Ezzard Charles?

Charles wasn't always consistent in his recollections of when he sparred with Liston, but the most specific reference he gave was that he was in training for Wes Bascom. That makes sense, as that fight was in St Louis, which is where Liston would have been at the time, but it puts it right back in January 1953, before Liston had even started his professional career.

As he recalled:

This big boy Liston was a good sparring partner. I think he was a lot bigger than he is now. He took a punch good and he hit good, and I remember, after the first workout, I said to myself I didn't want him to hit me too good.

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I think a younger Ezzard Charles would have had a good chance of narrowly beating Rocky Marciano. The quality of his winning streak from 1944 to 1950 is possibly the best in heavyweight history. The list of names he beat over that six year period is mind boggling.

As for the best heavyweight he’d beat I’m not so sure. If he indeed managed to beat Marciano that would be big enough by itself. Some of the names you mentioned like Gene Tunney and Floyd Patterson are also good possibilities .

 

Ezzard Charles well know was ill his decline in the ring seems to have started when he got caught in the 3rd Walcott fight. Most pro Rocky people don’t know or want to admit right before their first fight Ezzard lost to Nino Valdez and light heavyweight Harold Johnson. After Rocky he fought for 5 years and lost most of his fights many to low ranked fighters. At his best the1949 1950 version vs 1954 Rocky you’d have to think Charles could have outpointed him. Of course a lighter Charles would have more of a strength disadvantage. Hard to think he stops a prime Charles who was very quick and rubbery.