Why couldn't Ezzard Charles get a title shot at light heavy

Always wondered too.

 

He got a duration shot at LHW which he lost to Jimmy Bivins. It was not a competitive match.

 

Was that the one where Charles was floored several times?

 

Yes.

 

That was a 165lbs, 21 year old Charles.

Charles avenged that defeat to Bivins four times and went on to beat the consensus GOAT LHW, aside from Ezzard himself, 3 out of 3, in fights contested at LHW.

 

Because he was too good.

 

Lesnevich and Mills wanted no part of Charles ,Marshall,and Moore in title shots,Moore had to buy his shot against Maxim fighting for virtually nothing,

 

Charles was conceding 10lbs to Bivins.

 

It is absolutely disgusting that he did n't get a title shot in the lt.heavy division. Beating Archie Moore three times is qualification enough alone.

Ezzard was a very good heavyweight but a great 175lb man. Arguably the best fighter not to be given a title shot at their optimum weight.

 

There seems to have been a number of factors at play:

Ezzard was beaten twice, soundly, back to back in 1943 by Bivins and Marshall. He’s drifting a bit after that before beating Archie Moore in 1945 to regain his footing as a light heavyweight factor.

Gus was in the Army for a stretch during WWII and fighting/defending infrequently due to his military obligations. This during the period where Charles ascended.

The mob controlled boxing and manipulated/fixed Billy Fox into the No. 1 contender position. Gus had little choice but to fight Fox, one would have to presume, even though Ezz and Archie were more clearly deserving — perhaps the mob made him an offer he couldn’t refuse, or the more corrupt reading would be that if Gus didn’t fight Billy then he would have lost his claim to the title.

That he fought Billy in a rematch after stopping him the first time certainly doesn’t play into his favor, but one doesn’t know whether the mob may have dictated that by hook or crook.

When the war ended, Gus fought Freddie Mills (whom he had earlier beaten) for a big payday, and lost his title.

There seems to be a couple years where Gus has the title and is out-and-out ducking Charles, with Ezz being the dominant fighter in the division and no good reason can be put forth why Lesnevich wouldn’t/couldn’t give Charles a shot.

Ezzard moves on to the heavyweight division, chops down contenders and wins the title.

The irony is his first defense of that crown is none other than Gus himself — even though NYSAC refused to sanction it. On the one hand, you’d think Ezz would be like ‘screw that guy, he froze me out, no way I’m giving him a shot (and a payday)’ … on the other, maybe Charles was like ‘I owe this guy, I’m going to beat him like a rented mule just to show everybody what would have happened had he given me a shot.’ However it came about, Ezz retired Guy with that stoppage win.

Seems like there’s also a window where Mills could have given Charles his just due by giving him a shot, but that’s another kettle of fish and Charles had pretty much seemed to have moved on fro 175 to focus on the big boys.