Ezzard Charles, The Cincinnati Cobra, The Baddest LHW of All Time... Educate Yourselves

George Crowcroft · Dec 3, 2019

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Glass City Cobra · Dec 3, 2019

Hell of a career. His amateur record is outstanding too. I had no idea he weighed as low as featherweight, that draws parallels with guys like Sam Langford and Roy Jones. Insane that such a small guy kicked almost everyone's asses in every weight class he competed in.

One thing i noticed reading this is that he was competitive in seemingly every fight (even the ones he lost) and avenged several of said losses. It wasn't until he was way past his prime, suffering from ALS, and campaigning at heavyweight that we started seeing him suffer brutal 1 sided losses he couldn't bounce back from. This shows not just excellent grit, but also phenomenal skill. Its also noteworthy that the middleweight title was frozen and he went to war before he could fight for it and that the light heavyweight champ who ducked him lost to Charles anyway! Just Imagine if he was healthy and had good management/promotion with no breaks.

Amazing fighter with an impressive number of wins over several hall of famers who overcame lots of bad luck, health issues, and ducking to stamp his legacy. Easily top 10 of all time.

George Crowcroft · Dec 3, 2019

Glass City Cobra said: ↑

Just Imagine if he was healthy and had good management/promotion with no breaks.
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I wish he stayed at 160 till 1946, imagine if he picked up wins against LaMotta, Williams, Zale or even Robinson...
Top 3 for sure then imo

The Morlocks · Dec 3, 2019

George Crowcroft said: ↑

I wish he stayed at 160 till 1946, imagine if he picked up wins against LaMotta, Williams, Zale or even Robinson...
Top 3 for sure then imo
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But what if he lost to those 3.?!,"'

George Crowcroft · Dec 3, 2019

The Morlocks said: ↑

But what if he lost to those 3.?!,"'
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What if he didn't?

The Morlocks · Dec 3, 2019

I believe he in his prime could fight w anyone at Heavyweight. And it is demeaning to compare him to Spinks vs Tyson. Ezzard could beat any heavyweight who ever lived on his best night. To think otherwise is just sideways bull****. He could fight w Louis Sonny Ali Foreman Tyson Lewis any who lived.

ETM · Dec 3, 2019

George Crowcroft said: ↑

Study up, Mutha****a!

The Cincinnati Cobra was born in... Lawrenceville?
Yup. He was from Lawrenceville, Georgia and then moved to Cincinnati as a young kid. He was a respected pupil at Woodward High School and was a fighter by the time of graduation. He was a classy educated man, with a love Jazz music he would follow up with in later life with once he had the platform. His parents are pretty much unknown, but he grew up living with his Gran and had no siblings.
By 1942 he would've graduated from school and had started his amateur career almost years beforehand, and would actually have been fighting professionally for 2 years. He started off weighing similar to a featherweight and would start winning awards at 15 as a welterweight.
He would be fighting competitively against other top Ohio WWs in 1937, and would win the diamond belt 3 times in 37,38&39. He would also win the Golden Gloves at MW in 1939.

So by 1940, he had a reported Amateur Record of 42-0, had won 3 AAU Championships, 3 Diamond Belts and won the Chicago Golden Gloves award before turning professional, at 18.

He kicked off his career as a MW in 1940, with a KO4 over Melody Johnson. He'd go on a 17-0 win streak before losing at the hands of veteran, unheralded middleweight Ken Overlin, who also fought Ezz to a draw (which should be noted that it was in Ohio, so Ken probably deserved the nod). Two fights later he'd take on old ATG Teddy Yarosz, winning via schooling at the age of 20. In a few months, he'd find himself opponent for Charlie Burley, who was a later replacement for a rubber match against Overlin, who pulled out, I imagine we've all heard of the alleged duck by Robinson of Burley, but that's another story. Ezzard would fight Burley to a clear decision, which he would win. He'd take him on in a rematch 5 weeks later... Which Ezz would win even easier. This was in 1942, and was a test of the top 2 MW contenders, which, whilst the titles were froze, meant absolutely nothing as neither were getting a title shot for at least 3 years. Ezzard Charles would also take on underrated LHW champion at 160, Joey Maxim twice.

So Ezz moved on, a trip up to light heavyweight was the path he'd choose. He'd campaign at LHW, taking on back to back ATGs in Marshall and Bivins, losing both. His devastating loss to Marshall (an 8th round TKO, after going down 8 times) is bad. Bad for confidence, but Ezzard had a hip injury and still got up from a big puncher's shots 8 times. Bivins seemed to catch him at the right time. Ezz didn't take these losses particularly well, and took over a year out. He'd have 2 gimme fights in December 44, in fact there were only 3 days between the bouts.

