Ezzard Charles
Titles: Heavyweight Champion from 1949-1951
Record: 96-25-1 (58 K.O's)
Born: July 7, 1921 in Lawrenceville, Georgia (USA)
Years active: 1940-1959
Nickname: "The Cincinnati Cobra"
A very underrated heavyweight champion and many say he was a far better
middleweight and light heavyweight. Charles can legitimately be ranked as
the best light heavyweight of all-time. Any man who can beat Archie Moore
and Joey maxim three times must be considered a great. Like many before
him he just could not beat his nemesis Rocky Marciano! A look at his record
shows 13 of his losses came in his last 23 fights. Actually Charles was a
terrific boxer and his contemporaries say he was better than Louis as far
as accuracy goes, and a hard puncher who could take as well as he gave. At
light heavyweight where he probably peaked as a boxer Charles fought all-
time light heavyweight king Archie Moore 3 times winning all 3 and also
defeated Joey Maxim 5 times. Charley Burley, Anton Christoforidis, and
Teddy Yaroz all fell to him at light heavyweight. At heavyweight Charles
won the crown by defeating Jersey Joe Walcott after Louis had retired,
leaving the crown vacant. Ezzard may have fought his greatest fight in a
loosing effort when he went 15 grueling rounds against Rocky Marciano in
one of the all-time great fights. Charles fought the best heavyweights of
the era and even in loosing efforts gave all tough fights. In my mind
should be thought of as the "best" light heavyweight of all-time and not
as a average Heavyweight champ.
Ezzard Charles
Career record: 96 W, 25 L, 1 D (58 K.O's)
1940
Mar 15 Medley Johnson Middletown, PA KO 3
Mar 20 Jimmy Brown Reading, PA KO 2
Mar 27 John Reeves Cincinnati W 6
Apr 2 Charley Banks Cincinnati W 6
Apr 10 Kid Ash Portsmouth, OH KO 3
Apr 16 Charley Banks Cincinnati KO 2
Apr 24 Remo Fernandez Cincinnati KO 6
May 10 Eddie Fowler Portsmouth, OH KO 3
May 17 Pat Wright Middletown, PA KO 4
Jun 5 Frankie Williams Cincinnati KO 7
Jun 12 John Reeves Columbus, OH KO 4
Jun 24 Bradley Lewis San Francisco KO 3
Sep 23 Marty Simmons Cincinnati W 10
Oct 3 Bill Hood Cincinnati KO 2
Dec 2 Charley Jerome Cincinnati KO 2
1941
Feb 10 Billy Bengal Cincinnati W 10
Feb 22 Slaka Cavrich Cincinnati KO 2
Mar 10 Floyd Howard Cincinnati KO 7
Mar 31 Joe Sutka Cincinnati W 10
May 12 Rudy Kozole Cincinnati W 10
Jun 9 Ken Overlin Cincinnati L 10
Jul 21 Al Gilbert Cincinnati KO 6
Oct 13 Pat Mangini Cincinnati KO 1
Nov 17 Teddy Yarosz Cincinnati W 10
1942
Jan 13 Anton Christoforidis Cincinatti KO 3
Mar 2 Ken Overlin Cincinnati D 10
Apr 8 Billy Pryor Cincinnati W 10
May 13 Evelio "Kid" Tunero Cincinnati L 10
May 25 Charley Burley Pittsburgh W 10
Jun 29 Charley Burley Pittsburgh W 10
Jul 14 Steve Mamakos Cincinnati KO 1
Jul 27 Booker Beckwith Pittsburgh KO 9
Aug 17 Jose Basora Pittsburgh KO 5
Sep 15 Mose Brown Pittsburgh KO 6
Oct 27 Joey Maxim Pittsburgh W 10
Dec 1 Joey Maxim Cleveland W 10
1943
Jan 7 Jimmy Bivins Cleveland L 10
Mar 31 Lloyd Marshall Cleveland KO by 8
1946
Feb 18 Al Sheridan Cincinnati KO 2
Mar 25 Tee Hubert Cincinnati W 10
Apr 1 Billy Duncan Pittsburgh KO 4
Apr 15 George Parks Pittsburgh KO 6
May 13 Tee Hubert Cincinnati KO 4
May 20 Archie Moore Pittsburgh W 10
Jun 13 Shelton Bell Youngstown, OH KO 5
