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

Bivol doesn't stand a chance against Charles. Absolutely zero. Roy against Charles could go either way. My pick is Charles.

 

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.

 

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...

 

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

 

Charles would beat Bivol like a red headed stepchild. Jones would be dangerous but still an underdog. Jones would beat Bivol as well.

 

Mr Thomas, this is way too accurate for me to not grow suspicious.

 

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

 

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.

 

Explain exactly how it has evolved.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Charles beats them both on the same night, especially if we keeps Jones off the PEDs.

 

Better training, more advanced athleticism, better nutrition, variety in boxers...