Graziano entered as the defending champion and a 12-to-5 betting favorite. At 26, he was viewed as the younger, fresher fighter, while the 35-year-old Zale, known as the “Man of Steel,” was attempting to become only the third boxer to regain the middleweight championship. Before the opening bell, Zale boldly predicted he would knock Graziano out in the third round.
The bout was postponed one day because of rain but still drew a crowd of 21,497 that produced a live gate of $335,646. Promoters also collected $45,000 in radio rights and another $25,000 from motion picture rights after keeping television away from the event. Graziano earned a guaranteed purse of $120,000, while Zale received $60,000. Veteran referee Paul Cavalier handled the officiating.
Unlike the first two savage wars, the deciding fight was over almost as quickly as it began.
Zale immediately backed up his prediction in the opening round, crashing a left hook into Graziano’s jaw that dropped the champion for a three-count. Graziano recovered and fought back aggressively, refusing to give ground as the pair exchanged heavy punches that hinted another classic slugfest was developing.
The pace only intensified in the second. Zale hurt Graziano with a hard right hand, but the champion answered moments later with a booming right of his own that briefly rocked the challenger. Neither man backed away, and the crowd watched another furious exchange between two fighters who had built their reputations on courage as much as punching power.
Zale made good on his prediction in the third round.
Another crushing left hook sent Graziano to the canvas for a seven-count. Although the champion climbed to his feet, he was still vulnerable. Zale wasted no time, driving a right hand into Graziano’s body before whipping a perfectly timed left hook to the jaw.
The punch landed flush, knocking Graziano unconscious. Referee Paul Cavalier completed the count at 1:08 of the third round as Zale regained the middleweight championship exactly as he had forecast.
The victory made Zale only the third fighter to regain the world middleweight title and completed one of boxing’s most memorable championship comebacks. His second reign proved brief, however, as Marcel Cerdan stopped him in 11 rounds three months later to claim the title. Zale retired soon afterward with a record of 67-18-2 (45 KOs). Although he lost the title to Marcel Cerdan three months later, his victory over Graziano remains the defining final triumph of his Hall of Fame career.
Graziano remained one of boxing’s biggest attractions after the defeat, continuing to draw large crowds until retiring in 1952 with a record of 67-10-6 (52 KOs). Years later, he admitted the knockout loss to Zale haunted him, recalling recurring nightmares about their final meeting.
The first two fights became classics because of their prolonged back-and-forth violence. The third lacked that drama, but Zale’s emphatic knockout erased any doubt about who had won the rivalry’s final chapter.
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