Ezzard Charles vs Dmitry Bivol and Roy Jones Jr (Boxing Evolution Theory)

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by MarkusFlorez99, Apr 8, 2026 at 3:24 PM.


Who wins ?

This poll will close on Jan 2, 2029 at 2:24 PM.
  1. Charles beats both

    76.5%
  2. Bivol could outbox him

    5.9%
  3. Roy smokes him

    5.9%
  4. Both would beat Ezzard Charles

    11.8%
  1. MarkusFlorez99

    MarkusFlorez99 Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    16,467
    18,371
    Jan 13, 2021
  2. robert ungurean

    robert ungurean Богдан Philadelphia Full Member

    16,845
    16,284
    Jun 9, 2007
    Bivol doesn't stand a chance against Charles. Absolutely zero. Roy against Charles could go either way. My pick is Charles.
     
    George Crowcroft and JohnThomas1 like this.
  3. themaster458

    themaster458 Boxing Addict Full Member

    3,195
    3,962
    May 17, 2022
    Charles is greater all-time than both, but stylistically I think both are difficult for him. Jones’ speed and unpredictability would disrupt Charles’ timing, which is a big part of his game. Bivol is the opposite problem very disciplined, controls range, and doesn’t overcommit, so Charles wouldn’t get many clean counter opportunities and I think Bivol's is better at long range based on how Charles struggled with Louis and Johnson's jab.

    I think Charles would be competitive in both fights and make adjustments, but over 12 rounds I’d lean toward both Jones and Bivol winning decisions. Jones probably wider.
     
  4. CroBox29

    CroBox29 Boxing Addict Full Member

    5,801
    6,684
    Nov 24, 2019
    I like Ezzard Charles but I think Bivol and Roy Jones Jr. would have a good chance of beating him, boxing has evolved and Bivol and Roy Jones Jr. are elite fighters...
     
  5. Yorbals

    Yorbals Well-Known Member Full Member

    2,210
    2,039
    Jul 28, 2025
    Peds have gotten better and gloves have gotten bigger, it hasn’t ‘evolved’.
    Great fighters are great fighters Jones and Charles would both do great in each others times
     
    Pepsi Dioxide and CroBox29 like this.
  6. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

    54,402
    47,514
    Apr 27, 2005
    Charles would beat Bivol like a red headed stepchild. Jones would be dangerous but still an underdog. Jones would beat Bivol as well.
     
    dmt likes this.
  7. Mandela2039

    Mandela2039 OFFICIAL THREAD DIDDLER Full Member

    1,412
    1,696
    Mar 8, 2025
    Mr Thomas, this is way too accurate for me to not grow suspicious.
     
    JohnThomas1 likes this.
  8. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

    54,402
    47,514
    Apr 27, 2005
    :lol:
     
  9. McCallumsJab

    McCallumsJab Member Full Member

    358
    404
    Jun 2, 2025
    RJJ's way too fast for Charles, I reckon he could pitch a shut out

    Bivol is more a 50-50, faster than Charles too, high guard defense that's hard to penetrate. Thinking about it, the glove descrepency is kind of a big thing. 10oz versus 6oz makes the combat very different, especially with high guards. It would make a big difference, in that Bivol probably wins with 10s where as Charles wins with 6s. With Jones he doesn't use a high guard too often, so we can ignore it. But it's core to Bivol's style
     
    themaster458 likes this.
  10. roughdiamond

    roughdiamond Ridin' the rails... Full Member

    10,387
    19,988
    Jul 25, 2015
    Charles struggles with Roy early but ends up sparking him out. Roy is massively overrated at 175. All the stylistic troubles he had with Griffin would be x10 with Charles. If De Valle landed a good enough shot to knock down Jones then Charles absolutely can. Given Roy's chin, he only needs one.

    The Bivol match up is actually a really interesting one, style wise. He is comparable to Johnson here imo, who Charles did struggle with on film and lose a SD. You can see on film that Charles consistently has some trouble with Johnsons jab and in-and-out movement at mid range. However, Bivol isn't as experienced in the infight or used to nasty dogged tactics. I can see Ezzard slowly taking over down the stretch due to this. Awesome bout imo.
     
  11. greynotsoold

    greynotsoold Boxing Addict

    5,705
    7,444
    Aug 17, 2011
    Explain exactly how it has evolved.
     
    George Crowcroft likes this.
  12. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft He Who Saw The Deep Full Member

    27,445
    45,824
    Mar 3, 2019
    Agreed, I think Bivol - even though he has just beaten Beterbiev - is probably best against other technicians. He's just got that combination of rhythm breaking, that innocuous way of drifting in and out; constant probing and feints, his jab and how he blends his jab and hooks. I know it wasn't possible or anything, but a fight between Ward and Bivol would've shown us a lot about him imo.

    I think Bivol would give Ezzard issues but I struggle to see Bivol really gaining control over a fight with Charles, I think in a game of who can draw who in and counter, I see Charles winning that game.Something that'd be really interesting is a battle of the jabs. I think it'd be a real treat to watch as eachother figures out how to work around their jab and counters; and how to impose their own.
     
    roughdiamond and greynotsoold like this.
  13. themaster458

    themaster458 Boxing Addict Full Member

    3,195
    3,962
    May 17, 2022
    Charles had a good jab for his era, but it was more of a tool to set up his other punches rather then a stand alone weapon like how Bivol uses it. He could be outmaneuvered by fighters who disrupted his rhythm like Johnson did and was never super impressed with his ability to defend against good jabs even against an old Louis. Against someone like Bivol, whose entire style revolves around controlling distance, doubling the jab, and resetting exchanges, I don’t see Charles consistently winning the battle of jabs. That likely forces him into a position where he has to draw Bivol in to create openings but Bivol is disciplined enough not to give him those opportunities. Least that’s how I see it playing out.
     
  14. catchwtboxing

    catchwtboxing Obsessed with Boxing

    29,938
    40,332
    Jul 4, 2014
    Charles beats them both on the same night, especially if we keeps Jones off the PEDs.
     
  15. CroBox29

    CroBox29 Boxing Addict Full Member

    5,801
    6,684
    Nov 24, 2019
    Better training, more advanced athleticism, better nutrition, variety in boxers...
     
    MarkusFlorez99 likes this.