." The Cincinnati Cobra defended his title four times until falling to Walcott in a championship rematch. Not long thereafter, he stopped in one day at Battling Mac's Gym in Camden, New Jersey, where he soon became a regular, sparring with some of the fighters who called the gym home. Gods of War: Ezzard Charles - Bloody Elbow He coasted through the final four rounds and lost the chance to become the first man to regain the heavyweight championship. Shortly after retiring from the ring, he took a job as a parole officer for juvenile offenders. Charles is the only man ever to last the full 15-round distance against Marciano. Ezzard won several amateur championships, including two Golden Gloves crownswelterweight (1938) and middleweight (1939)before turning professional in 1940. He depended on his boxing skills and ability to score points rather than delivering one powerful knockout punch and thus was criticized by some for lacking a harsh fighting instinct. Who are the richest people in the world? Ezzard Charles Biography, Life, Interesting Facts Ezzard Charles Permanently Honored in Cincinnati Namesake Park I finally figured it out. Ezzard Charles - Reemus Boxing Encyclopedia.com. It also earned them acclaim as the toughest men of their eras. So, at 9 years old Ezzard moved to Cincinnati, One day a boxer came by in a nice car and wearing a nice suit. In 2022, a statue honoring Ezzard Charles was unveiled in Laurel Park Cincinnati, OH. 845 Ezzard Charles Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45203 is a 1 bed, 1 bath home. A year later,. After a brilliant amateur boxing career, Charles turned pro in 1940 and went on to win twenty consecutive fights in the first eighteen months of the decade. "Obituary: Jersey Joe Walcott." After knocking out Joe Baksi and Johnny Haynes, Charles won the vacant National Boxing Association Heavyweight title when he outpointed Jersey Joe Walcott over 15 rounds on June 22, 1949. Surviving are his widow, Gladys, and three children, Ezzard 2d, Deborah and Leith. When Ezz was young she gave him permission to join a gym and pursue boxing, keeping him busy after school. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. No matter the reason for Cinnicinnti, there was a list a mile long of reasons to get out of Georgia. Theyd all say the same thing: if you want to be a fighter, youve got to eat it and sleep it. https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/walcott-jersey-joe, Amerman, Don "Walcott, Jersey Joe Ezzard Charles Biography - American boxer | Pantheon To personalize his new name, he added "Jersey," to signify the state of his birth. In 1966 he was stricken with Lou Gehrig's disease that before long confined him to a wheelchair. [9] He was buried at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. Outside of the ring, Ezzard also had owned several night clubs, played bass with the eras top jazz performers, even sitting in for a session one night with the legendary Duke Ellington. I did my best. Every day, Ezz and team would wake at 5:30 am for a 5-mile run. Newsday (February 27, 1994): 18. 6318 Ezzard Charles Ln, Houston, TX 77091 | realtor.com He bought food and coal for Walcott's family, got the boxer's license renewed, and finally persuaded Walcott to give it a try. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. [3] Charles graduated from Woodward High School in Cincinnati where he was already becoming a well-known fighter. Throughout his ring career, Charles was criticized for lacking the killer instinct, that highly salable knockout drive that created boxoffice bonanzas for Jack Dempsey, Louis and the late Rocky Marciano. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Thanks to a collaboration between the Cincinnati Parks Foundation and go Vibrant, weve mapped out three Cincinnati Cobra Routes starting in Laurel Park the largest Cincinnati Park in the West End! During the midnineteensixties, he became increasingly afflicted by lateral sclerosis, a disease that crippled his oncepowerful legs and then impaired his ability to speak. http://www.gamemasteronline.com/Archive/SweetScience/JerseyJoeWalcott.shtml (October 26, 2002). He was an avid reader and learned to speak Italian while serving during World War II. They met twice. Although his purses totaled $2million while he was winning 96 of 122 bouts from 1940 to 1959, Charles had the misfortune to gain the title upon the 1949 retirement of Joe Louis, one of boxing's most popular champions. Doctor W.P. And one which illuminates the essence of the sport while sympathetically documenting the life of one of its cleverest exports, with searing passages describing the lure of the Fancy. Ezzard Charles in Ezzard Charles Park - Cincinnati Parks Foundation Full-body sculpture of Ezzard Charles revealed to family But Ezzard Charles is so damn good that, despite being avoided to an almost comical degree by light heavyweight champ Gus Lesnevich, he winds up making waves as a heavyweight, capturing the world title left vacant after Joe Louis retired by taking a 15 round decision overJersey Joe Walcott in 1949, repaying Lesnevich in his maiden defence, and then going on to defeat his old idol, Louis. 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. Anything was now available to Ezzard, anything was possible. The economic boom and the Jazz Age were over, and America began the period called the Great Depression. He always wanted to sit in the front. Before winning the heavyweight championship, he had won the National Boxing Association title by defeating Walcott on June 22, 1949. . Sign Up. You can give back to Cincinnati by picking up any litter you see in the Parks or on your block. Semifinals 147-Pound class: Defeated Ray McDonald Times-Star A.C. by decision. Known in years past as "Sin City" and "Babylon on the St. Lawrence", it saw more than its share of ring legends over the decades. Ezzard Mack Charles was born July 7, 1921 in Georgia, but his family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio while he was still young. Charles was unable to secure a title shot at light heavyweight and moved up to heavyweight. Ezzard Charles | Encyclopedia.com "No Champion Out of Ring." In 2018, the Cincinnati Parks Foundation (CPF) took on the effort of raising the funds for the new Ezzard Charles statue in Laurel Parka park located along the street named for him, where he would once run his training routes. Early in his professional career, the young New Jersey boxer decided his last name of Cream seemed wholly inappropriate for a fighter who hoped some day to be a champion. 