Ezzard Charles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Charles in 1948 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 |
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| Statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weights | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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
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Ezzard Mack Charles (July 7, 1921 – May 28, 1975), was an American professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1959. Known as "the Cincinnati Cobra", Charles was respected for his slick defense and precision, and is often regarded as the greatest light heavyweight of all time, and one of the greatest fighterspound for pound,[1] having defeated numerous Hall of Fame fighters in three different weight classes. Charles was theworld heavyweight champion from 1949 to 1951, and made eight successful title defenses in under two years.
After losing the world title, Charles continued to fight several top rated heavyweight contenders and made three close but unsuccessful attempts at reclaiming the heavyweight championship. Charles eventually retired from a near two decade long career with a record of 95–25–1. He was posthumously inducted into theInternational Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class of 1990.[2]
Charles was born inLawrenceville, Georgia, and grew up inCincinnati, Ohio.[3] Charles graduated fromWoodward High School in Cincinnati where he was already becoming a well-known fighter (greatly inspired by fightersKid Chocolate and laterJoe Louis).[4] Known as "the Cincinnati Cobra", Charles fought many notable opponents in themiddleweight,light heavyweight andheavyweight 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]
Charles started his career as a featherweight in the amateurs, where he had a near perfect record (at one point 42-0 until a 1939 loss to Daniel Warren Eby).[6] In 1938, he won the Diamond BeltMiddleweight Championship. He followed this up in 1939 by winning theChicago Golden Gloves tournament of champions. He won the national AAU Middleweight Championship in 1939.
Charles' professional career began on March 12, 1940, knocking out Melody Johnson in the fourth round. Charles went undefeated in his first 17 fights before being defeated by formerNYSAC middleweight championKen Overlin. Victories over future Hall of FamersTeddy Yarosz and the heavily avoidedCharley Burley had started to solidify Charles as a top contender in the middleweight division, however, duringWorld War II, Charles served in the U.S. military, which would eventually bring his career to a halt.
Upon his return from the war, Charles resumed his boxing career. He moved up in weight and went on to dominate the light heavyweight division, scoring many notable wins over leading light heavyweights, as well as heavyweight contenders includingArchie Moore (three times),Jimmy Bivins (four times),Joey Maxim (five times) andLloyd Marshall (twice). The hard hittingElmer Ray delivered Charles his only loss following his return, which he later avenged.
Shortly after his knockout of Moore in their third and final meeting, tragedy struck. On February 20, 1948, Charles fought a young contender namedSam Baroudi, knocking him out in Round 10. Baroudi died of the injuries he sustained in this bout. Charles was so devastated by the incident that he nearly gave up fighting, but a need to provide for his family along with encouragement from Baroudi's family convinced him to continue.
Despite being the top contender for the light heavyweight title held byGus Lesnevich, Charles was unable to secure a title shot and decided to move up to heavyweight. After knocking outJoe Baksi and Johnny Haynes, Charles won the recently vacatedNational Boxing Association world heavyweight title when he outpointed top heavyweight contenderJersey Joe Walcott over 15 rounds on June 22, 1949.
Charles made three title defenses, all ending in knockout (including one over Lesnevich), before facing his idol and former heavyweight champion, Joe Louis, onSeptember 27, 1950. Louis was quickly forced out of retirement due to troubles with theIRS, and at this stage in his career proved no match for the younger Charles, who dominated the fight and won a wideunanimous decision. Charles was now recognized as both theundisputed andLineal world heavyweight champion.
For these achievements in such a short span of time, Charles was namedFighter of the Year twice consecutively in 1949 and 1950. Four more successful title defenses would follow againstNick Barone, Walcott, Lee Oma, and the new light heavyweight champion Joey Maxim.
On July 18, 1951, Charles made his ninth and final title defense in a third fight against Walcott. Having been defeated twice before, Walcott was a 9:1 underdog, but scored a majorupset, knocking out Charles with a perfect left hook to the jaw in the seventh round. Charles fought a rematch with Walcott the following year, but lost a controversial decision in their fourth and final bout. If Charles had won this fight, he would have become the first man in history to regain the heavyweight championship. Remaining a top contender with wins overRex Layne, Tommy Harrison andColey Wallace, Charles scored a second-round knockout overBob Satterfield in a heavyweight title eliminator bout on January 13, 1954. Charles was now next in line to challenge the new Heavyweight Champion:Rocky Marciano.
