Australian Rocky, who learned to box to beat bullies, dies at 81

• The Rock lived a life full of adventures
• His daughter claimed that he was a truly wonderful father.
• He was a boxer, restaurant owner and politician.

He boxing The Australia fraternity is in mourning following the overnight death of former Australian flyweight champion and Australian Olympian Rocky Gatterlari.

Born in Italy but raised in sydneyGatterlari, who was diminutive at just 160cm tall, took up boxing in the 1950s to protect himself from bullies at school.

And he did so well that he later became Australia’s representative in 1960. Olympic Gameswinning the Australian flyweight title after turning professional, and then moving up the weight class, losing to the great Lionel Rose.

Along the way, the colorful Rocky fought for a world title in 13 rounds with Italian world champion Salvatore Burruni (who had won 77 professional fights prior to this fight) before losing. That was Rocky’s 17th professional fight and his first loss in a professional fight after 16 wins.

He came back and won five more fights before the epic clash with Rose, in the heavyweight division, then retired to become a restaurant owner.

After 12 years out of the ring, he made a comeback, but his blistering speed and breakneck, non-stop action that had taken him to great heights, were simply not there anymore.

He lost and then retired for good with a record of 25 fights for 21 wins and three draws, 12 by way of knockout.

And maybe it was in retirement that he became an even bigger man.

Always larger than life with his flamboyant style both in and out of the ring, he had two daughters who gave birth to three grandchildren and owned the extremely popular Rocky’s At Edgecliff restaurant.

“One of my favorite memories is that at the end of every phone call, every conversation of his entire life, he would say ‘I love you.’ That’s the kind of man he was, he just adored his family and always showed it openly,” she said. her daughter Diana to The Associated Press. Daily telegraph.

“He was never embarrassed or embarrassed to show his feelings. He did it in his career, he did it with his family, he did it with his friends.

“He taught us the true meaning of unconditional love. I have never met anyone so family oriented and selfless. It was all about his family and he just adored us and showed it in every possible way through his affection. through your generosity.

‘He was just an amazing human being. He puts sports aside, he puts boxing aside, he was the humblest man. He often used to joke: ‘Was that really me at the Olympics? Did I really do that?’

“He was just the poor boy from Calabria, so humble.

“I know a lot of people say his parents are amazing, but he’s just a legend to me.”

Rocky was 81 years old when he passed away peacefully suffering from dementia, which made him very different from the always happy, dancing, singing and smiling star that he was.

‘I was told that the best way to stop bullies from bothering you is to hit them. So I learned how to fight and I beat them up,’ she famously said.

Throughout his full life, he’s beaten up a lot of guys, but he’s also taken a few beatings.

One was when he decided to go into politics.

It was in the 1995 New South Wales state election and he ran as a Liberal candidate in the Cabramatta seat.

She lost that day to Labor’s Reba Meagher.

His daughter Diana said her father’s last wish was that no one mourn his death, but instead celebrate it with a party. Many people surely will.