Who would you pick to beat prime Ezzard Charles at LHW?

Agreed on Dwight. He was a force at that weight. He crushed everyone on his way up. He had the misfortune of being in Spinks era. Qawi was an intimidating little guy.

 

I'm not saying that Marshall definitely beats Charles or that he should be favored.
Considering Ezzard was an elite fighter near the top of his game at that weight. There's not many that have a chance. Marshall was able to do it once so he's got a chance. Otherwise its a dire situation.

 

Him not winning a belt isn’t relevant.

There’s been belt holders nowhere near as good.

Look at the circumstances.

Look at his resume.

His ability.

He beat Archie Moore 3 times.

Moore himself was amazing.

Most fans have Ezzard as the GOAT at LHW.

 

Tunney

 

And Bivins and Marshall both knocked Charles down in the rematches they lost. Affirming that Charles's chin was a weak spot. My opinion is not just based on those losses.

You could flip that and say Marshall was on the decline. And Bivins Bivins is one of those guys who was on a different level during a win streak who came down to earth.

The 4 wins over Bivins were all at HW though Ezzard was under 175 for 1.

 

Charles only truly campaigned at LHW between 1946 against Tommy Hubert to 1948 when he beat Sam Baroudi. This is when he's weighing in at about 175lbs and the opponent is also weighing in at around the same. (The Elmer Ray fight in this time period is the only one that's off as Ray outweighed him by a lot - it's also the only loss in that time period, spanning 23 fights, and it's a pretty agreed upon robbery).

As a LHW, against another LHW, I don't favor anyone to best him. Spinks, Foster, Roy Jones Jr, Qawi and a few more might make it competitive but I rate Charles as close to the most complete fighter of all time if not the outright most complete one. He's also faced every kind of fighter and I don't think awkwardness will be his kryptonite - what's more awkward than Walcott?


I think I'd be most interested in Charles vs Tunney or a young Patterson. If I was looking for a potential defeat at 175lbs

 

Charles chin was not a weakness. Post war he went on a 40 fight streak where he wasn't stopped and lost just one very controversial decision.....to a top 5 heavyweight contender that outweighed him by 20 pounds while Charles himself weighed inside the light heavyweight limit. Charles knocked him out in a rematch while again weighing inside the light heavyweight limit. Beastly performances from someone inside 175 pounds.

Marshall had a flash KD and Bivins, a great fighter himself, dropped him once in four rematches. He also beat Moore, one of the greatest knock out artists in history, three times in a row.

There's also 9 heavyweight title defenses in that 40 fights.

To content his chin is a "weak spot" given the resume and intangibles he has is ridiculous. I claimed the same when i first joined this forum. Dear o' dear, how little did i know about the old timers and Charles at that point.

Charles four wins over Bivins spaced over more than a half a decade are null and void because his win streak came to and end? LOLOL

Strange how you negate to say he also beat him while weighing 175. That's light heavyweight you know? Yeah? So now we are up to two. He pumped Bivins twice while giving away 10 pounds plus of weight advantage. If their next match he was all of 1 pound over 175 lol.

Charles once he filled out and hit his straps was just a bit better than the likes of Moore, Marshall, Bivins and countless other fantastic fighters. This is really saying something.

 

Whatever JT.

He wasn’t beating Tarver!

 

For me the best Roy Jones would have been the favorite against all the best boxers from 160 to 175 pounds. Charles-Tunney would have been a great fight, we're talking about two of the three best light heavyweights of all time in my opinion.

 

You got me, i bow to his eccentric genius.

 

I wouldn't confidently pick anyone but Tunney,Lewis,Delaney,Johnson, Conn,and Loughran would give him good go's imo.

 

No one with any certainty.

 

I think Spinks and Foster have a shot. Don't know about them winning though.