Ezzard Charles


Ezzard Mack Charles, 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 fighters pound for pound, having defeated numerous Hall of Fame fighters in three different weight classes. Charles was the List of world [heavyweight boxing champions|world 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 the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class of 1990.

Career

Charles was born in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. Charles graduated from Woodward High School in Cincinnati where he was already becoming a well-known fighter. Known as "the Cincinnati Cobra", Charles fought many notable opponents in the middleweight, 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.

Career beginnings and military service

Charles started his career as a featherweight in the amateurs, where he had a near perfect record. In 1938, he won the Diamond Belt Middleweight Championship. He followed this up in 1939 by winning the Chicago 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 former NYSAC middleweight champion Ken Overlin. Victories over future Hall of Famers Teddy Yarosz and the heavily avoided Charley Burley had started to solidify Charles as a top contender in the middleweight division, however, during World War II, Charles served in the U.S. military, which would eventually bring his career to a halt.

Return

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 including Archie Moore, Jimmy Bivins, Joey Maxim and Lloyd Marshall. The hard hitting Elmer 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 named Sam 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.

World heavyweight champion

Despite being the top contender for the light heavyweight title held by Gus Lesnevich, Charles was unable to secure a title shot and decided to move up to heavyweight. After knocking out Joe Baksi and Johnny Haynes, Charles won the recently vacated National Boxing Association world heavyweight title when he outpointed top heavyweight contender Jersey Joe Walcott over 15 rounds on June 22, 1949.
Charles made three title defenses, all ending in knockout, before facing his idol and former heavyweight champion, Joe Louis, on September 27, 1950. Louis was quickly forced out of retirement due to troubles with the IRS, and at this stage in his career proved no match for the younger Charles, who dominated the fight and won a wide unanimous decision. Charles was now recognized as both the undisputed and Lineal world heavyweight champion.
For these achievements in such a short span of time, Charles was named Fighter of the Year twice consecutively in 1949 and 1950. Four more successful title defenses would follow against Nick Barone, Walcott, Lee Oma, and the new light heavyweight champion Joey Maxim.

Charles vs. Marciano

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 major upset, 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 over Rex Layne, Tommy Harrison and Coley Wallace, Charles scored a second-round knockout over Bob 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 the first bout, held in Yankee Stadium on June 17, 1954, he valiantly took Marciano the 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 September rematch, 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 awarded The Ring’s 1954 Fight of the Year.

Later career

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 contenders Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson, Harry Matthews and heavyweight champion of Mexico, Alfredo Zuany. He was also disqualified during a fight against Dick Richardson, who later became the European 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.

Fighting Style

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

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. Charles was also well known for his use of the shoulder roll. James Toney credits Charles as the inspiration for his variation of the shoulder roll. 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 is alleged to have become less aggressive and more cautious, although this theory is hotly debated.
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 to triumph against the tough light-heavyweights and heavyweights of the talent-rich 1940s.

Personal life

Charles was married to Gladys Charles, the couple had three children, Ezzard Junior, Deborah and Leith. Charles was an avid fan of jazz and played a variety of instruments throughout his life. He also spoke fluent Italian, and even held a short conversation with Rocky Marciano in Italian during a televised interview shortly before their first fight. After his title fights, Charles became very close with Rocky Marciano and later was a neighbor and friend of Muhammad Ali when they both lived on 85th Street in Chicago. Charles also starred in one motion picture: Mau Mau Drums, an independent jungle-adventure film shot in and around Cincinnati in 1960 by filmmaker Earl Schwieterman.

Death

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 1973 commercial showed Charles in his wheelchair disabled by ALS. Charles died on May 28, 1975, in Chicago. He was buried at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois.

