Two-time Australian boxing champion Aussie Rocky Gatterlari from Sydney’s west has died aged 81

Australia’s boxing fraternity is in mourning after the overnight death of former Australian Flyweight Champion and Aussie Olympian Rocky Gatterlari.

Born in Italy but raised in Sydney, Gatterlari, who was only 160 cm tall, took up boxing in the 1950s to fend off the school bullies.

And he did so well that he went on to become an Australian representative at the 1960 Olympics, winning the Australian flyweight title after turning pro, and later moving up the weight class and losing to the great Lionel Rose.

Along the way, the colorful Rocky battled for a 13-round world title with Italian World Champion Salvatore Burruni [who had won 77 pro fights before this bout] before losing. That was Rocky’s 17th pro fight and first pro fight loss after 16 wins.

He came back and won five more bouts before the epic clash with Rose, in the heavier weight class, after which he retired to become a restauranteur.

After 12 years out of the ring he made a comeback, but his blazing speed and his whirling never-ending action that had taken him to great heights just weren’t there anymore.

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

And perhaps his retirement made him an even greater man.

Always larger than life with his flamboyant style both inside and outside the ring, he had two daughters who gave him three grandchildren and owned the extremely popular restaurant Rocky’s At Edgecliff.

“One of my favorite memories is that at the end of every phone call, every conversation throughout his 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,” daughter Diana told the Daily telegram.

“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’ve never known anyone so family oriented and just so altruistic, everything revolved around his family and he just adored us and showed it in every way, through his affection, through his generosity.

“He was just a wonderful human being. Set aside sports, set aside boxing, he was the most humble man. He often joked, “Was that really me at the Olympics?” Did I really do that?’

During an interview 30 years ago, Rocky said he started boxing because he was bullied at school as a young migrant in western Sydney

The great Lionel Rose who won a world title stopped The Rock’s onslaught in the world of bantamweights in an epic 13-round battle in the 1960s

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

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

Rocky was 81 when he passed away peacefully from dementia, taking him a long way from the always happy, dancing, singing and laughing star that he was.

“I was told the best way to keep bullies from bullying you is to tie them up. So I learned to fight and I girded them,” he famously said.

Throughout his satisfying life, he’s tied up a lot of guys, but he’s also hit a few times.

One of them was when he decided to go into politics.

It was in the 1995 NSW state election and he ran as a Liberal candidate in Cabramatta’s seat.

He lost to Labour’s Reba Meagher that day.

His daughter Diana said it was her father’s dying wish that no one should mourn his death, but celebrate with a celebration. Many people certainly will.