Yep, thats the way I look at it. Peak Patterson at age 28 in the rematch with Johansson vs peak Charles at heavyweight from the Louis fight would be a VERY interesting match up. I would put my money on Floyd but not with a huge amount of confidence. I just feel Patterson had enough hand speed to outpoint Charles in a close fight. Cheers All.
And I'll go with Charles, in an exciting close match up. Would be a seesaw type fight, with both having their moments. I've got 2 Knock downs, coming from Charles but Floyd getting up both times to get back in the fight. It's a split decision with Ezzard getting it, but he'd be marked up and bruised. People would feel bad for Floyd and shout out for a rematch.
Up to & including Marciano 1, Ezzard wins this, probably by kayo. I don't see Floyd being able to take the amount of shots he would have to take from Charles without folding over 15 from the man who went 15 with Marciano. After Marciano 2, Charles was finished as a force.
Ezzard for sure!His chin was proven and he beat some good opponents!He is same size,speed and power as Patterson but he had better chin and he was tough mentally!I heard that Charles schooled young Liston in sparing!Floyd could never do that!Patterson also lack stamina!Charles beat better opponents and was proven against greater fighters!He beat Louis,Satterfield,prime Moore and Wallcott and prime Valdes!He gave Marciano helluva fights!Ezzard would beat Patterson in late rounds and It would end like stoppage or decision!
I pick Charles but his hand speed was not as good as Patterson's.His fights with Moore were at lhvy and he never beat Valdes, Valdes beat him. Where is the evidence Patterson lacked stamina? At 37 he went 10rds to beat Bonavena, a man 14lbs heavier,at 33 he went 15rds with Ellis to drop a decision most thought he deserved.
Patterson lacked stamina in those fights in the sense that he didn't throw very many punches in the later rounds. I watched the Patterson-Bonavena fight recently and I thought Bonavena deserved the decision because Patterson wasn't busy enough. It was to put it charitably a very careful fight by both fighters. I don't think it added much to Patterson's legacy. Patterson lost the Ellis fight for the same reason -- he didn't throw enough punches after the 11th round. For that reason, I have never really quibbled too much with Valan's decision although I thought Floyd did enough to eke out the win in the first 11 rounds. I have to admit I don't rank Patterson as high as some on an all-time basis. If he had beaten Johansson in their first fight and then gone on to defend successfully against Machen, Folley, etc. before losing to Liston, I would think more highly of him. But the series with Johansson shut everyone else out. That was probably partly a function of the U.S. 90 percent marginal tax rate and the incredible amount of money that the Johansson fights generated via the closed-circuit revenue as anything. Even so, Floyd's reign tied up the division and I blame him for it. He was a bit of a drama queen too, going into seclusion, wearing sunglasses and a beard. etc. For a guy who held the title so long, basically 1956-'62, he didn't enhance the title which he held. He was a better fighter than a champion. I apologize for straying off the topic. I would pick the Patterson who fought Johansson in the second fight to defeat Charles. But that Patterson didn't show up very often. Only once, as a matter of fact. I've always thought that Charles at heavyweight in the '50s was nowhere near what he had been at lighter weights in the '40s.
I don't rate him that highly and several contenders were frozen out while he played pass the parcel with Ingo,but he was 37 against Bonavena and we are matching prime for prime.
Agreed, but that part of my post was in reaction to your comment about stamina for that fight. I admit I have a thing about people giving Patterson a pass for a relatively weak title reign based on his carefully orchestrated post-title accomplishments which I view as over-rated. I agree that the comment was not particularly applicable to his stamina level when he was 25!!
I have to rewatch Ezz at heavyweight. Too often, he seems wild and wide open like he fees the need to take bigger risks given his opponents. I think Floyd threads the needle sooner than Ezz and wins.