Legacy

Charles was The 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.
In 2002, Charles was ranked No. 13 on The Ring magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years.
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."
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.
In 2007, prominent boxing historian Bert Sugar listed Charles as the seventh greatest Heavyweight of all time.
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.
In 2019, Ezzard Charles was named the 13th greatest pound for pound fighter of all time by the IBRO.
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 on The Ring magazine's list of the 100 Best Fighters in the history of The Ring magazine's rankings.
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.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
121LossAlvin GreenUD10Sep 1, 1959Municipal Auditorium, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
120Loss95–24–1George LoganKO8, 1:50Jul 30, 1959Fairgrounds Arena, Boise, Idaho, U.S.
119Win95–23–1Dave AshleyTKO9 Jul 3, 1959Lincoln Heights High School, Lincoln Heights, California, U.S.
118Loss94–23–1Donnie FleemanKO6, 2:13Oct 27, 1958Dallas Memorial Auditorium, Dallas, Texas, U.S.
117Loss94–22–1Alfredo ZuanyUD10Sep 30, 1958Plaza de Toros, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
116Win94–21–1Johnny HarperUD10Aug 28, 1958East-West Stadium, Fairmont, West Virginia, U.S.
115Loss93–21–1Dick Richardson2 Oct 2, 1956Harringay Arena, London, England
114Loss93–20–1Harry MatthewsUD10Aug 31, 1956Sick's Stadium, Seattle, Washington, U.S.
113Loss93–19–1Pat McMurtryUD10Jul 13, 1956Lincoln Bowl, Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
112Win93–18–1Bob AlbrightRTD6 Jun 19, 1956Softball Park, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
111Loss92–18–1Wayne BetheaUD10May 21, 1956St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, New York, U.S.
110Win92–17–1Don JasperTKO9, 2:46Apr 21, 1956Windsor Arena, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
109Loss91–17–1Young Jack JohnsonTKO6 Dec 29, 1955Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
108Win91–16–1Bob AlbrightSD10Dec 22, 1955Cow Palace, Daly City, California, U.S.
107Win90–16–1Toxie HallUD10Dec 6, 1955Rochester War Memorial Auditorium, Rochester, New York, U.S.
106Loss89–16–1Toxie HallSD10Nov 14, 1955Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
105Loss89–15–1Tommy JacksonUD10Aug 31, 1955Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
104Loss89–14–1Tommy JacksonUD10Aug 3, 1955War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
103Win89–13–1Paul AndrewsSD10Jul 13, 1955Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
102Win88–13–1John HolmanUD10Jun 8, 1955Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
101Loss87–13–1John HolmanTKO9, 2:48Apr 27, 1955Miami Beach Exhibition Hall, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
100Win87–12–1Vern EscoeKO3, 2:15Apr 11, 1955Edmonton Gardens, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
99Win86–12–1Charley NorkusUD10Feb 18, 1955Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
98Loss85–12–1Rocky MarcianoKO8, 2:36Sep 17, 1954Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S.For NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles
97Loss85–11–1Rocky MarcianoUD15Jun 17, 1954Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S.For NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles
96Win85–10–1Bob SatterfieldKO2 Jan 13, 1954Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
95Win84–10–1Coley WallaceKO10, 2:43Dec 16, 1953San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California, U.S.
94Loss83–10–1Harold JohnsonSD10Sep 8, 1953Connie Mack Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
93Loss83–9–1Niño ValdésUD10Aug 11, 1953Miami Beach Exhibition Hall, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
92Win83–8–1Larry WatsonKO5, 2:50May 26, 1953Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
91Win82–8–1Billy GilliamUD10May 12, 1953Toledo Sports Arena, Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
90Win81–8–1Rex LayneUD10Apr 1, 1953Winterland Arena, San Francisco, California, U.S.
89Win80–8–1Tommy HarrisonTKO9 Feb 4, 1953Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
88Win79–8–1Wes BascomTKO9, 2:34Jan 14, 1953St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
