Ezzard Charles' Legacy

Anywhere between top 10-15 is about right imo. Top 5 is probably a bit high.

Most people place him at no. 1 at light heavyweight. If you compare any other consensus divisional no. 1s from the original 8 weight divisions, they are all inside the top 20 fighters ever:
Heavyweight: Ali/Louis
Middleweight: Greb
Welterweight: Robinson
Lightweight: B. Leonard/Duran
Featherweight: Pep
Bantamweight: Olivares/Jofre
Flyweight: Wilde

Charles was a pretty terrific heavyweight too and the combination of being dominant in two original divisions puts him in or just outside the top 10.

In terms of comparisons with the other greatest fighters of his era, I have only Louis, Robinson and Pep above him. Those are three reasons why he doesn't make my top 5.

 

I don`t know books on Charles but I`ve seen film studies on youtube, there`s a couple of brief studies by Reemus boxing where you could make a sound case for him being a top 5 or above light heavy of all time simply by the fact that his moves were amazing and top ten p4p also for the same reason, but there`s also a study showing his weaknesses which could relegate him to top 15 as a heavy by way of the fact that bigger more recent heavies might be able to more exploit his flaws due to their massive reach advantage, tough question I feel, but what a fighter, no matter which way you slice it.

 

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Ezzard's overall star seems to have risen some over the years.

Back in the 50's he was overshadowed by the legacy of Joe Louis, and Marciano coming on the scene to dominate.

As a "heavy", Charles probably could have beaten all of Louis' hvywt title challengers, with a "Conn" fight as some form of points decision one way or the other.

 

Interesting that you mention Conn as a tough opponent because do you think a fight between Conn and Charles would have a different result depending on which weight they fought at? I thought the same theory with Robinson v Basilio, would Robi of had less trouble if they had met at welter?

 

Conn was one of those "tweeners" with great heart & skills.

Basilio is famous for defeating the great Sugar Ray Robinson to take the Middleweight title. An iron chinned pressure fighter, Basilio was a combination puncher who had great stamina, and eventually wore many of his opponents down with vicious attacks to the head and body.

Basilio fought a "whose who of welters" in the 50's, and rose to be WW champion.
But the SRR welterweight version would be a class above the WW Basilio.

 

Ezz was fantastic. Based on the parameters of judging him I often have him as a top 5 ATG (perhaps tainted a tad given my love for him). I would rank him as the #1 Lt. Heavy of all time (look at his record).
As a heavyweight, not so much but...gave the Rock 'hell' and (sadly) the public disliked him after the Title fight against an aging Louis. But his LH career warrants respect...look at those Archie fights among others.
I love 'gentleman' in boxing, Patterson, Ezz, etc. We'll never see that again sadly.
There is a picture out there of Ezz hugging black and white children on the steps of some monument and I remember a commercial in the late 60's-early 70's with Ezz in a wheelchair in a ring highlighting the effects of Lou Gerhig's disease. Broke my heart.
All hail the "Cincinnati Cobra" (a street named after him in Cincinnati)
You can count on one hand anyone that was more a credit to decency and the sport of boxing!
RIP great warrior and kind human being!

 

I don't think #5 would be out of the question and i'd be a bit leery of a list not finding him in the top 10 i reckon. He's insane.

 

Couldn't agree more, I would question any list that doesn't have him in the top ten. He's amazing imo

 

Yes, it's strange how little was thought of him in his own time - and several decades after. Are there any all-time p4p lists from before 1980, where he makes the top-15?

 

Unlike most of the top ten atgs, Charles doesn't seem to have a superlative physical characteric that makes him an athletic outlier. Greb and Armstrong have insane work rates. Louis and Langford have great power. Ali had awesome speed. You don't look at a Charles film and come away awed. But his skills are there to see, and his record has to be one of the top five.