After their first fight Charles ,interviewed in his dressing room said: "Marciano is not the best fighter I ever fought.In fact I don't think he beat me.I think I won the fight." He's strong and throws a lot of punches,but he didn't give me as tough a fight as Walcott did.In fact all my fights with Walcott were tougher,he didn't hurt me as much as Walcott did." " I want him again".
Charles was certainly a proud man. I wonder if Ezzard had yet looked into the mirror and seen what Rocky did to his face before he made comparisons with who gave him a harder fight.
Charles trainer blamed the punch to the Adam's apple in the 8th or 9th rounds as being the turning point.Charles neck swelled up and he had difficulty breathing after that. In the 4th round Charles opened a bad cut on Marciano's left eye on scar tissue that was a legacy of the Johnny ShKor fight."I went crazy for that eye and forgot to fight my own fight "Charles said later. Interestingly Marciano claimed he overtrained for the fight,having been in camp for 7 months.
I thought Charles fought an excellent fight. Technically brilliant the way he parried, stayed close, countered and beat Marciano to the punch inside. Turned him well in a clinch. Only gave ground in order to walk Marciano onto a punch. Really smart tactics.
Also was the first to really attack marcianos body while he was crouched. Marciano said that was his most painful fight.
Basically “I shoulda had him.” Sounds like he wanted that rematch. I’ve never heard anything remotely similar to this in boxing ever.
I thought it might be of some interest, I've only just read it myself.Apologies for having bored you.
Hmmm heard him say either in an interview or read in Biography of a first son that he was never in so much pain as after that fight. Maybe it didn’t hit him till later
I also read that Charles gave him his toughest fight. I'm not contradicting you, just throwing out there what I have just discovered. Charles gave him a very bad cut on his left eye. I think its very revealing that Marciano said after the fight."maybe three or four rounds there were times when I couldn't properly see out of it for half a minute or so,so I'd circle around until I could see". No thought of jacking in. just of how to surmount the problem.
