Ezzard Charles was born in Lawrenceville, United States. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The disease affected Charles' legs and eventually left him completely disabled. Shortly after his knock-out of Moore in their third and final meeting, tragedy struck. Ezzard Charles, in full Ezzard Mack Charles, (born July 7, 1921, Lawrenceville, Georgia, U.S.died May 28, 1975, Chicago, Illinois), American world heavyweight boxing champion from September 27, 1950, when he outpointed Joe Louis in 15 rounds in New York City, to July 18, 1951, when he was knocked out by Jersey Joe Walcott in 7 rounds in He later had a brief stint as a boxing referee, officiating at the second match between Cassius Clay (before changing his name to Muhammad Ali ) and Sonny Liston . Hall of Fame boxing champion who fought frequently in the heavyweight division and earned titles in all three different weight divisions. Charles was very close with Rocky Marciano and a neighbor and friend of Muhammad Ali when they both lived on 85th Street in Chicago. Please check back soon for updates. Walcott continued to live in the Camden area after leaving boxing. Often Ezz would meet with school-age children and have fun with them exercising or going on group trips to the theater. Later that year he experienced something of a setback, losing to Joey Maxim and Elmer Ray in back-to-back bouts. He continued to box when he could but was forced increasingly to work at low-paying jobs outside the ring to support his family. Charles was a student of the sweet science Growing Up Born Ezzard Mack Charles in July 7 1921, into a life of poverty in Lawrenceville, Georgia, the Charles family relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, which would later earn him his nickname 'The Cincinnati Cobra'. Ezzard Charles Permanently Honored in Cincinnati Namesake Park New York Times, May 29, 1975, p. 38. A hardscrabble life awaits: his father William departs when he is just five, not to be seen again for two decades, and after this the future heavyweight king is raised mostly by his wizened grand- and great-grandmothers in Cincinnatis tough West End, in a rundown, three-room frame house supported by bricks at the corners.. He fought only five matches from 1940 through 1944, one of which was his loss to Simon. Charles retired with a record of 95 wins, 25 losses and 1 draw. Who was Ezzard Charles, the Cincinnati Cobra? - The Enquirer Ezzard Charles: A Boxing Life. Ezzard Charles: William Dettloff's biography of "The Cincinnati Cobra" In 2006, Ezzard Charles was named the 11th greatest fighter of all time by the IBRO (International Boxing Research Organisation).[11]. Going pro, Ezz defeated numerous Hall of Fame fighters in three different weight classes, retiring with a record of 95 wins, 25 losses, and 1 draw. As we know, this early setback does little to deter the gifted Ezzard Charles, and his evolution as a boxer is well documented as he carves out a reputation as one of the best young prospects in America. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Greatness is often overlooked in its own time. Dettloff makes sure were aware that in many cases Charles had to overcome significant size disadvantages to have his hand raised. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). To become the undisputed champ, Ezz a 2:1 underdog and smaller fighter defeated his childhood idol and American boxing icon, Joe Louis, on September 27, 1950. He followed this up in 1939 by winning the Chicago Golden Gloves tournament of champions. 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 Mack Charles was born July 7, 1921 in Georgia, but his family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio while he was still young. http://www.gamemasteronline.com/Archive/SweetScience/JerseyJoeWalcott.shtml (October 26, 2002). Independent (February 28, 1994). Family (1) Spouse Gladys Gartrell (1949 - 27 May 1975) (his death) (3 children) Trivia (14) Defeated Joe Louis on September 27, 1950 to become the undisputed heavyweight . Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. ." Ezzard Charles is part of G.I. He died in 1973. He was an avid reader and learned to speak Italian while serving during World War II. Hickey Park, Millvale, Pennsylvania, U.S. Newsmakers Interview with Ezzard Charles Jr., WKRC Channel 12, Cincinnati, August 17, 2008, Newsmakers interview with Ezzard Charles Jr., WKRC Channel 12 Cincinnati, August 17, 2008, "On This Day: Ezzard Charles, one of the greatest fighters of all-time, was born", "Boxing Hall of Fame names first inductees", The Champ: County to honor legendary boxer Charles today, "1970's Muscular Dystrophy Commercial with Ezzard Charles", "Ezzard Charles, boxing's 'Quiet Tiger,' dies at 53", "IBRO'S 25 Greatest Fighters of All Time", "The Greatest Light Heavyweights of All Time", NBA World Heavyweight Title Fights - BoxRec, NYSAC World Heavyweight Title Fights - BoxRec, Cincinnati History Library and Archives -- Ezzard Charles, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ezzard_Charles&oldid=1137572597, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees, Winners of the United States Championship for amateur boxers, Sportspeople from