Top 30 Greatest Boxers of All Time (The Ultimate List cont. 21-30)

The 3rd installment, the boxers on this all time list were chosen for their respective boxing records, boxing ability and talent, popularity, competition they faced, showmanship, and cultural significance in their era. The true greatest boxers of all time should represent a blend of all those attributes as you’ll find in the selections below. Here is the selections 21 to 30. Selections 1-20 can be found on the links below.

(No active boxers compiled)

Record: Wins 261 (48 KO) Lost 19 Draws 18 (261-19-18)

Boxing Era: 1913-1926

Division: Middleweight

Harry Greb’s boxing career was astounding and he defeated nearly 20 world champions. Unlike many boxers who become champs today, Greb fought several other world champions who dominated the sport when the belts and divisions were more consolidated, and won. He was a fighter’s fighter, had an exemplary career, and was highly respected by all boxing analysts and historians as one of the best to ever climb in the ring.

In his day, Harry Greb was a living boxing legend who perfectly encapsulates an era when fighters used to fight. He had an iron chin, kept a blistering fast pace and assaulted his competition with constant pressure and brutality. Greb was acclaimed very highly during this era and his viscous, brutal and wild boxing style entertained and appealed to the boxing fans of his day. He took on all sizes, was known to fight dirty, aggressively and ferociously and the people loved it.

One of Harry Greb’s most notable and impressive wins was his first fight against the almost unbeatable master technician, and future Hall of Fame heavyweight Champ Gene Tunney. No one else was ever able to beat Gene Tunney again, not even Jack Dempsey or Greb himself in his rematches. Another notable win was from fellow all-time great, and easily one of the best pound for pound fighters of all time, Mickey Walker.

Mickey Walker and Greb had an unofficial “rematch” in a nightclub sometime after their fight where Greb is rumored to have easily knocked him out, though reports conflict.

Fighters don’t seem to come like Harry Greb anymore. He was a fearless bonafide tough guy not afraid to fight anyone, even with physical ailments and vision complications. Fighters back then came to fight and things often got nasty, mostly from his end. Greb fought elite level contenders who outweighed him by up to 80 pounds, and he usually came out ruffled but victorious. Many times throughout boxing history, many analysts considered Harry Greb to be the greatest boxer of all time.

Record: Wins 178 (128 KO) Lost 32 Draws 40 (178-32-40)

Boxing Era: 1899-1926

Division: Lightweight/Welterweight/Middleweight/Heavyweight

Sam Langford was perhaps the most avoided and ducked man in boxing. He was smaller in height but still eventually fought much bigger men in heavier divisions at only 5’6 1/2”. Langford packed a powerful punch, impressive boxing skill and everyone feared him. Because of racial issues and fear, fighters ducked him all career long. Consequently, he wasn’t offered the title shots he deserved.

Langford was so stunning; he fought lightweights all the way up to heavyweights, and knocked many of them out clean. He’s still known as the greatest fighter to never win a world title, despite beating the legendary Joe Gans and Joe Walcott and several other people who have won world championships. When Langford beat Joe Gans, it wasn’t a title fight so Gans was able to keep his lightweight world title. When he fought Walcott, even though he clearly won and dropped Walcott to a knee as his face bled, they still strangely ruled it a draw and Walcott kept his Welterweight title. All the other world champions he defeated either agreed to fight him as a non-title match, or they lost or vacated their titles before they fought him and lost. Sam Langford was one of the fiercest boxing talents around and a threat to several weight classes, but always seemed to get the short end of the stick.

Langford spent most of his career as middleweight, and fought near 165 pounds which was his best weight, and eventually moved up to heavyweight weighing in the 180’s. When Langford grew in size and popularity, he was too good and was ducked by everyone, including Middleweight Champ Stanley Ketchel, and Heavyweight Champ Jack Johnson who won years prior by decision but wouldn’t give him a rematch. Heavyweight champ Jack Dempsey (who along with Johnson appears earlier on this list) said it best when he said, "The hell I feared no man. There was one man I wouldn't fight because I knew he would flatten me. I was afraid of Sam Langford."

