Who was Rocky Gattellari? Australian Boxing Legend Dead at 81

Rocky Gattellari was a legendary Australian boxer who was active from the ’60s through to the ’70s. He made his professional debut on September 18, 1961. He won the Australian flyweight championship title on February 26, 1962, which he defended twice.

He retired from professional boxing in 1968. However, he made a comeback in 1979m fighting Pail Ferreri for the Australian featherweight title. He lost in the 3rd round by a TKO. After his final retirement, he had a professional record of 21 wins (12 by knockout), 3 losses (all by knockout), and one draw.

During his professional career, Gattellari contested the world flyweight title on December 2, 1965, however, he lost to Salvatore Burruni in the 13th round. He fought Lionel Rose for the Australian bantamweight title on December 11, 1967, losing by a knockout in the 13th round.

He died after a long battle with dementia and was placed into care in September 2022. His death occurred on Friday, June 23, 2023. He was 81 years old at the time of death.