Ezzard Charles retired with a record of 95 wins, 25 losses and 1 draw.
26 Facts About Ezzard Charles
2.
Ezzard Charles was posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1990.
3.
Ezzard Charles was born in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio.
4.
Ezzard Charles graduated from Woodward High School in Cincinnati where he was already becoming a well-known fighter.
5.
Ezzard Charles followed this up in 1939 by winning the Chicago Golden Gloves tournament of champions.
6.
Ezzard Charles won the national AAU Middleweight Championship in 1939.
7.
Ezzard Charles turned professional in 1940, knocking out Melody Johnson in the fourth round.
8.
Ezzard Charles won all of his first 17 fights before being defeated by veteran Ken Overlin.
9.
Ezzard Charles returned to boxing after the war as a light heavyweight, picking up many notable wins over leading light heavyweights, as well as heavyweight contenders Archie Moore, Jimmy Bivins, Lloyd Marshall and Elmer Ray.
10.
Ezzard Charles fought a young contender named Sam Baroudi, knocking him out in Round 10.
11.
Ezzard Charles was unable to secure a title shot at light heavyweight and moved up to heavyweight.
12.
In 1951, Ezzard Charles fought Walcott a third time and lost the title by knockout in the seventh round.
13.
Ezzard Charles lost a controversial decision in their fourth and final bout.
14.
Ezzard Charles's two stirring battles with Marciano are regarded as ring classics.
15.
Ezzard Charles is the only man ever to last the full 15-round distance against Marciano.
16.
Nevertheless, a number of fans and boxing writers felt that Ezzard Charles deserved the decision.
17.
Ezzard Charles was very close with Rocky Marciano and a neighbor and friend of Muhammad Ali when they both lived on 85th Street in Chicago.
18.
Ezzard Charles starred in one motion picture: Mau Mau Drums, an independent jungle-adventure film shot in and around Cincinnati in 1960 by filmmaker Earl Schwieterman.
19.
In 1968, Ezzard Charles was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
20.
Ezzard Charles was buried at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois.
21.
In 2002, Ezzard Charles was ranked No 13 on The Ring magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years.
22.
In 2006, Ezzard Charles was named the 11th greatest fighter of all time by the IBRO.
23.
Ezzard Charles had speed, agility, fast hands and excellent footwork.
24.
Ezzard Charles possessed a masterful jab and was a superb combination puncher.
25.
Ezzard Charles was the only heavyweight champion, other than a young Sonny Liston, who I think would have really troubled me at my best.
26.
In 2022, a statue honoring Ezzard Charles was unveiled in Laurel Park Cincinnati, OH.