The two stirring battles between Charles and Marciano are regarded as ring classics. In thefirst bout, held in Yankee Stadium on June 17, 1954, he valiantly took Marcianothe distance, going down on points in a vintage heavyweight bout. Charles is the only man ever to last the full 15-round distance against Marciano. Marciano won a unanimous decision. Referee Ruby Goldstein scored the bout 8-5-2 in rounds for the champion. Judge Artie Aidala scored the fight 9-5-1 while judge Harold Barnes' tally was 8–6–1. In their Septemberrematch, Charles landed a severe blow that actually split Marciano's nose in half. Marciano's cornermen were unable to stop the bleeding and the referee almost halted the contest until Marciano rallied with an eighth-round knockout. The fight was awardedThe Ring’s 1954Fight of the Year.
Unfortunately for Charles, like many boxers, financial problems forced him to continue fighting. Age and damage sustained during his career caused Charles to begin a sharp decline following his title fights. Over the next four years, he lost on points to heavyweight contendersTommy "Hurricane" Jackson,Harry Matthews and heavyweight champion ofMexico,Alfredo Zuany. He was alsodisqualified during a fight againstDick Richardson, who later became theEuropean heavyweight champion. Overall Charles lost 13 of his final 23 fights. Charles retired after his final bout on September 1, 1959. He finished with a final record of 95-25-1 and scored 52 knockout victories.
"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 ofJoe Louis,Charley Burley andSandy 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. Charles was also well known for his use of theshoulder roll.[8]James Toney credits Charles as the inspiration for his variation of the shoulder roll.[9] In his prime, Ezzard would be exceedingly aggressive, often relying on his thunderous power and accuracy to win exchanges. However, some would note that afterSam Baroudi died of injuries during their 1948 fight, Charles is alleged to have become less aggressive and more cautious, although this theory is hotly debated.[10]
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.[11][12][13]
Charles was married to Gladys Charles, the couple had three children, Ezzard Junior, Deborah and Leith. Charles was an avid fan ofjazz and played a variety of instruments throughout his life. He also spoke fluentItalian, and even held a short conversation with Rocky Marciano in Italian during a televised interview shortly before their first fight.[14] After his title fights, Charles became very close with Rocky Marciano and later was a neighbor and friend ofMuhammad Ali when they both lived on 85th Street in Chicago (later in life when Charles suffered from financial difficulties and illness, both men along with other boxing celebrities hosted a fundraiser on his behalf).[15][16] 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.[17]
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In 1968, Charles was diagnosed withamyotrophic 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 1973 commercial showed Charles in his wheelchair disabled by ALS.[18] Charles died on May 28, 1975, in Chicago.[19] He was buried atBurr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois.
Charles wasThe Ring magazine Fighter of the Year in 1949 and 1950.
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.[20]
In 2002, Charles was ranked No. 13 onThe Ring magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years.[21]
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."[22]
In 2007, ESPN online ranks Ezzard Charles as the 27th greatest boxer of all time, ahead of such notable fighters asMike Tyson,Larry Holmes andJake LaMotta.[23]
In 2007, prominent boxing historianBert Sugar listed Charles as the seventh greatest Heavyweight of all time.[24]
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 andGene Tunney.[25]
In 2019, Ezzard Charles was named the 13th greatest pound for pound fighter of all time by the IBRO (International Boxing Research Organisation).[26]
Coming in the 13th position is Ezzard Charles with 200 points. Charles finished 1st at light-heavyweight, in the top 20 at middleweight and in the top 20 at heavyweight. Charles impressive record of opponents; going 3-0 over Archie Moore, 2-0 over Charley Burley, 4-1 against Jimmy Bivins, 3-0 over Joey Maxim as well as 8 successful title defenses at heavyweight prove he was one of boxing’s best. 21 of 31 voters had Charles in the top 20, 7 of those had him in the top 10. Charles finished tied 12-13th last time, so falls in about the same spot as IBRO’s last pound for pound poll.
