FINISHING SHOTS O n September 21, 1948, Tony Zale attempted to make the first defense of his second reign as middleweight champ against 108- 3 Frenchman Marcel Cerdan at the Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City. The underdog coming into the bout, Cerdan was largely in control against the “Man of Steel” and used his jab and a withering overhand right to rack up the points. While Zale had long established himself as an elite-level force at 160 pounds, his blood-and-guts trilogy with Rocky Graziano appeared to have drained his resources. Behind on points, he was unable to answer the bell for Round 12 and never fought again as a professional. Just over a year later, Cerdan was tragically killed in a plane crash.
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