Educate me on Ezzard Charles.

My Man!!

 

I can think of a guy who is rated by most as No. 1 all-time in his division who lost 3 of 4 to someone else in that division and got stopped in all three losses.

That was an aside. Great post on Ezz.

 

Good point. And I have Pep #1 at FW too.

 

I’ve got Saddler.

Honestly, I think it’s hard to refute the argument that Saddler has the best three wins of anyone in boxing history … all three over Pep!

And the first one was a complete destruction.

 

What do you mean he never spoke again?

 

He was very close to being on par with Maske. What more credit can be given?

 

Great all-around fighter. Good at literally everything. Smooth and precise. His resume speaks for itself. Should be regarded towards the top of anyone's all-time p4p list. Outpunching punchers, outboxing boxers. A real master craftsman. A humble and honest man. He is a true role model.

An inspiration to watch, even in losing fights.

 

HE BECAME ONE OF THOSE MONKS WHO DoESN"T SAY ANYTHING!

 

back in my day this wouldve been the perfect question to ask @George Crowcroft

 

Is that the same Corn Pop who Joe Biden backed down when he brought a chain to fight Corn Pop and his razor-carrying gang?

That Corn Pop of Delaware was allegedly named William Morris, but if he was a monk who didn’t speak maybe he wasn’t able to verbally correct people who had his name wrong.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...7115c8-d8ac-11e9-ac63-3016711543fe_story.html

 

I just about believe that very same thing, Pat. I just about believe that very same thing.

 

One of the greatest fighters ever. A lock for any top five, IMO.

His time at 160 was pretty short, and he often came in above the limit - around 165ish - for tune ups. But just two years after turning professional, he'd beaten Anton Christoforidis, Teddy Yarosz, Jose Basora, and claimed two of his finest wins, coming over a prime Charley Burley. These fights took place on very short notice, with Charles stepping in just over a week after a loss to Kid Turnero for the first fight, and Burley coming in six days after a fight with Holman Williams for the second. He also beat Joey Maxim while being outweighed by 20lbs around this time.

He moved up, seeking a title shot, and lost back to back against Jimmy Bivins and Lloyd Marshall, the latter of which, Charles fought while injured, and was subsequently stopped. He took some time off to help in the war effort at this time, joining the military and fighting only six rounds in three years - in two three round pro fights, which were essentially exhibitions.

When he came back in 1946, he decimated the 175lbs division, where he'd go from '46 to '51 with only one loss, a highly disputed decision against heavyweight contender Elmer Ray, who outweighed him by 20lbs (which he avenged by knockout). In his run at 175, he avenged his losses to Bivins and Marshall, several times; beat Archie Moore on three occasions, and stopped good contenders like Oakland Billy Smith, and Sam Baroudi. Despite having knocked out half of the top ten light heavyweights, he was denied a title shot by Gus Lesnevich, and so Charles decided to move up to heavyweight.

His heavyweight title run wasn't great, but it started strong with back-to-back victories over Joey Maxim, Jersey Joe Walcott (against whom, Charles picked up the vacant heavyweight crown) and Gus Lesnevich (who had lost his title, and now sought Charles' at heavyweight). He defended his title nine times - more than double the second highest amount of defences a light heavy has made at HW - and notched off a good third of the top ten contenders in that time, as well as claiming the lineal title from Joe Louis. Two wins over Jersey Joe Walcott is nothing to scoff at, and neither is being the only man to go 15 with Rocky Marciano isn't, either.


Charles to me, is easily the top light heavyweight ever; one of the most interesting middleweight what-ifs - along with Roy Jones - and by all rights, if you'd consider Jersey Joe Walcott a great heavyweight, you'd have to consider Charles one as well.

 

Didn't Zale duck Charles?

 

I don't know for sure. It could be argued but Charles struggled staying at 160. Zale probably could've took the fight as a non-title fight. Charles was never gonna get a shot at 160 through the rankings, though. He just couldn't stay below 160 consistently enough.

 

Superb! Cheers, George!