In 2022, Charles was ranked No. 8 onThe Ring magazine's list of the 100 Best Fighters in the history ofThe Ring magazine's rankings .[27]
In 2022, a statue honoring Ezzard Charles was unveiled in the former Laurel Park in theWest End neighborhood of Cincinnati. The park was renamed to Ezzard Charles Park alongside the unveiling of the statue.[28]
| 121 fights | 95 wins | 25 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 52 | 7 |
| By decision | 43 | 17 |
| By disqualification | 0 | 1 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | Loss | 95–25–1 | Alvin Green | UD | 10 | Sep 1, 1959 | Municipal Auditorium,Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
| 120 | Loss | 95–24–1 | George Logan | KO | 8 (10),1:50 | Jul 30, 1959 | Fairgrounds Arena,Boise, Idaho, U.S. | |
| 119 | Win | 95–23–1 | Dave Ashley | TKO | 9 (10) | Jul 3, 1959 | Lincoln Heights High School,Lincoln Heights, California, U.S. | |
| 118 | Loss | 94–23–1 | Donnie Fleeman | KO | 6 (10),2:13 | Oct 27, 1958 | Dallas Memorial Auditorium,Dallas, Texas, U.S. | |
| 117 | Loss | 94–22–1 | Alfredo Zuany | UD | 10 | Sep 30, 1958 | Plaza de Toros,Ciudad Juarez,Chihuahua, Mexico | |
| 116 | Win | 94–21–1 | Johnny Harper | UD | 10 | Aug 28, 1958 | East-West Stadium,Fairmont, West Virginia, U.S. | |
| 115 | Loss | 93–21–1 | Dick Richardson | DQ | 2 (10) | Oct 2, 1956 | Harringay Arena,London, England | |
| 114 | Loss | 93–20–1 | Harry Matthews | UD | 10 | Aug 31, 1956 | Sick's Stadium,Seattle, Washington, U.S. | |
| 113 | Loss | 93–19–1 | Pat McMurtry | UD | 10 | Jul 13, 1956 | Lincoln Bowl,Tacoma, Washington, U.S. | |
| 112 | Win | 93–18–1 | Bob Albright | RTD | 6 (10) | Jun 19, 1956 | Softball Park,Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. | |
| 111 | Loss | 92–18–1 | Wayne Bethea | UD | 10 | May 21, 1956 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 110 | Win | 92–17–1 | Don Jasper | TKO | 9 (10),2:46 | Apr 21, 1956 | Windsor Arena,Windsor, Ontario, Canada | |
| 109 | Loss | 91–17–1 | Young Jack Johnson | TKO | 6 (10) | Dec 29, 1955 | Grand Olympic Auditorium,Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
| 108 | Win | 91–16–1 | Bob Albright | SD | 10 | Dec 22, 1955 | Cow Palace, Daly City, California, U.S. | |
| 107 | Win | 90–16–1 | Toxie Hall | UD | 10 | Dec 6, 1955 | Rochester War Memorial Auditorium,Rochester, New York, U.S. | |
| 106 | Loss | 89–16–1 | Toxie Hall | SD | 10 | Nov 14, 1955 | Rhode Island Auditorium,Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. | |
| 105 | Loss | 89–15–1 | Tommy Jackson | UD | 10 | Aug 31, 1955 | Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 104 | Loss | 89–14–1 | Tommy Jackson | UD | 10 | Aug 3, 1955 | War Memorial Auditorium,Syracuse, New York, U.S. | |
| 103 | Win | 89–13–1 | Paul Andrews | SD | 10 | Jul 13, 1955 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 102 | Win | 88–13–1 | John Holman | UD | 10 | Jun 8, 1955 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 101 | Loss | 87–13–1 | John Holman | TKO | 9 (10),2:48 | Apr 27, 1955 | Miami Beach Exhibition Hall, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. | |
| 100 | Win | 87–12–1 | Vern Escoe | KO | 3 (10),2:15 | Apr 11, 1955 | Edmonton Gardens,Edmonton,Alberta, Canada | |
| 99 | Win | 86–12–1 | Charley Norkus | UD | 10 | Feb 18, 1955 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 98 | Loss | 85–12–1 | Rocky Marciano | KO | 8 (15),2:36 | Sep 17, 1954 | Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S. | For NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 97 | Loss | 85–11–1 | Rocky Marciano | UD | 15 | Jun 17, 1954 | Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S. | For NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 96 | Win | 85–10–1 | Bob Satterfield | KO | 2 (10) | Jan 13, 1954 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 95 | Win | 84–10–1 | Coley Wallace | KO | 10 (10),2:43 | Dec 16, 1953 | San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 94 | Loss | 83–10–1 | Harold Johnson | SD | 10 | Sep 8, 1953 | Connie Mack Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 93 | Loss | 83–9–1 | Niño Valdés | UD | 10 | Aug 11, 1953 | Miami Beach Exhibition Hall,Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. | |
