Ezzard Charles

Ezzard Charles
Data
Birth Name	Ezzard Mack Charles
Weight class	Heavyweight
nationality	US-american
birthday	July 7, 1921
place of birth	Lawrenceville
Date of death	May 27, 1975
Place of death	Chicago
style	Left delivery
size	1.83 m
Combat Statistics
Struggles	119
Victories	93
Knockout victories	52
Defeats	25th
draw	1
Profile in the BoxRec database

Ezzard Mack Charles (born July 7, 1921 in Lawrenceville , Georgia , † May 27, 1975 in Chicago ) was an American boxer and undisputed heavyweight boxing world champion (1949 to 1951). His nickname or battle name was The Cobra of Cincinnati .

amateur

In 1939 Charles became the US middleweight champion (-73 kg).

Professional career

He won his first professional fight on March 27, 1940 against John Reeves in Cincinnati . He started in the middleweight division and was able to beat the towering Charley Burley twice.

The light heavyweight in particular became the weight class in which Charles performed most impressively. He is considered by Ring Magazine as the best light heavyweight of all time, especially because of three wins over Archie Moore , who is listed at number 2.

Ironically, he could never box for the light heavyweight title at his prime, but he could box for the heavyweight title when he was past the peak of his career and boxing prowess.

On February 20, 1948, Charles fought the young Sam Baroudi in Chicago . Ezzard won by knockout in the 10th round, Baroudi was hit so hard that he later died in hospital from internal injuries sustained during the fight. Charles then considered quitting his boxing career, but a telegram from Baroudi's father convinced him to keep going. However, he changed his boxing style and developed from an aggressive fighter to a more cautious, technically better boxer.

In the heavyweight division

On June 22, 1949, he boxed in Chicago against Jersey Joe Walcott for the vacant heavyweight world title after the resignation of Joe Louis and won after 15 rounds. The "Ring Magazine" was so unimpressed by the fight that it refused to rate Charles as world champion. It was only when Charles defeated Joe Louis on his comeback in September 1950 that he was recognized as world champion. As has happened several times in the history of heavyweight boxing, the legitimacy of a titleholder who succeeded a boxing legend has been questioned. Similar cases were Gene Tunney and Larry Holmes .

Against Jersey Joe Walcott Charles lost on July 18, 1951 in Pittsburgh after seven rounds by knockout the title. Afterwards he never found his way back to his full fighting strength. The rematch against Walcott in June 1952 he lost on points, as well as he was defeated against Rex Lane (but won the rematch), Niño Valdés and the light heavyweight Harold Johnson .

Now he was an attractive opponent for the reigning heavyweight world champion Rocky Marciano , to whom he was defeated in two fights once just on points and once clearly by knockout. Charles, who in the course of these fights posed some problems for Marciano, who had never been defeated in his professional career, remained the "fame" of being the only boxer who had held out 15 rounds against Marciano, even if he announced after the first fight , he feels like he's "got under a combine harvester".

After the Marciano fights, Charles could not win a major fight and finally ended his career in 1959.

In 1990 Charles was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame .

See also

• List of heavyweight boxing champions

Web links

• Ezzard Charles in the BoxRec database
• Ezzard Charles on the BoxRec Wiki
• Ezzard Charles on Cyberboxing Zone

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Sam Baroudi dies of hemorraghe after knockout by Charles . Reading Eagle - February 20, 1948.
2. ↑ Robert Sacchi: Friday's Heroes: Willie Pep Remembers ... AuthorHouse, 2007, pp. 119-120.