Ezzard Charles vs Roy Jones Jr

Charles is one of a few light heavyweights I'd take over Roy, Spinks and Bob Foster being a couple of others.

 

I said the same thing not long ago and my comment was ignored. I thought back in the 90's, Roy Jones was an amazing fighter with ridiculous speed, reflexes, and power. The only thing that tarnishes him is the KO losses to Tarver and Johnson. This puts a question mark as to whether he had always had a suspect chin, or whether going up to heavyweight and then back down to light heavy took it all out of him... I thought Charles was a very sluggish, slow plodder of a fighter. Yes, he could move around the ring but he wasn't a speedster. He had losses even early on in his career. Lloyd Marshall KO'ed him. Ken Overlin, past his prime and towards the end of his career, a smaller fighter at 5' 8" or 5' 9", with no punch, beat him. If Roy had lost fights like this early on he'd be demoted for it.
As for a matchup between the two, if I was asked back in the 90s, I would have said Roy beats him and Archie. Talent-wise, I think Roy had it all over him, but because of the chin issue, I guess Charles would have a puncher's chance.

 

This. Jones could do almost anything in the ring but Charles could do that as well PLUS he could do it even better.

 

Jones has a better chin that people give him credit for at 175 lbs is my suspicion.

Ezzard is a lot more technically gifted and vicious with his punches pre-Baroudi than people give him credit for.

I like Ezzard to adapt and best a series, but acknowledge that Roy's speed and angles could blow Ezzard away for enough rounds to leave the gap too wide and Ezz needing the KO the first time they meet if Ezz hasn't done enough homework.