Charles easily. I put by KO but it really depends on what he wants to do. One of his few weaknesses is that when he thought he was up, he'd hit cruise control, allowing him to be jobbed. I would think he would not let that happen. No disrespect to Johannson, who, when he was young and trained hard, was very good, and much like a better version of Deontay Wilder, could find the right at the key moment. It's just Charles is a legend.
I like Charles to win by KO or stoppage late. I just think he’s too well rounded of a fighter for Johannson who was more on the one dimensional side. But I wouldn’t count ingo out completely. He’s the guy who laid out Machen and Patterson when they were prime
Charles is the sensible pick. However, if he fights the underrated and fairly unknown Ingo of the Machen fight, he could get sparked. 4 times out of 5, Ez.
After the Mauriello fight Louis's power went out to get milk and never returned. Charles being able to last the whole fight was testament to that and is not proof he could survive someone with real HW power. Which Ingo had. Patterson and especially Machen were more durable then Charles. If Ingo could get 9 KDs on Floyd Patterson I don't see how Ezzard beats him. With 10-8s just 1 or 2 would probably swing it. Ingo rarely had the chance to show it but he was not a one dimensional puncher. In his final fight he was shutting out Brian London. London was the best opponent Ingo ever had a full fight with. London beat Zora Folley. Not saying Ingo was on the level of Ezzard but a one dimensional power guy doesn't shut out an opponent like that. If a fighter wins most of their big fights by knockout people often interpret that absence of clinical decisions as a lack of ability. It could be but it could not be. Its more like a question mark until you have evidence to the contrary. Look at Foreman people speculated about his gas tank and his technical prowess because they'd only seen him knock people out quickly with some wild sloppy punches. And Foreman won 4 title fight decisions in a row in his late 40s without a single KD to aid him. He was a brilliant fighter who could have boxed the ears off many in his prime but fighters are trying to win not prove their well roundednes to unborn strangers on the internet.
You’re forgetting that Charles went 15 rounds with Marciano while being past prime. Fought Walcott four times and was only stopped once. Fought Elmer Ray twice and survived him both times stopping him once and being robbed on another occasion. Went 3-0 against Archie Moore ( yes Archie could punch at heavyweight. ) Charles is far more skilled and experienced in the later rounds than ingo was. Johannson has two wins at world level, albeit good ones. But those wins are dwarfed next to the insane win column of Ezzard Charles
Charles outboxes Johansson for nine rounds before Johansson’s ‘Toonder and Lightning’ right hand deletes his consciousness.
Marciano, Elmer Ray and Walcott are all overrated as punchers. I think Elmer Ray was the best of the bunch but his reputation as a dangerous fighter is possibly the most manufactured in the sports history except Sullivan. Look up his boxrec it speaks for itself. Out of all his 72 KOs he really just knocked out Lee Savold and a bunch of journeymen. I don't mean that in the way people say "journeymen" and mean guys like Marty Marshall who were really good and contended for various accolades. No I mean dictionary class journeymen. Walcott has a few great punches spaced out by many years and fights. Most of his big fights either went the distance or lasted awhile.
I disagree with all of this but either way, Ingemar Johannson’s punching power isn’t head over heels above Marciano, Moore, Walcott or Ray’s. And the vast difference in skill and stamina between Charles and Ingo is colossal
Ingo could hit, but wasn't a better or harder puncher than Marciano. When Ingo was fighting, Marciano was in very recent memory, so recent that Marciano was considering a comeback at the time. But no one back then was saying Ingo hit harder than Marciano and everyone who saw Ingo in person also saw Marciano in person.