Middleweight champion Stanley Ketchel finally did agree to a 6 round non-title fight and Langford easily tossed Ketchel a beating. Langford also fought Light heavyweight champ Jack O’Brien and easily knocked him out in 5 rounds. Langford also beat Tiger Flowers, the man who beat Harry Greb 2 times and forced Greb to consider retirement. Partially blind at this point in his career, Langford knocked Tiger Flowers out clean by the 2^nd round. Go figure, Tiger Flowers went on to be World Middleweight Champion very shortly afterward. Langford eventually had to retire having gone completely blind and without a world title.

Perhaps one of the most memorable and sensational moments in Langford’s career is when sports writer Beany Walker wrote that “white hope” Fireman Jim Flynn would defeat Langford in their rematch and sat in the front row. As Langford battered away on Flynn, he called out to the journalist, "Hey, Mr. Walker! Here comes your champion", then knocked Flynn clean out of the ring directly onto Beany Walker's lap. True story and ‘nuff said. Ducked his entire career and denied his shot at supremacy, Sam Langford is still without a doubt one of the greatest of all time.

Record: Won 137 (100 KO) Lost 4 Draws 2 no-decisions 8 (137-4-2)

Boxing Era: 1910-1923

Division: Flyweight

Jimmy Wilde is a legendary Welsh boxing champion referred to by many as “the greatest flyweight ever”. He also has the distinction of being the very 1^st Flyweight champion of the world, and is considered to be the pound for pound greatest puncher of all time.

Jimmy Wilde was tough kid. He worked with his father as a coal miner and became a special asset down in the coal pits, able to climb and crawl where others couldn’t. In addition to his coal mining assets, his gift for boxing became apparent when he started boxing at the boxing fairground booths as a teen. People would watch in awe, completely blown away by his ability to knock down local tough men weighing close to 200lbs.

Wilde began his career remarkably going undefeated in 103 fights. He eventually suffered his first loss to Tancy Lee who had the European title. After his first loss however, he regrouped into another 16 fight win streak in which he eventually captured the British flyweight title by beating Joe Symonds. Jimmy Wilde's star began to shine brighter.

On May 13, 1916 at the Woolwich Dockyard, Jimmy Wilde did what would be absolutely unthinkable today: Jimmy Wilde scheduled 2 fights in the same day, and won them both by knock out. Wilde eclipsed both Darkey Saunders and Joe Magnus in less than 5 rounds each.

Wilde’s momentum in the sport was full speed in motion when he got his revenge on Tancy Lee knocking him out by round 11. And then after defeating Young Zulu Kid of the United States by TKO, Jimmy Wilde became the first Flyweight Champion of the world.

Jimmy Wilde finally retired after a loss to another who made boxing history, The first world champion from the Philippines, Pancho Villa.

Jimmy Wilde is one of boxing's best punchers and has one of the best knock out records of all time. Without a doubt an all-time great, Jimmy Wilde is part of the inaugural class of the International Boxing Hall of Fame along with Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong and Harry Greb.

Record: Won 145 (KO) 100 Lost 10 Draw 16 (145-10-16)

Boxing Era: 1891-1909

Division: Lightweight

Joe Gans, who's real name is Joseph Gant but kept his name Gans after a press mistake, is the first Black American to win a world championship title when he took the world lightweight belt by stunning 1^st round knockout in 1902 from Frankie Erne. He also has the distinction of winning the longest boxing match in history, defeating Battling Nelson in 42 rounds. Known as “The Old Master”, many view Gans as the greatest lightweight in history. Boxing Historian and Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer called Gans the closest thing to a superman that the lightweight division had ever seen.

In the early 1900’s, boxing began to soar as the number 1 sport in the country. As boxing began to explode in popularity, the sport began to produce many super star icons, and Joe Gans was clearly one of them. Boxing was a thrill back then as it was gutsy and full of men who would hang it all in the ring. Impressively, Joe Gans even fought 3 fights in 1 night.