In 1945, Ezzard was drafted to the military. He'd spend 1945 out of the ring as a consequence.
In 1946, Ezzard became a Killer. He'd start off with a few gimmes, but would step up to take on Archie Moore (who's a certified top 20 pfp fighter and top 3 LHW), school him and then move on to avenge his loss to Marshall, with a KO6. He'd take on an underrated fighter, who has a claim to be an ATG, Oakland Billy Smith, who he'd beat easily on points then he'd finish the year off with a Clean UD over Bivins, which took his 1946 record to 10(6)-0 with wins over 4 Hall of Famers...
1947 started off just as devastating, taking on Moore, Marshall, Smith, Bivins and Ray. Beating 4 of them, 3 by KO, but the loss to Ray and the win over Moore both being considered controversial (moreso his loss against Elmer Ray).

In 1948, he would cold KO Moore in a trilogy fight, Ezzard beat a promising up and comer named Sam Baroudi. Sam would die in hospital due to the injuries sustained from his bout with Ezzard. Ezz would take a few months away from the sport and questioned himself. He subsequently came back, with his killer instinct still intact as he KO Elmer Ray in a rematch. Ezz would also beat Maxim and Bivins again before his move up in weights again.

By 1949, it was clear that Gus Lesnevich wasn't planning on giving anybody decent a title shot, so instead of engaging in endless series with the same fighters he was better than, he tested the waters at HW. Taking on, number 1 contender, Jersey Joe Walcott in his first fight at HW for the vacant NBA title. From here he'd be a very dominant HW Champion, racking up 8 title defences and beating HOFers, Joe Louis, Gus Lesnevich, Jersey Joe Walcott and Joey Maxim. His fight with Joe Louis is my favourite of his career, it's a high action technical brawl that doesn't get the recognition it deserves imo.

He'd lose the title in what I regard as the most devastating fashion ever seen in the ring. Career rival Jersey Joe Walcott dipped to the side whilst casually walking and landed a HUGE left hookercut which KOed Charles. It was painful.
He'd then beat contender Rex Layne a couple of times, as well as another fight with Joey Maxim, and controversially lose a 4th fight with Jersey Joe Walcott. This is where he should've retired imo, he didn't do much after this point.

Anyways, after JJW4 he would go onto fight HW Nino Valdez, and lose in a close fight. In his very next fight he would lose again, controversially to ATG LHW Harold Johnson. He'd go onto score a beautiful HL reel KO over THE Glassy Gunslinger, Bob Satterfield. This would get him his fight with Marciano, which he would do very well in and even have certain ringside writers claiming the decision was wrong, and Ezzard should've won. I wouldn't put to much stock in that without the full footage. He was granted an immediate rematch, which he would split Marciano's nose in and be on the verge of victory, before the rock came back with force and stopped Charles.

After his final two meaningful fights with Marciano he would end up having 23 fights, going 10-13. He would retire in 1959 with a record of 95(52)-25(7)-1.

He'd try and make the best of his life though, playing Jazz music with respected practitioners and being known as someone who could hold his own with the best on the bass. In 1968, he was being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease and it would progress quickly, paralysing him from the waste down, crippling him for his final few years. He
would be in immense pain before he passed, and there's a heartbreaking commercial from 1973 that shows Charles in a wheelchair, almost a different human from the fighting machine of the late 40s. He'd die from his condition in 1975.

Ezzard Charles was not a very popular champion. Max Baer was once quoted saying "we've got a middleweight champ who'd lick the best heavyweight in the world... Sugar Ray Robinson". Ezzard Charles suffered from the first Larry Holmes syndrome, the guy after Joe Louis and the guy before Rocky Marciano, but in his passing he was very respected, Marciano called him the "bravest man he'd ever fought".
In 1976, Cincinnati dedicated the street lived in whilst fighting to Ezz by changing the name of Lincoln Park Drive to Ezzard Charles Drive. He's listed as the best LHW of all time by Boxing magazine and is frequently listed in top 15 pfp lists.
It's a shame the hand he he was dealt, in the end it didn't get better. He lost his money from boxing and worked normally, whilst battling his condition. Once his legs stopped working and his speech was impaired, he couldn't afford treatment, so the boxing community came together and 3 former champs came and paid for the legend's treatment.
Archie Moore, Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali.

He's somewhat forgotten today, but know. That he is the greatest Light Heavyweight to ever lace them up, belt or not. And a great man, who didn't get the credit he deserved.
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I don't believe a word of this. None of this actually happened.

JC40 · Dec 3, 2019

Thanks for the read George. Really well written too mate. I agree that Ezzards jab wasn’t the greatest as shown in the Harold Johnson fight when Ez was past his best. He sure was a great fighter though.

As an aside I just had a google and there have only been 498 people named Ezzard born in the USA since records have been collected and that 1951 was the year in which more babies were named Ezzard than any other. I heave never heard of a anyone else with the name.

Cheers.

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Ezzard Charles, The Cincinnati Cobra, The Baddest LHW of All Time... Educate Yourselves

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