Ezzard Mack Charles (July 7, 1921 – May 28, 1975), known as the Cincinnati Cobra, was an American professional boxer and World Heavyweight Champion, known for his slick defense and precision. Often regarded as the greatest light heavyweight of all time,^[1] Charles defeated numerous Hall of Fame fighters in three different weight classes. Charles retired with a record of 95-25-1. He was posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1990.^[2]

Quick Facts Born, Died ...

Ezzard Charles
Charles in 1950
Born	Ezzard Mack Charles (1921-07-07)July 7, 1921 Lawrenceville, Georgia, U.S.
Died	May 28, 1975(1975-05-28) (aged 53) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Other names	Cincinnati Cobra
Statistics
Weight(s)	Middleweight Light-heavyweight Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Reach	73 in (185 cm)
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	121
Wins	95
Wins by KO	52
Losses	25
Draws	1
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Cincinnati Golden Gloves 1937 Cincinnati Welterweight 1938 Cincinnati Welterweight 1939 Cincinnati Middleweight Chicago Golden Gloves 1939 Chicago Middleweight Ohio District AAU Championships 1937 Cincinnati Welterweight 1938 Cincinnati Welterweight 1939 Cincinnati Middleweight National AAU Championships 1939 San Francisco Middleweight

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Charles was born in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio.^[3] Charles graduated from Woodward High School in Cincinnati where he was already becoming a well-known fighter.^[4] Known as "The Cincinnati Cobra", Charles fought many notable opponents in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, eventually winning the World Championship in the latter. Although he never won the Light Heavyweight title, The Ring has rated him as the greatest light heavyweight of all time.^[5]

"Ezzard Charles. Who else has been great in every division he fought in?" - James Toney^[7]

Ezzard Charles was one of the greatest ring technicians that ever laced on a pair of gloves. He could seamlessly blend between defence and offense and adapt on the fly.

Charles fought side on, leaning slightly to the right to take his head off the centre from the line of attack. This increases the distance the opponent’s punch has to travel as well, giving him more time to see punches coming. This 'old-school' stance was similar to those of Joe Louis, Charley Burley and Sandy Saddler. Charles parried with both of his hands and smothered opponents on the inside, even against larger men, he was fully capable of trapping the opponent's glove to prevent them from punching on the inside. On the outside range, Charles would stalk his prey, circling leftwards and utilising his lightning-quick probing jab to attack both the head and body to properly gauge the opponent's distance. In his prime, Ezzard would be exceedingly aggressive, often relying on his thunderous power and accuracy to win exchanges. However, some would note that after Sam Baroudi died of injuries during their 1948 fight, Charles appeared to have become less aggressive and more cautious.^[8]

Despite being best known for his counter-punching excellence, his varied skillset and high ring intelligence allowed him to excel in many situations. These qualities allowed Charles (a natural middleweight) to triumph against the tough light-heavyweights and heavyweights of the talent-rich 1940s.^[9][10][11]

Charles was very close with Rocky Marciano and a neighbor and friend of Muhammad Ali when they both lived on 85th Street in Chicago.^[12] Charles also starred in one motion picture: Mau Mau Drums, an independent (and unreleased) jungle-adventure film shot in and around Cincinnati in 1960 by filmmaker Earl Schwieterman.^{[citation needed]}

In 1968, Charles was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The disease affected Charles' legs and eventually left him completely disabled. A fund raiser was held to assist Charles and many of his former opponents spoke on his behalf. Rocky Marciano in particular called Charles the bravest man he ever fought. The former boxer spent his last days in a nursing home. A chilling 1973 commercial showed Charles in his wheelchair horribly disabled by ALS.^[13] Charles died on May 28, 1975, in Chicago.^[14] He was buried at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois.

In 1976, Cincinnati honored Charles by changing the name of Lincoln Park Drive to Ezzard Charles Drive. This was the street of his residence during the height of his career.^[15]

In 2002, Charles was ranked No. 13 on The Ring magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years.

In 2006, Ezzard Charles was named the 11th greatest fighter of all time by the IBRO (International Boxing Research Organisation).^[16]

The "Cincinnati Cobra" was a master boxer of extraordinary skill and ability. He had speed, agility, fast hands and excellent footwork. Charles possessed a masterful jab and was a superb combination puncher. He was at his peak as a light-heavyweight. His record is quite impressive. Against top rate opposition like Archie Moore, Charley Burley, Lloyd Marshall, Jimmy Bivins, and Joey Maxim he was an impressive 16-2 combined. Despite being a natural light-heavy he won the heavyweight title and made 9 successful title defenses. Nearly 25% of voters had Charles in the top 10. Half of the voters had him in the top 15. Two thirds of voters had him inside the top 20.

Muhammad Ali said in his own autobiography:

"Ezzard Charles was a truly great fighter and champion. He was the only heavyweight champion, other than a young Sonny Liston, who I think would have really troubled me at my best."^[17]

In 2007, ESPN online ranks Ezzard Charles as the 27th greatest boxer of all time, ahead of such notable fighters as Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes and Jake LaMotta.^[18]

In 2009, Boxing magazine listed Ezzard Charles as the greatest Light Heavyweight fighter ever, ahead of the likes of Archie Moore, Bob Foster, Michael Spinks and Gene Tunney.^[19]

In 2022, a statue honoring Ezzard Charles was unveiled in the former Laurel Park in the West End neighborhood of Cincinnati. The park was renamed to Ezzard Charles Park alongside the unveiling of the statue.^[20]

Prominent boxing historian Bert Sugar listed Charles as the seventh greatest Heavyweight of all time.

• List of heavyweight boxing champions