Ezzard Charles

After retiring from the ring, Joe Louis world title was declared vacant and 22 June 1949 it won a 28-year-old Negro boxer Ezzard Charles (height-183 cm, weight 85 kg).

He had a heavy, joyless childhood, that can be said about many famous professional boxers. He was born in Georgia, in a typical provincial town, and when he was nine, the parents of the black race with characteristic impetuosity, quarreling again - with assault and battery and the smashing of crockery, - dispersed in different directions. Have pity baby, my grandmother took him to himself in Cincinnati, in Ohio.

This impossibly thin, strange boy aside bravery peers. After school he went to the back yard and beat the bag with sand, suspended in a thick tree branch. He is infinitely loved boxing, but this occupation he understood not as a battle is tough, but as an intelligent, sophisticated fencing with their fists.

Several years Ezzard Charles was speaking at amateur competitions in light and medium categories. Even then, experts drew attention to its precise, sharp blows. And the nickname 'Cobra from Cincinnati' has deserved. After Charles won the amateur tournament 'Golden Gloves', he was invited to the professionals.

Americans have long taken style of Charles, considering it boring. This is so, in the ring he was doing only what is to be, no decorations or controversial outbursts, only dry, clear rationalism. Connoisseurs admire his style, the rest of the audience was yawning. That, incidentally, and to extend the path to the title of King Charles, as the bosses of professional boxing did not want to see on the throne, not cash fighter.

But Charles had remarkable achievements. When he was fighting in the light heavyweight category, then scored three victories over by Archie Moore, who would later become one of the great fighters in this weight. He beat Charley Burley, the possibility that the title of world champion, rated as one hundred percent. But it is the 'Cobra' smote him, so much so that Burleigh broken psychologically and has never considered the highest title. He beat the tar out and Joe Baxi, is also extremely promising fighter. All eleven rounds Baxi poor guy tried to deliver to Charles at least some damage, but was unable to give, and one classroom strike. In the end, he went to the second and croaked: 'Throw the towel, I have nothing to do with this machine'.

In 1948, Ezzard Charles tragedy occurred on the ring. He went to Chicago against Sam Baroudi and inflicted a terrible blow. Unfortunate Sam was taken to hospital where he died. This is a shock for any boxer, for the devout Ezzard - Heavy doubly. Few days later, he generally stayed in prostration, and friends seriously feared that the reason Charles could blur.

Then he made a vow to leave boxing. But some time later, he was visited by the pastor of a local church and find words of comfort for this tormented soul. But Charles has agreed to enter the ring only to pay the entire fee family Baroudi. In this case, seized with remorse, Ezzard Charles asked to pick up his opponents the most ill-fighter, and what was Elmer Ray, nicknamed 'Mad'. A few months earlier Ezzard in a difficult battle he lost on points. At this time Charles was perfect, and winning by knockout, in the same evening took the prize money to the family Baroudi ...

After some time, money problems forced Joe Louis back in the ring. It was a great sensation, and the newspapers did not spare the place extensively commenting on the decision. "September 7, 1950 meeting, Charles-Louis. In 15 rounds on points won Charles. Then Charles E. alternately won the title fights N. Barone, L. Ohm, J. Walcott, D. Maxim.

18/07/1951, the champion from Cincinnati brought to Jersey Joe Walcott, and this was a lot of strange. The mere fact that Walcott this time I turned 37 years old, is puzzling: age for ambitious attempt in the ring - a more than respectable. Before Walcott twice went against Charles and lost on points.

The first round of Ezzard Charles had a good advantage, but not overwhelming. Thunder in the 7 - round, when Walcott, who had a rare ability to find some mysterious force in critical situations, suddenly came to life and fulfilled his favorite and receiving countries. He almost turned back to Charles, and when he strode to the applicant, a flash he turned and struck the left hook cruel. This, in essence, all ended. The world champion went limp, and his finish was not a problem. Soon defeated Charles came to himself, as once told reporters that Walcott will need to rematch. Alas, in the heavy and uninteresting battle he lost to Walcott in points, after which the press announced Charles doomed for a large box man. But he was no longer a young soldier, he displayed a remarkable tenacity, which is very like the Americans, have always enjoyed the hardness of spirit.
Ezza stubbornly demanded a match with Marciano, although all laughed at the whim of another retired from boxing. Apparently fed up with endless challenges champion Charles, and he appointed him a meeting June 7, 1954 on the already familiar to us 'Yankee Stadium' in New York. Not only specialists, . but the audience went to the match with the hope amuse, . and no more: the young, . aggressive Italian-American was supposed to devour the 33 - year-old black, . not for years ardent bully, . with his orthodox style,
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It turned out differently. Rocky Marciano, not expecting serious resistance in the first round only, and backed by meticulous, hard-Charles, in some moments Negro knocked all the spirit of the champion. But it was Rocky, one of the great, and he was able to gather, the rock rose in front of a veteran. In the latest rounds of the enormous fists Marciano hit the old Ezza with regularity and force blacksmith's hammer, but the old soldier stood before the end, will delight not only the audience, but also self-confident champion. So at the end of a boxing career to Ezzard Charles came crush of spectators.
After that, nothing bright in the sport fate pious Charles did not happen. For a time he appeared in the ring in the unimportant battles, finally stepping down from boxing in 1959. Taking up small business, he held the state, earned in the ring, though not become too rich. In the spring of 1975 because of multiple sclerosis and died in a Chicago hospital, leaving a widow and three children.