Ezzard Charles compared to Jack Dempsey and Mickey Walker

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by GPater11093, Feb 27, 2011.


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  1. GPater11093

    GPater11093 Barry Full Member

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    I have been reading up a lot on Ezzard Charles recently and came across this.


    It is some interesting observations here by Jack Kearns. Unfortunately, the article is longer but is unreadable. I made out one bit saying that Kearns 'liked fast, hard-punching'.

    So, I think the comparisons to Dempsey are in his offence in the way he was so fast and explosive and put his shots together. But I still find it hard to compare the two in a stylistic sense as Kearns seems to does. As for the Walker comparison, I can't see that.

    However, Kearns maybe just saying this as it is his old fighters. But even so, he seems very impressed by Ezzard Charles, and this was going into the first Bivin's bout.

    Just thought I'd share this to show how highly Charles was considered at the time.
     
    GPater11093, Feb 27, 2011
    GPater11093, Feb 27, 2011
    #1
  2. Pachilles

    Pachilles Boxing Addict Full Member

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    No, but Duran deserves a mention
     
    Pachilles, Feb 27, 2011
    Pachilles, Feb 27, 2011
    #2
  3. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Agree Pachilles, I'd compare Duran to Walker more readily also.



    Some interesting stuff Greg.
     
    McGrain, Feb 27, 2011
    McGrain, Feb 27, 2011
    #3
  4. El Bujia

    El Bujia Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Oh, oh, there it is! He said it! He dun it again!
     
    El Bujia, Feb 27, 2011
    El Bujia, Feb 27, 2011
    #4
  5. Pachilles

    Pachilles Boxing Addict Full Member

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    From what little i've seen of the whiteys and from what i've seen of Patterson, i'd say a thing they have in common would be rapid opportunistic aggression, for a fancy way of putting it.

    Meaning they switched into killmode in a blink of an eye and attacked quickly and ferociously with fight-ending intentions
     
    Pachilles, Feb 27, 2011
    Pachilles, Feb 27, 2011
    #5
  6. Pachilles

    Pachilles Boxing Addict Full Member

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    oh ****, how the **** did i mistake Ezzard for Patterson?:patsch Forget that
     
    Pachilles, Feb 27, 2011
    Pachilles, Feb 27, 2011
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  7. GPater11093

    GPater11093 Barry Full Member

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    Charles is more like B-HOP IMO.
     
    GPater11093, Feb 27, 2011
    GPater11093, Feb 27, 2011
    #7
  8. Stonehands89

    Stonehands89 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    There's two Ezzards. One before Baroudi's death and one after Baroudi's death.

    Then you have to figure in the debilitating disease that probably began to affect him in the early 50s.

    Before Baroudi's death, Ezzard was among the best fighting machines that ever lived -period. You don't beat Burley when you're still in high school unless you are very special.
     
    Stonehands89, Feb 27, 2011
    Stonehands89, Feb 27, 2011
    #8
  9. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Yeah, based on resume, reports and the scrap of footage he could be the best that ever did it.
     
    McGrain, Feb 27, 2011
    McGrain, Feb 27, 2011
    #9
  10. PetethePrince

    PetethePrince Slick & Redheaded Full Member

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    What would you say to those that say this is overstated? I've heard both sides.
     
    PetethePrince, Feb 27, 2011
    PetethePrince, Feb 27, 2011
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  11. Stonehands89

    Stonehands89 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Ezzard was a religious man, raised by a two grandmothers, one a great-grandmother and ex-slave. He was raised to be humble. After Baroudi's death he discussed quitting the ring and it wa Baroudi's father who came and encouraged him not to. Ezzard was part of a benefit that donated fifteen large to the Baroudi family and Ezzard himself donated his entire purse.

    After that fight, Ezzard didn't fight men his own size anymore. That may tell you that he was aiming for the big prize, but I think it also suggests that he didn't want to risk it happening again.
     
    Stonehands89, Feb 27, 2011
    Stonehands89, Feb 27, 2011
    #11
  12. GPater11093

    GPater11093 Barry Full Member

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    I'm in agreement with you there, I'm just in the beginnings of some serious research on Charles but reading on his early career he appears to have been phenomenal, physically as well as technically.

    I haven't read that much about him post-Baroudi so it will be interesting to see how I think it effected him. Because at his best he appears to have been a super-charged technician, afterwards he became a technician.

    In his prime he seemed to be much more aggressive and like Robinson at Welterweight, less of the pure boxer he can sometimes be made out to be. I think at his best he was an aggressive two-fisted boxer-puncher with solid technical skills and a very impressive physical arsenal.

    Interestingly, as an amateur it was often his craft and skill that was talked about, being described as a 'learned artist' among other such praise, but as a pro it tended to be the physical side of his game: his speed, his explosiveness, his reflexes. I think like Robinson he was one of those flashy offensive machines with all the skills but the dynamite to really do damage, and we see this in the Marshall footage. In most fight-reports he is described as the 'young Cincy dynamiter', a very apt-description IMO.

    Heres some fight reports



    Cleveland Plain Dealer – 2nd December 1942

     
    GPater11093, Feb 27, 2011
    GPater11093, Feb 27, 2011
    #12
  13. GPater11093

    GPater11093 Barry Full Member

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    Also Charles' style adaption/evolution is eerily similar to Bernard Hopkins, just for different reasons.
     
    GPater11093, Feb 28, 2011
    GPater11093, Feb 28, 2011
    #13
  14. burt bienstock

    burt bienstock Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    GP,the young middleweight Ezzard Charles[before Barouidi],would have
    easily whipped any version of Hopkins .Lest people forget,Ezzard Charles as an amateur was unbeatable in FORTY TWO bouts,as a middleweight. In 1940 Ezzard turned pro at age 19,koing virtually everyone,except a former great middleweight Ken Overlin.And in the process whipped the prime experienced Charley Burley TWICE.Not bad for a twenty one year old Charles .As a small LH Ezzard beat this roster, of Lloyd Marshall , Jimmy Bivins,Booker Beckwith,
    Josie Basora, Joey Maxim [twice]Archie Moore [several times] etc. Charles at that stage of his life was a much better P4P fighter than Ali. He was as good as a fighter gets,until he had to tackle the big heavyweights. And still he was
    beating the likes of Lesnevich, Baksi,Joe Walcott, Rex Layne,Fitzie Fitzpatrick,
    Lee Oma,Pat Valentino, until age and an oncoming disease,took it's toll on
    Charles..Still he was able to give the prime Rocky Marciano hell in their two fights...Summing up GP, B-Hop is not close to an Ezzard Charles. Very,very
    few were...Cheers GP...
     
    burt bienstock, Feb 28, 2011
    burt bienstock, Feb 28, 2011
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  15. GPater11093

    GPater11093 Barry Full Member

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    I just mean in a basic stylistic comparison they are similar. I have no doubt Charles was better.
     
    GPater11093, Feb 28, 2011
    GPater11093, Feb 28, 2011
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