Was Ezzard Charles the best LightHeavy ever?

BoxBuzz · Post by **BoxBuzz** » 07 Aug 2006, 17:36

Ezzard was a HW and should be ranked as a Heavy. Makes these conversations far less complex.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 07 Aug 2006, 18:26

BrocktonBlockbuster49 wrote:
silkov wrote:
Decagon wrote:In a 15-round bout? Easily. Langford was more versatile in that he could fight in 6-, 10-, 15- or even 45-round fights, but the modern boxer is defined by how well he does in 12- and 15-round bouts. Ezzard Charles was a master of that genre, and that would be the difference in this fight. I rank Charles above Langford at every division they both fought in because my divisional rankings are based on more modern criteria, but I rank Langford above Charles pound-for-pound because he did something that simply didn't exist in boxing by the time Charles came around.
Considering Langford was a huge puncher and Charles didnt have a great chin I dont see how its an easy fight for Charles... a fighter like Langford could adapt to fighting 15 rounds! to say he couldnt is just nonsense.... if these two had 5 or 7 fights itd be about 4-to-3 or 5-to-2 to Langford imo....

charles had a very solid chin though. all time puncher and KO artist archie moore(just as good a puncher as sam) was unable to FLOOR charles in 3 meetings. charley burley unable to floor charles in 20 rounds. charles went 51 rounds with hard hitting jersey joe walcott without being floored. all time puncher lloyd marshall and jimmy bivins were unable to knockout a peak charles 46-49. charles took flush punches from huge punching bob satterfield without going down. charles also took fluish punches from big hard hitting heavyweights like haynes, louis, valdez, wallace, layne without going down. of course the cream of the crop is the first marciano fight which should clearly silence all questions about charles chin.

charles faced a murderous list of punchers, and showed in those fights he can clearly take a punch. charles had a very good chin. certainly at 175lb!

also dont forget charles at 175lb was a great puncher.

Charles was floored quite a few times, if anything his chin looked more solid at heavyweight but at 175 he'd be vulnerble to Sams power... either way this isnt an easy fight for either man, Charles has the edge in boxing skill but Langford the edge in power and durability... it could come down to who is better on the day... but certainly theres no way that Langford is an easy fight for Charles....

BrocktonBlockbuster49 · Post by **BrocktonBlockbuster49** » 07 Aug 2006, 19:29

* i defintley dont think charles beats langford easily. no way.

as for charles chin....

a peak charles 1946-49 was not floored that much despite facing a murderous list of punchers. im talking the prime charles, not the charles pre 1946.

charles from 1946-49 faced a huge group of punchers and ATG fighters yet was floored just 3 times. once on a liver shot by all time puncher lloyd marshall, another by huge punching fitzie fitzpatrick, and another by hard punching hall of famer master boxer jimmy bivins.

charles faced possibly the greatest light-h puncher in history and the greatest all around puncher in history in archie moore.......yet moore DID NOT FLOOR CHARLES IN 3 MEETINGS. this tells me charles was very durable at 175lb. langford was no better a puncher at 175lb than moore.

charles at 175lb also fought other murderous punchers

elmer ray
lloyd marshall
oakland billy smith
jimmy bivins
fitzie fitzpactrick

all were unable to stop charles

BoxBuzz · Post by **BoxBuzz** » 07 Aug 2006, 21:16

Charles was an incredibly difficult target to pinpoint. Elusive as hell in terms of being able to be solidly targeted.

BrocktonBlockbuster49 · Post by **BrocktonBlockbuster49** » 07 Aug 2006, 23:31

Decagon wrote:Brockton, you're forgetting that he went 15 rounds with Joe Louis without being badly hurt or dropped, although I don't think his chin was what kept him out of trouble. He could take a flush shot, but it was very hard to hit him flush. I hate to bring this up, but Langford's punch output, from all the tape available, wasn't enough to take Charles out. He usually threw two or three punches at a time at most.

i was talking about when charles was 175lb only 1946-49. thats why i didnt mention the louis fight since charles fought louis as a heavyweight.

in my post way up above i mentioned he was not floored by big hard punching heavyweights like joe louis, nino valdes, johnny haynes, elmer ray, colley wallace, rex layne.

which film of langford are u talking about? watch the lang fight