Did Robinson duck Ezzard Charles?

I doubt that anybody would take that proposal.

 

At one point someone suggested that Ray fight Patterson, who would have beaten him badly. In his long career Ray was never overmatched against a bigger opponent. He chose his fights wisely. Even Maxim was a heady choice. But Ray couldn't control the weather. If not for the excessive heat that night, he would have won that one easily. But then if he had captured the light-heavyweight title, would he have taken on Archie Moore or Harold Johnson? Not such a good idea, methinks.

 

Joey Maxim wasn't really a 'heady' choice. If you were a middleweight and wanted to move up and fight for the light heavyweight title, at that point in time, you had to fight Joey Maxim. There were not 14 champions at that weight.
Did he duck Ezzard Charles? That is just gibberish. But, to put it in perspective, 20 days before Robinson fought Maxim for the light heavy title, Charles fought Walcott for the heavyweight title.

 

I believe the story of Robinson haggling himself out of a fight with Moore, it was true to his reputation - had he got his way he would’ve fought the “Mongoose” so why not the “Cobra”? I don’t think Sugar Ray would’ve passed on any fight that paid well enough. Heck If history told me it was Louis and not Moore at that dinner table I’d believe it.

 

Robinson gave away as much as 16 lbs to LaMotta, a ranking MW, at a time when Robi had only recently moved up from 135.

For most WW-sized fighters, that would be considered overmatching.

But for Robinson, it was Tuesday.

 

being realistic about Size disparities is Not the same as a Duck... Most fighters never fought UP Out of their natural weights, most would wait until they moved up to the next Division naturally toward their latter career when 'growing' out of a division.

 

Coward!

 

Ray steered away from Burley, let alone Charles, and for a good reason.

Charles was such a sublime boxer with real pop in his punches.

 

Robinson avoiding Charles is not a duck, it's common sense

 

Yes

 

I think that there are some reasonable scenarios where a fighter can legitimately turn down an offer without it being labeled as a “ duck. “

 

Anything out of a fighter’s normal weight class, turning down is not a duck (well, unless he also fights regularly above his ‘normal’ weight class).

I know at one point a Michael Spinks-Marvin Hagler fight was discussed or at least kicked around. I don’t consider Marvin to have ducked Spinks by choosing to stay in his weight class.