Marty Servo
Encyclopedia
Mario Severino, "Marty Servo" (born in Schenectady, New York
November 3, 1919, died in Pueblo, Colorado
February 9, 1969) was the former world welterweight
boxing champion. Servo began boxing in the mid-1930s. He became a professional boxer in 1938 and was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame
in 1989.
.
Servo’s boxing career was interrupted when he served in the United States Coast Guard
in World War II
. He resumed his career after the War and won the World Welterweight Title by knocking out Freddie "Red" Cochrane in the fourth round on February 1, 1946.
Servo and his manager, Al Weill
, then made a bad career decision. He agreed to fight middleweight contender Rocky Graziano
in a non-title match. Graziano was a big favorite in New York City
and the bout was viewed as a big money fight. The two fought on March 29, 1946.
Unfortunately for Servo, this bout effectively finished him as a top-line fighter. The heavier and stronger Graziano knocked Servo out and severely injured his nose. Servo never recovered from the injuries suffered in the Graziano bout and he was forced to relinquish his title and retire. His final ring record, including a knockout loss suffered in an ill-advised comeback attempt, was 48 wins (15 knockout
s), 4 losses, and 2 draws.
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
November 3, 1919, died in Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
February 9, 1969) was the former world welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
boxing champion. Servo began boxing in the mid-1930s. He became a professional boxer in 1938 and was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame
World Boxing Hall of Fame
The World Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Riverside, California, United States, in Southern California. The WBHF is one of two recognized international boxing halls of fame with the other being the International Boxing Hall of Fame , with the IBHOF being the more widely recognized...
in 1989.
Amateur career
Servo had an impressive amateur career. He captured the Golden Gloves and Diamond Belt Featherweight Titles, and ended his career with an impressive record of 91-4.Pro Career
He turned professional as a lightweight and, in his first three years as a professional boxer, managed a 43-0-2 record. As a welterweight he lost two close decisions to the legendary Sugar Ray RobinsonSugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson was an African-American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight...
.
Servo’s boxing career was interrupted when he served in the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He resumed his career after the War and won the World Welterweight Title by knocking out Freddie "Red" Cochrane in the fourth round on February 1, 1946.
Servo and his manager, Al Weill
Al Weill
Armand "Al" Weill was a boxing manager. He managed four world champions Rocky Marciano, Marty Servo, Lou Ambers, Joey Archibald and several other boxers. He moved to the United States from his birthplace of France at the age of 13, where he eventually began his career.-References:*...
, then made a bad career decision. He agreed to fight middleweight contender Rocky Graziano
Rocky Graziano
Rocky Graziano, born Thomas Rocco Barbella in New York City , was an Italian American boxer. Graziano was considered one of the greatest knockout artists in boxing history, often displaying the capacity to take his opponent out with a single punch...
in a non-title match. Graziano was a big favorite in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and the bout was viewed as a big money fight. The two fought on March 29, 1946.
Unfortunately for Servo, this bout effectively finished him as a top-line fighter. The heavier and stronger Graziano knocked Servo out and severely injured his nose. Servo never recovered from the injuries suffered in the Graziano bout and he was forced to relinquish his title and retire. His final ring record, including a knockout loss suffered in an ill-advised comeback attempt, was 48 wins (15 knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
s), 4 losses, and 2 draws.