the Atlanta metropolitan area, Woodward High School (Cincinnati, Ohio) alumni, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages with login required references or sources, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 09:59. He was 53 years old. By the early 1940s, Walcott was working in the Camden shipyards, and his boxing career seemed all but over. [3] Charles graduated from Woodward High School in Cincinnati where he was already becoming a well-known fighter. Ezzard Charles - Bio, Personal Life, Family & Cause Of Death - CelebsAges Contact Us - CATSober | Center for Addiction Treatment Ezzs skill in the ring was just one jewel in the crown of his legacy. He was . This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Matthews, Wallace. . Without Blackburn's guidance, Walcott's boxing career once again seemed to lose direction. 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. Please subscribe, share, and leave us a comment of review if you like the show! Chuckling at his problems, he added: It's more than a rainy day, it's a flood.. I was saving for a rainy day, and the rainy day has come, he said after admitting that his $2million had finally drained mysteriously away. ." On July 18, 1951, he became, at the age of thirty-seven, the oldest boxer ever to become the heavyweight champ, knocking out Ezzard Charles in the seventh round to finally take the title he had so long pursued. Charles died on May 28, 1975, at the age of fifty-three. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. View 29 photos of this 3 bed, 2 bath, 1711 sqft. Sadly, his tenure in the latter position was marred by charges that he had taken bribes. Ezz spoke English and Italian. 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. is military terminology referring to "Government Issue" or "General Issue". He was at his peak as a light-heavyweight. With a perfect, Moore, Archie He started boxing in his teen years, winning 42 amateur fights and the Amateur Athletic Union national middleweight title before he graduated from Woodward High School in 1942.. Charles continued boxing until he was called to serve . While you get to know Ezz, try your hand at a Cincinnati Cobra Challenge, twelve tasks that connect Ezzs journey to your life. 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. He was born Ezzard Mack Charles on July 7, 1921, in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Newsday (February 27, 1994): 18. "Jersey Joe Walcott: The Improbable Champion." Walcott won a match in Sweden against Ollie Tandberg and once again hinted at retirement. With World War II calling, Ezz was drafted in 1943 to serve in the 92nd Infantry Division the only African American infantry division to see combat in Europe during World War II. In 1938, he won the Diamond Belt Middleweight Championship. Research genealogy for Charles Ezzard of Brampton, Hampshire, England, as well as other members of the Ezzard family, on Ancestry. Muhammad Ali said in his own autobiography: "Ezzard Charles was a truly great fighter and champion. Ezz Fest occurs on Cincinnatis official Ezzard Charles Day, honoring his legacy with a free community celebration in Laurel Park featuring boxing demonstrations, jazz music, art and fashion displays, and family-friendly crafts. Years later, Walcott recalled: "After the fight, Joe put his arm around me and whispered in my ear, 'I'm sorry.' He was the only heavyweight champion, other than a young Sonny Liston, who I think would have really troubled me at my best. He decided to borrow the name of his father's favorite boxer from the islands, Joe Walcott, a former welterweight champion who was also known as the "Barbados Demon." 45203. . Ezzard made the most of it, becoming the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion and an inspiration to Gwinnett County. His ascending career was interrupted by service in the U.S. Army, but after Joe Louis announced his retirement as undefeated world heavyweight champion in 1949, a title match was set up between Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott. Associated With He was close friend of Rocky Marciano as well as a one-time neighbor of Muhammad Ali. Nevertheless, boxing fans, as well as Louis, were all convinced Walcott had cinched the fight. After fighting the disease for nearly a decade and becoming an advocate for ALS awareness, Ezz died on May 28, 1975, in Chicago. Transplanted to Cincinnati from his native Georgia at age 9, Charles started boxing early, going professional in 1940 and graduating from Cincinnati's Woodward High School two years later. Semifinals 147-Pound class: Defeated Ray McDonald Times-Star A.C. by decision. 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. Ezz had lots of people in his corner: Do something kind for a friend or someone in your family. Square that I was, I believed every word. In 1938, he won the Diamond Belt Middleweight Championship. 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. Anything was now available to Ezzard, anything was possible. Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. Ezzard Charles: A Boxing Life by William Dettloff - Goodreads Ezzard Charles Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family Family, community members, organizers join for Ezzard Charles - MSN Marciano won a unanimous decision. The Truth About Rocky Marciano - The Grueling Truth The 92nd Division was stationed in North Africa and Italy, where Ezz learned to speak Italian. The world middleweight c, Tunney, Gene Discharged in January 1946, the career of The Cincinnati Cobra then motors on in high gear and reading about his bouts with the legendary Archie Moore in particular is a great pleasure. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. "Jersey Joe Walcott Is Remembered." Generation also known as The Greatest Generation. Ezzard Charless mothers name is unknown at this time and his fathers name is under review. Walcott took the match in a ten-round decision. In 1966 he was stricken with a muscle-debilitating disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and was confined to a wheelchair. 3 Beds. 2.5 Baths. Ezzard Charles was not someone you would look at and think of as vicious fighting machine. 421 Oak Street, Cincinnati OH 4521, 513-861-0023 He had speed, agility, fast hands and excellent footwork. Ezzard Charles; A Boxing Life. By William Dettloff. The Cincinnati Cobra Badges transport you to stories where youll learn about Ezzs talents, accomplishments, and his lasting legacy in the Queen City. It was as if he had lost., He gave me two of the toughest fights of my life. He had simply come along at a time when a bloodhungry public couldnt appreciate him. This was the street of his residence during the height of his career.[10]. He was best known for being a Boxer. But the two judgesFrank Forbes and Marty Monroegave the fight to Louis. His grandmother and great-grandmother guided him through his childhood, keeping his eyes on finishing school, working hard, being a kind man, and attending church on Sundays. Charles fought a young contender named Sam Baroudi, knocking him out in Round 10. Walcott died at the age of 80 on February 25, 1994, in Camden, N.J. Thank you. But the Queen City celebrated their first-ever heavyweight champion with fanfare and a parade. "Joe Walcott." All of it was made possible with the $275,000 raised by Cincinnati parks, donors, and residents in the West End . 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. Art Rust's Illustrated History of the Black Athlete. He was stricken in 1966 with arnyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a muscledebilitating disease, and had been confined to a wheelchair. http://www.cyberenet.net/~kelta/jerseyjoe.html (October 25, 2002). His visits to Lawrenceville, were brief after the move north to Cincinnati and then to Chicago after that, but he did feel confident enough to visit Lawrenceville again briefly in 1949, as both a war vetern and the champ, most likely to visit family. But Walcott bounced back in 1947, beating Maxim in January, Ray in April, and Maxim again in June. The Champ: County to honor legendary boxer Charles today 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. He gave up for good when a fighter named Alvin Green defeated him on Sept. 1, 1959. Judge Artie Aidala scored the fight 9-5-1 while judge Harold Barnes' tally was 8-6-1. Ezzard Charles (Ezz) devoted his life to his faith and family, always giving back to the West End community that helped to shape him into a man. In 1968, Charles was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. During Ezzs rise, he was forced to fight in a heavier weight class and was frequently out-weighed by up to 30 pounds. However, he served in the U.S. military during World War II and was unable to fight professionally in 1945. support his family. Considered one of the giants of sports in the 1920s, Gene Tunney became heavyweight boxing champion of the worl, Sugar Ray Robinson The initials "G.I." It was as if he had lost. His ring career took a positive turn after the unschooled Walcott began to work with trainer Jack Blackburn, who helped to teach him more about the art of boxing. He helped shape the Cincinnati Music Scene, as he would buy jazz records from around the world and bring them back home to share with local musicians and artists. Known as the Cincinnati Cobra, Ezz worked his opponents with a combination of lightning-fast technique and quick, powerful punches. Ezzard Charles - BoxRec He was born June 13, 1973 in Saginaw, MI to Jacqueline Marie Blaylock and Ezzard Charles Mack. Just over three months later, however, Rocky Marciano knocked out Walcott in the 13th round to take the heavyweight title. What are five healthy habits you can do every day? Detroit: Gale Group, 1998. When is Ezzard Charless birthday? 1921-1989 Skip Ancestry . See Photos. 1913-1998 Published by McFarland, 232 pages $35.00. Through all the ups and downs in their life together, Gladys maintained the family finances while she and Ezz always put their children first. With Louis being so popular, many fans and boxing writers were not happy with the outcome. Follow in Ezzs footsteps with wayfinding signage and Cincinnati Cobra Badges located near points of interest. The Cincinnati Cobra Badges transport you to stories where youll learn about Ezzs talents, accomplishments, and his lasting legacy in the Queen City.