| 92 | Win | 83–8–1 | Larry Watson | KO | 5 (10),2:50 | May 26, 1953 | Milwaukee Arena,Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. | |
| 91 | Win | 82–8–1 | Billy Gilliam | UD | 10 | May 12, 1953 | Toledo Sports Arena,Toledo, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 90 | Win | 81–8–1 | Rex Layne | UD | 10 | Apr 1, 1953 | Winterland Arena,San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 89 | Win | 80–8–1 | Tommy Harrison | TKO | 9 (10) | Feb 4, 1953 | Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 88 | Win | 79–8–1 | Wes Bascom | TKO | 9 (10),2:34 | Jan 14, 1953 | St. Louis Arena,St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 87 | Win | 78–8–1 | Frank Buford | TKO | 7 (10),2:13 | Dec 15, 1952 | Boston Garden,Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 86 | Win | 77–8–1 | Jimmy Bivins | UD | 10 | Nov 26, 1952 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 85 | Win | 76–8–1 | Cesar Brion | UD | 10 | Oct 24, 1952 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 84 | Win | 75–8–1 | Bernie Reynolds | KO | 2 (12),1:40 | Oct 8, 1952 | Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 83 | Loss | 74–8–1 | Rex Layne | PTS | 10 | Aug 8, 1952 | Ogden Stadium,Ogden, Utah, U.S. | |
| 82 | Loss | 74–7–1 | Jersey Joe Walcott | UD | 15 | Jun 5, 1952 | Philadelphia Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | For NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 81 | Win | 74–6–1 | Joe Kahut | KO | 8 (12),1:40 | Dec 12, 1951 | Pacific Livestock Pavilion,Portland, Oregon, U.S. | |
| 80 | Win | 73–6–1 | Joey Maxim | UD | 12 | Dec 12, 1951 | Cow Palace, Daly City, California, U.S. | |
| 79 | Win | 72–6–1 | Rex Layne | TKO | 11 (12) | Oct 10, 1951 | Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 78 | Loss | 71–6–1 | Jersey Joe Walcott | KO | 7 (15),0:55 | Jul 18, 1951 | Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Lost NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 77 | Win | 71–5–1 | Joey Maxim | UD | 15 | May 30, 1951 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Retained NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 76 | Win | 70–5–1 | Jersey Joe Walcott | UD | 15 | Mar 7, 1951 | Olympia Stadium,Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Retained NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 75 | Win | 69–5–1 | Lee Oma | TKO | 10 (15),1:19 | Jan 12, 1951 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Retained NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 74 | Win | 68–5–1 | Nick Barone | KO | 11 (15),2:06 | Dec 5, 1950 | Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | Retained NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 73 | Win | 67–5–1 | Joe Louis | UD | 15 | Sep 27, 1950 | Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S. | Retained NBA heavyweight title; Won vacantNYSAC andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 72 | Win | 66–5–1 | Freddie Beshore | TKO | 14 (15),2:53 | Aug 15, 1950 | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S. | Retained NBA heavyweight title |
| 71 | Win | 65–5–1 | Pat Valentino | KO | 8 (15),0:35 | Oct 14, 1949 | Cow Palace,Daly City, California, U.S. | Retained NBA heavyweight title |
| 70 | Win | 64–5–1 | Gus Lesnevich | RTD | 7 (15) | Aug 10, 1949 | Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S. | Retained NBA heavyweight title |
| 69 | Win | 63–5–1 | Jersey Joe Walcott | UD | 15 | Jun 22, 1949 | Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Won vacantNBA heavyweight title |
| 68 | Win | 62–5–1 | Joey Maxim | MD | 15 | Feb 28, 1949 | Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 67 | Win | 61–5–1 | Johnny Haynes | KO | 8 (10) | Feb 7, 1949 | Philadelphia Arena,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 66 | Win | 60–5–1 | Joe Baksi | TKO | 11 (15),2:33 | Dec 10, 1948 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 65 | Win | 59–5–1 | Walter Hafer | KO | 7 (10) | Nov 15, 1948 | Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 64 | Win | 58–5–1 | Jimmy Bivins | UD | 10 | Sep 13, 1948 | Griffith Stadium,Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