87Win78–8–1Frank BufordTKO7, 2:13Dec 15, 1952Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
86Win77–8–1Jimmy BivinsUD10Nov 26, 1952Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
85Win76–8–1Cesar BrionUD10Oct 24, 1952Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
84Win75–8–1Bernie ReynoldsKO2, 1:40Oct 8, 1952Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
83Loss74–8–1Rex LaynePTS10Aug 8, 1952Ogden Stadium, Ogden, Utah, U.S.
82Loss74–7–1Jersey Joe WalcottUD15Jun 5, 1952Philadelphia Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.For NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles
81Win74–6–1Joe KahutKO8, 1:40Dec 12, 1951Pacific Livestock Pavilion, Portland, Oregon, U.S.
80Win73–6–1Joey MaximUD12Dec 12, 1951Cow Palace, Daly City, California, U.S.
79Win72–6–1Rex LayneTKO11 Oct 10, 1951Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
78Loss71–6–1Jersey Joe WalcottKO7, 0:55Jul 18, 1951Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.Lost NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles
77Win71–5–1Joey MaximUD15May 30, 1951Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles
76Win70–5–1Jersey Joe WalcottUD15Mar 7, 1951Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles
75Win69–5–1Lee OmaTKO10, 1:19Jan 12, 1951Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles
74Win68–5–1Nick BaroneKO11, 2:06Dec 5, 1950Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles
73Win67–5–1Joe LouisUD15Sep 27, 1950Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S.Retained NBA heavyweight title;
Won vacant NYSAC and The Ring heavyweight titles
72Win66–5–1Freddie BeshoreTKO14, 2:53Aug 15, 1950Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.Retained NBA heavyweight title
71Win65–5–1Pat ValentinoKO8, 0:35Oct 14, 1949Cow Palace, Daly City, California, U.S.Retained NBA heavyweight title
70Win64–5–1Gus Lesnevich7 Aug 10, 1949Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S.Retained NBA heavyweight title
69Win63–5–1Jersey Joe WalcottUD15Jun 22, 1949Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.Won vacant NBA heavyweight title
68Win62–5–1Joey MaximMD15Feb 28, 1949Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
67Win61–5–1Johnny HaynesKO8 Feb 7, 1949Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
66Win60–5–1Joe BaksiTKO11, 2:33Dec 10, 1948Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
65Win59–5–1Walter HaferKO7 Nov 15, 1948Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
64Win58–5–1Jimmy BivinsUD10Sep 13, 1948Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C., U.S.
63Win57–5–1Erv SarlinUD10May 20, 1948Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
62Win56–5–1Elmer RayKO9, 2:43May 7, 1948Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
61Win55–5–1Sam BaroudiKO10 Feb 20, 1948Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.Baroudi died of injuries sustained in the fight.
60Win54–5–1Archie MooreKO8, 2:40Jan 13, 1948Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
59Win53–5–1Fitzie FitzpatrickKO4, 1:34Dec 2, 1947Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
58Win52–5–1Teddy RandolphUD10Nov 3, 1947Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
57Win51–5–1Clarence JonesKO1, 2:41Oct 27, 1947Radio Center Arena, Huntington, West Virginia, U.S.
56Win50–5–1Al SmithTKO4, 1:11Oct 16, 1947Armory, Akron, Ohio, U.S.
55Win49–5–1Lloyd MarshallKO2, 2:25Sep 29, 1947Crosley Field, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
54Win48–5–1Joe MatisiUD10Sep 16, 1947Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
53Loss47–5–1Elmer Ray10Jul 25, 1947Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
52Win47–4–1Fitzie FitzpatrickKO5, 2:43Jul 14, 1947Crosley Field, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
51Win46–4–1Archie MooreMD10May 5, 1947Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
50Win45–4–1Erv SarlinUD10Apr 14, 1947Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
49Win44–4–1Jimmy BivinsKO4, 1:17Mar 10, 1947Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
48Win43–4–1Oakland Billy SmithKO5, 1:38Feb 17, 1947Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
47Win42–4–1Jimmy BivinsUD10Nov 12, 1946Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
46Win41–4–1Oakland Billy SmithUD10Sep 23, 1946Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
