About 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 world heavyweight champion from 1949 to 1951, and made eight successful title defenses in under two years. Charles eventually retired from a near two decade long career with a record of 95–25–1. Charles began boxing as an amateur and won the national Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) middleweight championship in 1939. During their encounter, Charles was dropped in the second round and suffered a unanimous decision defeat, marking the first loss of his professional career. Although he never won the Light Heavyweight title, The Ring has rated him as the greatest light heavyweight of all time.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.