| 63 | Win | 57–5–1 | Erv Sarlin | UD | 10 | May 20, 1948 | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
| 62 | Win | 56–5–1 | Elmer Ray | KO | 9 (10),2:43 | May 7, 1948 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 61 | Win | 55–5–1 | Sam Baroudi | KO | 10 (10) | Feb 20, 1948 | Chicago Stadium,Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Baroudi died of injuries sustained in the fight.[29] |
| 60 | Win | 54–5–1 | Archie Moore | KO | 8 (15),2:40 | Jan 13, 1948 | Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 59 | Win | 53–5–1 | Fitzie Fitzpatrick | KO | 4 (12),1:34 | Dec 2, 1947 | Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 58 | Win | 52–5–1 | Teddy Randolph | UD | 10 | Nov 3, 1947 | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
| 57 | Win | 51–5–1 | Clarence Jones | KO | 1 (10),2:41 | Oct 27, 1947 | Radio Center Arena,Huntington, West Virginia, U.S. | |
| 56 | Win | 50–5–1 | Al Smith | TKO | 4 (10),1:11 | Oct 16, 1947 | Armory,Akron, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 55 | Win | 49–5–1 | Lloyd Marshall | KO | 2 (10),2:25 | Sep 29, 1947 | Crosley Field, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 54 | Win | 48–5–1 | Joe Matisi | UD | 10 | Sep 16, 1947 | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium,Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
| 53 | Loss | 47–5–1 | Elmer Ray | SD | 10 | Jul 25, 1947 | Madison Square Garden,New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 52 | Win | 47–4–1 | Fitzie Fitzpatrick | KO | 5 (10),2:43 | Jul 14, 1947 | Crosley Field, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 51 | Win | 46–4–1 | Archie Moore | MD | 10 | May 5, 1947 | Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 50 | Win | 45–4–1 | Erv Sarlin | UD | 10 | Apr 14, 1947 | Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 49 | Win | 44–4–1 | Jimmy Bivins | KO | 4 (10),1:17 | Mar 10, 1947 | Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 48 | Win | 43–4–1 | Oakland Billy Smith | KO | 5 (12),1:38 | Feb 17, 1947 | Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 47 | Win | 42–4–1 | Jimmy Bivins | UD | 10 | Nov 12, 1946 | Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 46 | Win | 41–4–1 | Oakland Billy Smith | UD | 10 | Sep 23, 1946 | Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 45 | Win | 40–4–1 | Lloyd Marshall | KO | 6 (10),0:57 | Jul 29, 1946 | Crosley Field, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 44 | Win | 39–4–1 | Shelton Bell | KO | 5 (10),2:24 | Jun 13, 1946 | Idora Park,Youngstown, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 43 | Win | 38–4–1 | Archie Moore | UD | 10 | May 20, 1946 | Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 42 | Win | 37–4–1 | Tommy Hubert | KO | 4 (10),1:49 | May 13, 1946 | Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 41 | Win | 36–4–1 | George Parks | TKO | 6 (10) | Apr 15, 1946 | Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 40 | Win | 35–4–1 | Billy Duncan | KO | 4 (10),1:27 | Apr 1, 1946 | Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 39 | Win | 34–4–1 | Tommy Hubert | UD | 10 | Mar 25, 1946 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 38 | Win | 33–4–1 | Al Sheridan | KO | 2 (10),2:57 | Feb 18, 1946 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 37 | Win | 32–4–1 | Al Barlow | PTS | 3 | Dec 16, 1944 | Brancaccio Theater, Esquilino, Rome, Italy | Won Inter-Alliedlight heavyweight title |
| 36 | Win | 31–4–1 | Stanley Goicz | PTS | 3 | Dec 13, 1944 | Brancaccio Theater,Esquilino,Rome, Italy | |
