Ezzard Charles used Sonny Liston as a sparring partner in 1954

Charles was # 1 rated heavyweight contender in 1954. Sonny Liston was 7-1. I think you have it backwards here. Hopefully the highly seasoned Charles didn't embarrass the young greenhorn.

 

Great article....Charles was a great champion who always gave his best. I am sure Liston benefited by sparring with Charles but the point that Charles was making is that Liston should not have quit, also you got to understand a man who could box and punch like Charles could do things Liston could not. Liston who was a thick heavyweight for that era had his strengths but also his weaknesses and Charles could see them in the ring....sometimes it takes a wise boxing eye to see weaknesses and subtle strengths and being polite Charles did not like the quit part of the fight but then again, Charles was an old-school boxing tough guy and boxing craftsman....I heard he handled Liston pretty easily in sparring by some old boxing guys but this article adds a confirmation. Charles was a humble man and kind but firm to Liston here.

 

liston was just over 200lb not quite the finished article at that point but had already tangled with johnny summerlin another good young fighter who within a year would be get a world rating with a bunch of wins over young jack johnson and wiping out a young zora folly. With gyms being gyms and not real fights I recon sonny would have already reached the level where he could have been able to hold his own in the gym with anyone over maybe 4 rounds. class wont tell past that in sparring and I imagine thats all they did together. It would have given charles an idea of what kind of potential sonny had without having to go to war with him. You know when you can beat some one and reading between the lines charles being reflective looking back felt he was always better than sonny.