Because of the Jim Crow race problems of the day, Gans had many hurdles and obstructions. He was clearly the best, but had to throw fights and take a dive many times. Even though he was forced to take a dive in his fight against world champ and Hall of Fame boxer Terry McGovern, they blamed him for it directly and banned boxing in Chicago for 25 years. People desperately tried to get Gans banned from the sport because people didn’t want blacks to become champions.

Gans was too good and much better than the rest, so he had to watch himself. When Gans started to coast through impressive victories, even swatting down boxing star Frankie Erne by incredible one punch knockout to become lightweight champion, it confirmed suspicions that he was previously throwing fights with lesser threats by order of his manager. Eventually, he came into his own respect and flourished.

Gans became the headliner at what was the very first “Fight of the Century”, before Jack Dempsey’s million dollar fights, or Jack Johnson’s fight with James Jeffries. With the purse at $30,000 and 8,000 people in attendance, it was the biggest fight in boxing history at the time. The ring announcers read a telegram from Joe Gans’ foster mom that read: “Joe, the eyes of the world are upon you, you bring back the bacon.” The press seized the saying and from then on, the phrase “bring home the bacon” became ingrained in our normal discourse. Gans did bring home the bacon and won the grueling fight in the hot Nevada sun in the 42nd round, but became sick afterward from the weight loss.

Gans eventually bought a hotel which was the precursor to the famed jazz club “The Cotton Club”. Joe Gans' establishment produced many legendary jazz greats. However unfortunately, Joe Gans (Gant) would die young at 35 from complications from Tuberculosis that he never recovered from.

In his day, Joe Gans was ahead of the curve. He had a boxing skill and a boxing intelligence that was unprecedented. He even spawned a generation of fakes, other boxers billing themselves as "Joe Gans". Appropriately called “The Old Master”, he elevated the craft and heightened the skillful, scientific aspect of the sport. In a time we're tough guys used to climb in the ring and brawl to the death, Joe Gans beautifully manifested his skills as an art form. A lot of the moves and strategies that he originated would be taught to countless boxers in future generations.

Record: 62 (52 KO) Wins Lost 3 Draws 2 (62-3-2)

Boxing Era: 1973-1987

Division: Middleweight

Marvelous Marvin Hagler is loved by all boxing fans. He was a beast who swallowed up competition, and is known as the middleweight with the highest knock out percentage. In a best of 3 against the best middleweights in the world for all time, this man would probably come out victorious and win by knock out. "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler is also the winner of what's viewed as the most exciting fight in living boxing history.

Hagler rose into dominance the hard way. He had to demand his respect by taking on all comers and travelling where he needed to go, to fight whoever. In fact, he remained feared as the number 1 contender for years before anyone gave him a break. Initially before the fight with Sugar Ray Leonard, Hagler only had 2 losses because he lost both by decision under questionable circumstances. In both of those fights, he ended up losing by decision because he had to fight each of them in their home towns and things leaned their way. However, he eventually avenged both of those losses by knocking them both out clean.

Always fighting for his respect, Marvin Hagler legally changed his name to "Marvelous" Hagler because he felt boxing experts and commentators always avoided calling him by his moniker.

Hagler finally earned a title shot with Vito Antuofermo for the WBC and WBA Middleweight titles. After beating him up, and after popular referee Mills Lane congratulated him while holding his hand about to raise it, the judges shocked the crowd by somehow ruling it a draw. Robbed yet again, there wouldn’t be much more of leaving fights to decision or draws for Hagler. A KO hunting beast was unleashed. For the rest of his career with the, exception of Leonard, Hagler wouldn’t lose again and would finish most brawls by powerful knock out.