| 35 | Loss | 30–4–1 | Lloyd Marshall | TKO | 8 (10),0:25 | Mar 31, 1943 | Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 34 | Loss | 30–3–1 | Jimmy Bivins | UD | 10 | Jan 7, 1943 | Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 30–2–1 | Joey Maxim | UD | 10 | Dec 1, 1942 | Cleveland Arena,Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 32 | Win | 29–2–1 | Joey Maxim | UD | 10 | Oct 27, 1942 | Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 31 | Win | 28–2–1 | Mose Brown | KO | 6 (10),2:51 | Sep 15, 1942 | Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 27–2–1 | Jose Basora | KO | 5 (10),2:57 | Aug 17, 1942 | Hickey Park, Millvale, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 29 | Win | 26–2–1 | Booker Beckwith | KO | 9 (10),2:19 | Jul 27, 1942 | Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 25–2–1 | Steve Mamakos | KO | 1 (10),2:46 | Jul 14, 1942 | Crosley Field, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 27 | Win | 24–2–1 | Charley Burley | PTS | 10 | Jun 29, 1942 | Hickey Park,Millvale, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 26 | Win | 23–2–1 | Charley Burley | UD | 10 | May 25, 1942 | Forbes Field,Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 25 | Loss | 22–2–1 | Kid Tunero | SD | 10 | May 13, 1942 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 24 | Win | 22–1–1 | Billy Pryor | PTS | 10 | Apr 8, 1942 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 23 | Draw | 21–1–1 | Ken Overlin | MD | 10 | Mar 2, 1942 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 22 | Win | 21–1 | Anton Christoforidis | TKO | 3 (10),2:42 | Jan 12, 1942 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 20–1 | Teddy Yarosz | UD | 10 | Nov 17, 1941 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 19–1 | Pat Mangini | KO | 1 (10),2:50 | Oct 13, 1941 | Parkway Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 19 | Win | 18–1 | Al Gilbert | TKO | 5 (10),3:00 | Jul 21, 1941 | Parkway Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 18 | Loss | 17–1 | Ken Overlin | UD | 10 | Jun 9, 1941 | Crosley Field, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Rudy Kozole | PTS | 10 | May 12, 1941 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Joe Sutka | PTS | 10 | Mar 31, 1941 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Floyd Howard | KO | 7 (10) | Mar 10, 1941 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Slaka Cavrich | KO | 2 (10) | Feb 24, 1941 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Billy Bengal | UD | 10 | Feb 10, 1941 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Charley Jerome | KO | 3 (10) | Dec 2, 1940 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Marty Simmons | PTS | 10 | Oct 1, 1940 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Billy Hood | KO | 2 (10) | Sep 23, 1940 | Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | John Reeves | PTS | 4 | Aug 5, 1940 | Haft's Acre,Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Carl Turner | PTS | 6 | Jun 29, 1940 | Parkway Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Young Kid Ash | KO | 3 (6),1:20 | Jun 17, 1940 | Legion Hall,Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Frankie Williams | TKO | 5 (8),3:00 | Jun 13, 1940 | Parkway Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Charley Banks | KO | 1 (6),1:42 | Jun 3, 1940 | Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Charley Banks | PTS | 6 | May 20, 1940 | Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Remo Fernandez | PTS | 6 | Apr 3, 1940 | Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | John Reeves | PTS | 6 | Mar 27, 1940 | Cincinnati Music Hall,Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Melody Johnson | KO | 4 (4) | Mar 12, 1940 | Armory, Middletown, Ohio, U.S. |
| Sporting positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World boxing titles | ||||
| Vacant Title last held by Joe Louis | NBA heavyweight champion June 22, 1949 – July 18, 1951 | Succeeded by | ||
| NYSAC heavyweight champion September 27, 1950 – July 18, 1951 | ||||
| The Ring heavyweight champion September 27, 1950 – July 18, 1951 | ||||
| Undisputed heavyweight champion September 27, 1950 – July 18, 1951 | ||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