45Win40–4–1Lloyd MarshallKO6, 0:57Jul 29, 1946Crosley Field, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
44Win39–4–1Shelton BellKO5, 2:24Jun 13, 1946Idora Park, Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
43Win38–4–1Archie MooreUD10May 20, 1946Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
42Win37–4–1Tommy HubertKO4, 1:49May 13, 1946Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
41Win36–4–1George ParksTKO6 Apr 15, 1946Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
40Win35–4–1Billy DuncanKO4, 1:27Apr 1, 1946Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
39Win34–4–1Tommy HubertUD10Mar 25, 1946Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
38Win33–4–1Al SheridanKO2, 2:57Feb 18, 1946Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
37Win32–4–1Al BarlowPTS3Dec 16, 1944Brancaccio Theater, Esquilino, Rome, ItalyWon Inter-Allied light heavyweight title
36Win31–4–1Stanley GoiczPTS3Dec 13, 1944Brancaccio Theater, Esquilino, Rome, Italy
35Loss30–4–1Lloyd MarshallTKO8, 0:25Mar 31, 1943Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
34Loss30–3–1Jimmy BivinsUD10Jan 7, 1943Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
33Win30–2–1Joey MaximUD10Dec 1, 1942Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
32Win29–2–1Joey MaximUD10Oct 27, 1942Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
31Win28–2–1Mose BrownKO6, 2:51Sep 15, 1942Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
30Win27–2–1Jose BasoraKO5, 2:57Aug 17, 1942Hickey Park, Millvale, Pennsylvania, U.S.
29Win26–2–1Booker BeckwithKO9, 2:19Jul 27, 1942Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
28Win25–2–1Steve MamakosKO1, 2:46Jul 14, 1942Crosley Field, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
27Win24–2–1Charley BurleyPTS10Jun 29, 1942Hickey Park, Millvale, Pennsylvania, U.S.
26Win23–2–1Charley BurleyUD10May 25, 1942Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
25Loss22–2–1Kid TuneroSD10May 13, 1942Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
24Win22–1–1Billy PryorPTS10Apr 8, 1942Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
23Draw21–1–1Ken Overlin10Mar 2, 1942Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
22Win21–1Anton ChristoforidisTKO3, 2:42Jan 12, 1942Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
21Win20–1Teddy YaroszUD10Nov 17, 1941Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
20Win19–1Pat ManginiKO1, 2:50Oct 13, 1941Parkway Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
19Win18–1Al GilbertTKO5, 3:00Jul 21, 1941Parkway Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
18Loss17–1Ken OverlinUD10Jun 9, 1941Crosley Field, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
17Win17–0Rudy KozolePTS10May 12, 1941Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
16Win16–0Joe SutkaPTS10Mar 31, 1941Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
15Win15–0Floyd HowardKO7 Mar 10, 1941Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
14Win14–0Slaka CavrichKO2 Feb 24, 1941Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
13Win13–0Billy Bengal10Feb 10, 1941Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
12Win12–0Charley JeromeKO3 Dec 2, 1940Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
11Win11–0Marty SimmonsPTS10Oct 1, 1940Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
10Win10–0Billy HoodKO2 Sep 23, 1940Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
9Win9–0John ReevesPTS4Aug 5, 1940Haft's Acre, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
8Win8–0Carl TurnerPTS6Jun 29, 1940Parkway Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
7Win7–0Young Kid AshKO3, 1:20Jun 17, 1940Legion Hall, Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S.
6Win6–0Frankie Williams5, 3:00Jun 13, 1940Parkway Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
5Win5–0Charley BanksKO1, 1:42Jun 3, 1940Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
4Win4–0Charley BanksPTS6May 20, 1940Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
3Win3–0Remo FernandezPTS6Apr 3, 1940Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
2Win2–0John Reeves6Mar 27, 1940Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
1Win1–0Melody Johnson4 Mar 12, 1940Armory, Middletown, Ohio, U.S.

Titles in boxing

Major world titles

''The Ring'' magazine titles

Regional/International titles

Undisputed titles