Rocky Marciano wins split decision against Roland La Starza

Rocky Marciano secured a split decision victory over Roland La Starza on March 24, 1950, at Madison Square Garden. The win allowed Marciano to maintain his undefeated record despite a highly contested ten-round heavyweight bout.

La Starza utilized movement, a consistent jab, and counterpunching to manage the early stages of the fight. He prevented the shorter Marciano from establishing his rhythm by forcing him to lead. Marciano found success in the fourth round when a right hand sent La Starza to the canvas. La Starza remained down until the count reached seven, recovering just as the bell rang.

While Marciano applied heavy pressure and landed powerful shots, La Starza remained effective with cleaner boxing through the middle rounds. A significant moment occurred in the eighth round when Marciano hurt La Starza with a right hand, but referee Jack Watson penalized Marciano for a low blow during that period.

The scoring reflected the difficulty of the contest. Judge Arthur Schwartz scored the bout 5-4 for Marciano, while Artie Aidala saw it 5-4 for La Starza. Referee Jack Watson scored the rounds 5-5, which triggered the supplemental points system used in New York. Watson awarded Marciano a 9-6 advantage on points to decide the split decision.

The outcome faced immediate scrutiny from ringside observers, including The New York Times, which scored the fight 6-4 in favor of La Starza. La Starza later alleged that Marciano's manager, Al Weill, used his position as a Madison Square Garden matchmaker to influence the result. The dispute over this decision eventually led to a heavyweight championship rematch between the two fighters three years later.