Ezzard Mack Charles was an American professional boxer and a world heavyweight champion. He was born on July 7, 1921 in Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States. He was a multi-talented boxer. He played light-heavy weight category. He fought in middleweight, light heavyweight and in heavyweight categories. He was 6ft. (183 cm) in height and had a reach of 185 cm. he was American national.
Background
Ezzard was born in Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States. But then his family moved to Cincinnati when he was very young. So he is thought of as from Cincinnati. When he was in Cincinnati he developed love for the game of boxing. He started to train by himself in a young age. He would try his punches on the homemade boxing bag. His education was going to a local school in Cincinnati. He graduated from Woodward High School in Cincinnati. He was on the way to become famous. He was a well-known fighter in Cincinnati.
They started to call him, “the Cincinnati Cobra”, he had started to fight many bouts in two categories, the light heavyweight and the heavyweight. He won many championships in the categories. He later won the world championships in the categories. But he never won the title for the Light heavyweight championship. But he had won many fights in the category. He defeated many notable fighters in this category. Famous magazine THERING rated him as the greatest light heavyweight of all time.
Education
Ezzard Charles was born in Georgia, however his family moved to Cincinnati when he was very young. It was here, he got his early education from Woodward High School. He was interested in boxing from his early age, by the time he graduated from school he went on to become popular.
Career
He held many records and defeated many boxers in his career. He also defeated hall of famers. He was also hall of famer. He fought a record 119 fights in total in three different weight categories. He won 93 fights out of them and lost 25 and ended up with 1 draw. From these 93 wins he won 52 fights with K.O.
Amateur career:
Charles was a very good boxer and he was exceptionally good at it. He was good at basic skills and the combinations. He was known for his extraordinary ability to make points. He was good puncher from starting. During his amateur career he won many championships and tournaments. He started his amateur career in his school. He was in the ring before most of the students figure out what they have to do in life.
He figured out his career option very early and was very good at it. In his amateur career he fought many fights and won all of them. He started his career in featherweight category as an amateur and won all the matches in his category. At the time he turned professional he held a record of 42 wins and 0 losses.
Among his amateur career achievements, he won Diamond Belt Middleweight championship. He also won the Chicago Golden Gloves tournament of champions. He won the National AAU middleweight championship. He then turned professional. When he turned pro he was a well-known figure in the world of boxing. And he continued to stun the world of boxing with his boxing skills after turning professional.
Professional Career:
Ezzard turned pro in the year 1940. In those days the new professional were carelessly given the matches against the good professional in their first time. Same was the case with Charles. The first match he fought was with hall of famer Melody Johnson in 1940. Charles having the first fight of his professional career started it with a good show. He knocked out his opponent in the 4th round of the match. Little did he knew thatone day he will become one of the best professional in future.
He then fought various matches in the start of his professional career. He won all the 15 fights in a row in the start of his career. In these bouts he also defeated many hall of famers like Teddy Yarosz and Charley Burley. When he was fighting his 16th professional fight then he was knocked out by the veteran boxer Ken Overlin. He had become one of the top contenders in the middleweight division. Then the World War 2 started and he was unable to fight professionally. He served the American military during the war in 1945.
After World War 2 ended he returned to the boxing ring. Post war he started boxing in the light heavyweight category. He won most of the matches over the top light heavyweights. He defeated Archie Moore, Jimmy Bivins, Lloyd Marshall and Elmer Ray in this category. These boxers were considered as top contenders in the category. He fought Moore in three bouts and defeated him. When he was fighting his last and third bout with Moore he knocked Moore out in the 4th round. He then fought a match with a younger professional named Sam Baroudi. The match lasted for 10 rounds. Baroudi fought very well against Charles. But Charles knocked him out in the 10th round. Sam sustained many injuries during the match. The injuries were very serious. He was hospitalized but could not survive the injuries. After this fight Charles got very devastated that he thought of giving up boxing.
In 1949, Joe Louis the then world heavyweight champion announced his retirement as an undefeated world champion. The place got vacant after his retirement. The top contenders at that time were Ezzard and a boxer named Jersey Joe Walcott. A title match was setup between them. Match was held on June 22, 1949. The match was of 15 rounds. Both the fighters were top contenders of that time. After 15 rounds Charles won the title. He now held the title of world heavyweight champion. He held that title for 3 years.
In 1950 he defended his title against Joe Louis. The fact here was that Charles considered Louis as his idol. After this fight he was considered as one of the best boxers but he did not won the appreciation of the viewers because he was a technical fighter not a power punchers. He mostly scored points with his skills and punches but he was not a hitter.
