When the never-ending debate about the greatest boxers in history gets discussed, Rocky Marciano is rarely near the top of the list.
Not that he is totally ignored, he just is not talked about in the same regard as the likes of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Louis, or Sugar Ray Robinson.
Even if the debate was narrowed down just to the greatest heavyweights, Marciano would, instinctively, be mentioned by many after Ali, Louis, Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson, and possibly even Mike Tyson by the younger generation.
Yet, Marciano, whose knockout punch packed "more explosive energy than an armour-piercing bullet" according to a study, deservedly earned his place in the annals of boxing history.
The only heavyweight world champion to end his career undefeated, Marciano decided, after 49 fights and 49 wins (with 43 knockouts), to retire at the age of 32 on this day - April 27, 1956.
The first 16 of those professional fights ended in knockout wins for Marciano, all before the end of the fifth round and nine inside the opening round.
It was not until his 26th fight did the Brockton, Massachusetts native get truly challenged when, in March 1950, he earned a split decision win over Roland La Starza. It was the closest any fighter would get to beating Marciano.
Marciano's first major high-profile fight came in October 1951 when he fought the great Joe Louis and stopped the former world champion in the eighth round in what would be Louis' final fight.
Four more wins would follow before Marciano earned his first world title shot, where he would face Jersey Joe Walcott in September 1952. Walcott dropped Marciano in the first round and began to build a points lead, only for the challenger to produce a devastating right hook in the 13th round to claim the title.
An immediate rematch was granted but this time the outcome was far more emphatic, Marciano delivering a first-round KO to send Walcott into retirement.
Marciano defended the world title five more times, defeating La Starza again - this time by 11th-round KO - twice beating Ezzard Charles - first on points then by eighth-round stoppage - taking out Don Cockell in the ninth round, and completing his career with another ninth round stoppage of Archie Moore.
Around six months later, Marciano decided to call it quits and walked away from boxing as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Just over 13 years later, on August 31, 1969 - the day before his 46th birthday - Marciano was killed in a plane crash.
A member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Marciano holds a number of records and accolades that have earned him his place among the sport's greatest.
He was named The Ring fighter of the year three times, holds the highest knockout percentage (87.76%) of any heavyweight champion in history over the course of a completed career, and his 1952 KO of Walcott has been named in a poll as the greatest knockout in boxing history.
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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