi	New York	W	8
Jul	27	Oscar Goode	New York	KO	4
Aug	17	Teddy George	New York	KO	2
Aug	30	Mel McKinney	New York	KO	4
Sep	23	Don Mogard	New York	W	6
Oct	20	Mike Jacobs	Jamaica,L.I.	W	6
Nov	6	Don Mogard	Brooklyn	W	8
Dec	10	Gene Gosney	New York	KO	6

			1949
Jan	14	Bill Weinberg	New York	W	8
Feb	25	Gino Bunovino	New York	KO	6
Apr	28	Eldridge Eatman	New York	W	8
Jun	9	Jimmy Corollo	New York	W	10
Jun	27	Harry Haft	Brooklyn	KO	4
Jul	29	Jackie Lyons	New York	KO	5
Sep	2	Joe Domonic	New York	W	8
Oct	26	Walter Hafer	New York	KO	9
Dec	2	Cesar Brion	New York	W	10

			1950
Mar	24	Rocky Marciano	New York	L	10
May	1	James Walls	Holyoke	        KO	3
May	13	George Fuller	Waterbury	KO	9
Aug	25	Keen Simmons	Long Beach	W	8
Oct	20	Dulio Spagnolo	New York	W	10

			




			1951
Jan	15	Ted Lowry	Providence	W	10
Feb	5	Curt Kennedy	Providence	KO	6
Mar	12	Keen Simmons	Providence	W	10
May	4	Vern Mitchell	New York	KO	8
Jun	11	Gene Felton	Baltimore	KO	3
Aug	3	Ted Lowry	Long Beach	W	10
Dec	21	Dan Bucceroni	New York	L	10

			1952
Feb	1	Bill Wilson	W.Palm Beach	KO	4
Feb	13	Ralph Schneider Miami Beach	W	10
Apr	18	Joe McFadden	New York	KO	5
May	30	Dan Bucceroni	New York	W	10
Oct	9	Rocky Jones	Akron	        L	10
Dec	1	Rocky Jones	Brooklyn	W	10

			1953
Feb	13	Rex Layne	New York	W	10
Sep	24      Rocky Marciano	New York	KOby	11
			(World Heavyweight Title)

			1954
Mar	30	Don Cockell	London	        L	10
Dec	1	Charlie Norkus	Cleveland	L	10

			1955
Mar	2	Julio Mederos	Miami	        KOby	5

			1956
			(Inactive)

			1957
Jun	11	Jimmy McMillan	Houston	        KO	3
Oct	8	Al Anderson	Holyoke	        W	10

			1958
Dec	1	Larry Zernitz	New York	L	10




 




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