1921-1989 . In fact, he wanted to leave the ring, but his handlers held him back.". He was best known for being a Boxer. Shower and massage. Charles also winds up boxing for the Army in inter-allied tournaments throughout Europe, enjoying predictable success. The Truth About Rocky Marciano - The Grueling Truth Welcome to Ezzard Charles at Laurel Parka bronze sculpture brought to life with a self-guided tour that tells the story of Cincinnati legend and West End hero, Ezzard Charles. Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, Walcott, Jersey Joe Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Square that I was, I believed every word. Ezzard Charles grew stronger and sharper after the world war and continued with his winning spree. The political finagling to arrange title shots in those days is similarly well sketched, and if you think Don King was reptilian, reading the sections which cover the immediate aftermath of Joe Louis championship reign is truly eye-opening. From 1940 to 1959 he fought in 122 bouts, winning 96 of them. Greatness is often overlooked in its own time. Explore all four Badges to learn more about what makes Ezz so legendary. Thanks to the authors unfailing commitment to detail, the reader is left in no doubt about just how special this kid was in his prime. In the predominantly Black neighborhood of the West End, a hub of successful businesses and budding community, Ezz had a solid foundation to make his way up in the world. Amerman, Don "Walcott, Jersey Joe Charles was so devastated he almost gave up fighting. When I first decided to get into boxing, I'd listen to all of the older guys in the game, he remarked recently. Ezzard Charles - Bio, Personal Life, Family & Cause Of Death - CelebsAges Ezzard Charles was next and he was ranked number three at the time of his first fight with Marciano. In the following years he fights and beats a succession of formidable middleweights and light heavyweights, champions and ex-titlists, including Teddy Yarosz, Anton Cristofiridis, Charley Burley, Booker Beckwith, Mose Brown and Joey Maxim. Top 12 All-Time Greatest Muhammad Ali Performances, Top 12 All-Time Greatest Heavyweight Punchers, Top 12 Reasons Why Muhammad Ali Is Forever The Greatest. Notable Sports Figures. Three years later, on June 17, 1954, he lost a grueling fifteen-round decision to Rocky Marciano, and in a rematch later that year Marciano knocked him out in the eighth round. The initials "G.I." In a rematch with Marciano on May 15, 1953, Walcott was knocked out in the first round. Walcott continued to live in the Camden area after leaving boxing. Ezzard delivers a baby. Walcott took the match in a ten-round decision. Ezzard Charles School located in Chicago, Illinois - IL. Nobody gave any credit to Ezzard. Ezzs skill in the ring was just one jewel in the crown of his legacy. Get an inside beat on a day in the life of the Cincinnati Cobra, and how the importance of family drove him to greatness. After fighting the disease for nearly a decade and becoming an advocate for ALS awareness, Ezz died on May 28, 1975, in Chicago. Discover what happened on this day. Ft. 5829 Francis Oak Pl, Houston, TX 77091. He died on May 27, 1975 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Encyclopedia.com. Quarterfinals 147-Pound class: Defeated Charles Wilson by decision. LAUREL PARK FAMILY FUN DAYS 500 Ezzard Charles Dr., Cincinnati March 5 | 3:30-6pm April 2 | 1:30-4pm May 21 | 3:30-6pm June 24 | With live music 5-7:30pm July 16 | With the CSO (TBD) August 13 | With live music 5-7:30pm September 3 | 5-7:30pm Offered in partnership with Cincinnati Parks and 7 Hills Neighborhood Houses MLK PARK FAMILY FUN DAYS His association with Blackburn ended abruptly when the trainer received an offer from a couple of gamblers to come to Chicago to train an amateur champion named Joe Louis . Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Fight footage on Charles is scarcer than wed like, but Dettloff capably charts his rise through the ranks from the moment he turns pro in 1940, earning a modest purse of $5, and helps us visualise the ferocious action under the lights. Given the dearth of material available on Charles, save for sepia-toned back issues of fight magazines and grainy contest footage, these early passages of the biography offer a wonderful insight into his formative years and what made him tick. After a brilliant amateur boxing career, Charles turned pro in 1940 and went on to win twenty consecutive fights in the first eighteen months of the decade. In the second fight, Marciano knocked out the former champ in eight rounds, securing his seat atop the heavyweight division. [13], 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.[14]. Charles won the title in a fifteen-round decision on June 22, 1949. Prominent boxing promoter Mike ("Uncle Mike") Jacobs in late 1947 set up what was supposed to be a ten-round charity exhibition match between World Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis and Walcott. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Ezzard Mack Charles (Ezz) was born in Lawrenceville, Georgia on July 7, 1921. "Time Tunnel: Jersey Joe Walcott; The Long, Long Journey." As a condition for accepting the job, Blackburn wangled an invitation for Walcott to accompany him and join the gamblers' Chicago stable of fighters, but Walcott came down with typhoid and was unable to make the trip. , Rocky MarcianoHeavyweight Champ 1952-195649 Wins 0 Losses. Buy. Ezz would hit the heavy bag and jump rope. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. But the two judgesFrank Forbes and Marty Monroegave the fight to Louis. Rocky Marciano is the only heavyweight boxing champion ever to retire without being defeated. Ezz spoke English and Italian. Boxing celebrities, including Marciano, Archie Moore and Muhammad All (then Cassius Clay) turned out to honor the former champion. 23 Feb. 2023
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