In 1951 there was a match between Charles and Walcott. This was the third time they were fighting against each other. In this match Charles lost the match. Walcott knocked him out in the 7th round. With this match Charles also lost his world heavyweight championship title. After this match Walcott held the title. There was fourth and final bout of Charles and Walcott. Unfortunately Charles lost this also. If he had won this bout then he would have become the first fighter in the history to reclaim the title.
Another boxer at that time that was considered as unbeatable was Rocky Marciano. He was a furious boxer of that time. No boxer stood against him till 15 rounds. Charles first fought and defeated Rex Layne. Then he defeated a number of top boxers like Jimmy Bivins, Wesbury Bascom, Tommy Harrison and Larry Watson to get the right to challenge Rocky Marciano. He then defeated bob Satterfield in an elimination bout to challenge Marciano. In fact he was a good friend with Marciano. The match with Marciano was on June 17, 1954. Charles fought with Marciano very bravely. He stood for the 15 rounds against him. But Marciano won the bout with the advantage in points. But after that fight many fans and people felt that the decision should be given in the favor of Charles. But the judges gave decision in the favor of Rocky. Even Rocky said that Ezzard was a tough competitor for him that had gone down with him for 15 rounds. Then they fought once again in September. In this bout Charles hit rocky with a hard blow on his nose. Charles’ hit was so hard that the nose of rocky split and blood started to come out. Even the corner men of rocky could not stop the bleeding. Charles would have won the fight but rocky knocked him out in the 8th round before the referee was going to stop the bout. These two fights were considered very big in the career of Charles. These fights were called ring classics. He then fought various boxers. He also won some fights but lost most of them in the end of the career.
In the later time of his career, he faced some financial problems. So he continued to fight. He lost 13 bouts out of his final 23 bouts. Before the problems he faced, his career was at 83 wins, 12 losses and 1 draw. He then announced his retirement in 1956. He tried to comeback in 1958 and 1959 with two bouts. But these tries were not successful.
Achievements
Religion
Ezzard Charles was a true orthodox Christian. He followed the way of god. He always said that god sees everything that a man does in his life and judges on his doings. He never did wrong things in life. When he defeated Sam Baroudi in a fight, Sam got so many injuries that he could not recover and died after that. On hearing this he was so devastated. He felt guilty after that fight. He almost gave up boxing after that. He never did things that defied god. He had very good relation with the fellow fighters even outside the ring. He was always friendly to the neighbors.
Politics
Ezzard Charles was not much into politics. He had stayed away from politics throughout his life and focussed on things that were more important to him such as family, boxing, music, etc
Views
He was a true fighter in the ring and good person outside the ring. He lived in total faith in God, wouldn't do things that harm others. Even in his childhood he was known to be a good kid with strong religious belief. He always cared for people around him and wished they do the same with those around them. By all ways he is a true Hero still living in lots of hearts across the globe.
Personality
Ezzard Charles was man with great personality and skills. He was a talented boxer the held many records in his career. A boxer with lot of skills. He was good with his fellow fighters, no matter how they smacked each others face in the ring, he would always end up having good relationship and friendship with his fellow fighters. This was one of his main persona that made people love him more from time to time. Even during his difficult situations in life he was able to recover in time with the help of his friends. He gave a lot of importance for his family, God and friends.
He had many close friends like Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali and many more of his opponents. Though he had the most controversial and important fights with rocky but he was a good friend of rocky. He did not put the fights of the rings in the friendship. Because of this he was helped by his friends when he was in need. During his financial crisis Marciano was one of the boxer that helped to raise funds for his treatment and the trust. Many of his boxer opponents also spoke for him. He was also friends with Muhammad Ali when he was neighbor with him. He lived with him in New York and had a good friendship.
Physical Characteristics:
Ezzard Charles was a tall, well-built professional boxer. He looked rough and tough but was a very good person at heart who cared and respected even his contenders off the ring. People remember him as one of the toughest and best fighters in the history of boxing.
Quotes from others about the person
"I told my wife for years I wanted to come down and see where my dad was born. We just never got around to it. And then they brought this up. Isn't this wonderful how God works? And now we're down here."
-- His son, Ezzard Charles II
Interests
singer, musician
Connections
Ezzard Charles moved with his parents to Cincinnati at a very early age.
Named the Ring Fighter of the Year for 1949 and 1950
Inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1970
Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1983
Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990
Named the greatest light heavyweight of all-time by The Ring in 1994 and 2002
Named the 11th greatest heavyweight of all-time by The Ring in 1998
Named the 13th best fighter of the last 80 years by The Ring in 2002
Named the Ring Fighter of the Year for 1949 and 1950
Inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1970
Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1983
Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990
Named the greatest light heavyweight of all-time by The Ring in 1994 and 2002
Named the 11th greatest heavyweight of all-time by The Ring in 1998
Named the 13th best fighter of the last 80 years by The Ring in 2002