Jul 29 Lloyd Marshall Cincinnati KO 6
Sep 23 Billy Smith Cincinnati W 10
Nov 12 Jimmy Bivins Pittsburgh W 10
1947
Feb 17 Billy Smith Cincinnati KO 5
Mar 10 Jimmy Bivins Cleveland KO 4
Apr 14 Erv Sarlin Pittsburgh W 10
May 5 Archie Moore Cincinnati W 10
Jul 14 Fitzie Fitzpatrick Cincinnati KO 5
Jul 25 Elmer Ray New York L 10
Sep 16 Joe Matisi Buffalo W 10
Sep 29 Lloyd Marshall Cincinnati KO 2
Oct 16 Al Smith Akron, OH KO 4
Oct 27 Clarence Jones Huntington, WV KO 1
Nov 3 Teddy Randolph Buffalo W 10
Dec 2 Fitzie Fitzpatrick Cleveland KO 4
1948
Jan 13 Archie Moore Cleveland KO 8
Feb 20 Sam Baroudi Chicago KO 10
May 7 Elmer Ray Chicago KO 9
May 20 Erv Sarlin Buffalo W 10
Sep 13 Jimmy Bivins Washington DC W 10
Nov 14 Walter Hafer Cincinnati KO 7
Dec 10 Joe Baksi New York KO 11
1949
Feb 7 Johnny Haynes Philadelphia KO 8
Feb 28 Joey Maxim Cincinnati W 15
Jun 22 Jersey Joe Walcott Chicago W 15
(Wins Vacant NBA Heavyweight Title)
Aug 10 Gus Lesnevich New York KO 7
(Retains NBA Heavyweight Title)
Oct 14 Pat Valentino San Francisco KO 8
(Retains NBA Heavyweight Title)
1950
Aug 15 Freddie Beshore Buffalo KO 14
(Retains NBA Heavyweight Title)
Sep 27 Joe Louis New York W 15
(Wins World Heavyweight Title)
Dec 5 Nick Barone Cincinnati KO 11
(Retains World Heavyweight Title)
1951
Jan 12 Lee Oma New York KO 10
(Retains World Heavyweight Title)
Mar 7 Jersey Joe Walcott Detroit W 15
(Retains World Heavyweight Title)
May 30 Joey Maxim Chicago W 15
(Retains World Heavyweight Title)
Jul 18 Jersey Joe Walcott Pittsburgh KO by 7
(Loses World Heavyweight Title)
Oct 10 Rex Layne Pittsburgh KO 11
Dec 12 Joey Maxim San Francisco W 12
Dec 21 Joe Kahut Portland, OR KO 8
1952
Jun 5 Jersey Joe Walcott Philadelphia L 15
(For World Heavyweight Title)
Aug 8 Rex Layne Ogden, UT L 10
Oct 8 Bernie Reynolds Cincinnati KO 2
Oct 24 Cesar Brion New York W 10
Nov 26 Jimmy Bivins Chicago W 10
Dec 15 Frank Buford Boston KO 7
1953
Jan 14 Wesbury Bascom St. Louis KO 9
Feb 4 Tommy Harrison Detroit KO 9
Apr 1 Rex Layne San Francisco W 10
May 12 Bill Gilliam Toledo, OH W 10
May 26 Larry Watson Milwaukee KO 5
Aug 11 Nino Valdes Miami Beach L 10
Sep 8 Harold Johnson Philadelphia L 10
Dec 16 Coley Wallace San Francisco KO 10
1954
Jan 13 Bob Satterfield Chicago KO 2
Jun 17 Rocky Marciano New York L 15
(For World Heavyweight Title)
Sep 17 Rocky Marciano New York KO by 8
(For World Heavyweight Title)
1955
Feb 18 Charley Norkus New York W 10
Apr 11 Vern Escoe Edmonton, Alberta KO 3
Apr 27 Johnny Holman Miami Beach KO by 9
Jun 8 Johnny Holman Cincinnati W 10
Jul 13 Paul Andrews Chicago W 10
Aug 3 Tommy Jackson Syracuse, NY L 10
Aug 31 Tommy Jackson Cleveland L 10
Nov 14 Toxie Hall Providence L 10
Dec 6 Toxie Hall Rochester, NY W 10
Dec 22 Bob Albright San Francisco W 10
Dec 29 Young Jack Johnson Los Angeles KO by 6
1956
Apr 21 Don Jasper Windsor, Ont. KO 9
May 21 Wayne Bethea New York L 10
Jun 19 Bob Albright Phoenix KO 7
Jul 13 Pat McMurty Tacoma, WA L 10
Aug 13 Harry "Kid" Matthews Seattle L 10
Oct 2 Dick Richardson London L D.Q 2
Dec 1 Announes Retirement
1958
Aug 28 Johnny Harper Fairmont, WV W 10
Sep 30 Alfredo Zuany Juarez, Mexico L 10
Oct 27 Donnie Freeman Dallas KO by 6
1959
Jul 3 Dave Ashley Cincinnati KO 7
Jul 30 George Logan Boise, ID KO by 8
Sep 1 Alvin Green Oklahoma City L 10