Prime Ezzard Charles vs Sergey Kovalev

Boxing is finally starting to get young champions from Europe. Recently Ring Magazine with a poll of trainers, match makers, media people, and historians rated the best middles from WW II to present in a head to head sense of 8 fighters, picking all the matches. Golovkin was rated ahead of Hopkins and Toney.

I think Krusher is going to be an all time great, but he needs a few more fights to prove it. His rating is in flux, but right now the flux is high enough to say he could defeat Charles.

Kovalev is not just a hitter, he has a great jab, and good accuracy / punch variety. Not sure if Charles could take it.

I think Charles had better overall skills though.

No pick given!

 

Ezzard Charles beat Archie Moore 3 times. I just don't see Kovalev being on that level. I could make a strong argument Kovalev would be defeated by Archie Moore.

 

One is an undeniable ATG ,the other's best win is over a man near 50.:think

 

Exactly. Time will tell. But, based on what we have seen so far, the pick is clearly Charles.

 

Charles had Moore's number for sure, but he also lost his share to lesser men than Kovalev. I need to see more of Kovalev, but I'm sold on him being a skilled puncher, with ring smarts, and excellent timing on his punches.

Charles did not take the best shot, and sometimes like to go to war.

If Kovalev proves to be tough, I like him here, but he has not proven that yet. There's my pick

 

Kov hits hard but probably not harder than Marciano or Walcott, he's also slower than both. Charles is too fast and too smart, and also has a tremendous punch. He takes the decision, I say.

 

Yes but virtually no one beat him when he was prime. From 1944-1951, Charles went 41-1 with his only defeat being a robbery to Elmer Ray. Granted a lot of these fights were at heavyweight - Not light heavyweight, but that actually kinda strengthens the argument in his favor given that he was fighting above his best weight class and taking on the best of the heavyweight division. There's a reason why Ezzard Charles makes most people's top five p4p and #1 at light heavy.

 

I'm not sure who these lesser man than Kov are.

The robbery to leading HW contender, Ray. And the pre-World War II losses to Marshall, Bivins, and Overlin. All three great fighters.

 

Charles takes the Krusher deep into the fight wins ud maybe tko

 

Agreed. The man was fighting so actively and against so many talented opponents its almost nauseating to even think about. And winning 41 of 42 fights in a 7 year period against the names listed make it virtually impossible to rank anyone above him.

 

I doubt Kovalev is slower than Marciano.

At the present Charles is a lock for top 3 at Lightheavy and Kovalev doesn't get in my top 15.Therefore its a no brainer.

 

Mr M, excellent observation. I love Kovalev as by far today's best LH and a smart devastating puncher. But in the prime Ezzard Charles, as a lightheavyweight, Snooks as he was called was along with Gene Tunney and billy Conn the best lightheavyweights of modern times in my opinion. A truly great
young MW and the best LH amongst these greats such as Archie Moore, Jimmy Bivens, Harold Johnson, Lloyd Marshall, Joey Maxim, Gus Lesnevich etc. Ez had it all as a LH...
But the Krusher might very well also be an alltime great LH...

 

Agreed on all accounts. I think I'd pick Ezzard Charles to beat Sergei Kovalev in a head to head fight though. Not only was he beating the very best lightheavyweights of all time but he ALSO showed that he could take on top rated heavyweights as well including some of ring magazines best heavyweight punchers like Elmer Ray. And he conquered men of all styles. Punchers, boxers, swarmers, boxer-punchers, and basically everything you can think of. Kovalev is going to have to show that that he can beat more than a 50 year old hopkins or Nathan Cleverly to convince me that he can defeat a prime Ezzard Charles.

 

Why is everybody rushing Kovalev into matches with all time greats. He's had one break out year. Let the man acquire a larger body of work vs top flight competition before these silly comparisons. Charles is an ATG. Kovalev may become one or he could fade like Dawson did. I'm inclined to say the former as he is impressive but it's a wait and see approach.