Marvin Hagler finally got a title shot with the man who beat Vito Antuofermo, Alan Minter. Like some idiotic relic of the past, Minter unnecessarily declared that “no black man would ever take his title”. In response, Hagler knocked him out in 3 rounds. A ruckus in the crowd ensued and Hagler and his people had to be rushed out. Regardless, Marvin Hagler walked away the new champion. In his rematch with former champ Vito Antuofermo with whom they ruled it a draw in the 1^st fight, this time Hagler knocked him out clean by round 4. Hagler was through playing games with judges and favoritism , and knocked out almost all the rest of his contenders in which he garnered and retained The Ring, WBC, WBA & IBF Middleweight titles.

With his brawling warrior style and his impressive KO tract record, Hagler became a fan favorite.

Defending his title as the undisputed champion longer than most, Hagler began to make boxing history and is most known for his battles with 3 Hall of Fame boxing legends; Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and Sugar Ray Leonard.

In his fight with the great Roberto Duran, Duran became one of the only fighters to go the distance with Hagler, but Hagler won by unanimous decision.

His battle with the legendary Thomas Hearns is one of the greatest, brutal and most talked about fights in boxing history. That fight was known as “The War”, and the first round is viewed as the best first round in boxing history. Both fighters faced off in front of each other trading vicious blows as the crowd was on its feet. Covered in blood, Hagler was eventually victorious winning by knock out in round 3.

The Leonard, Hagler battle went both ways many times. And at many times, Leonard was uncharacteristically taking a beating. However, Leonard the consummate boxer weathered the storm and was able to outshine Hagler with pretty combinations and fast flurries and won by split decision. That was Hagler’s 1^st lost in over ten years. After the Leonard fight, Hagler decided to call it quits.

Hagler could've easily been an undefeated fighter and banged it out with 3 other Hall of Fame legends in a few of the most famous fights in boxing. In addition to the highest KO percentage, Hagler had one of the longest reigns as undisputed middleweight champion, 2^nd to only Tony Zale. Several boxing organizations rank Hagler in the top ten of the greatest middleweight fighters of all time.

Hagler is currently exploring his other talents starring in movies in the acting scene.

Record: Won 106 (61 KOs) Lost 4 (106-4-1)

Boxing Era: 1934-1949

Division: Middleweight

Marcel Cerdan is highly regarded as the greatest and most popular fighter France has ever produced. He migrated to France from French Algeria, and all of his only four losses were all circumstantial or questionable. One of those losses was famously a loss to Jake LaMotta by decision after he dislocated his shoulder and couldn’t continue.

Cerdan’s career was full of outstanding win streaks, in one of which he won the Inter-Allied Championship during WWII.

Cerdan kept rolling through competition and won the French Welterweight title disposing of Assane Douf by 3^rd round knock out. He also soon took the European title by beating Léon Foquet by definitive first round knockout. With the French and Europe titles in the bag, and outstanding defenses and win streaks, Cerdan was clearly a star in the sport and one of the kings out front in the division.

Cerdan came to the states and moved up in weight to fight American Champ Tony Zale for the middleweight world title and finished him off in round 12. Cerdan was on top of the boxing food chain, and comfortably the Middleweight Champion of the world. In a sport dominated by great fighters from the west, Cerdan became a dynamo who brought it home for France.

Cerdan was hugely popular in France and North Africa. He was also having a much publicized affair with French singer Édith Piaf, despite already having a wife and 3 children. Regardless, Cerdan was well known and respected as a boxing great, the best the country had seen, and lived his life in the Parisian limelight.

Unfortunately Cerdan’s world championship reign, and his life wouldn’t last very long. In his first title defense against Jake LaMotta, Cerdan hit the floor in the 1^st round and dislocated his shoulder. With clearly something wrong, Cerdan’s corner eventually had to throw in the towel by round ten and Lamotta walked away with the championship.

A rematch to regain his title was scheduled but Cerdan never made it. He died in a plane crash on route to his mistress’ performance.

The pride of France, Marcel Cerdan has been immortalized in plays and film.

Record: Won 87 (KO 59) Lost 3 Draw 9 (87-3-9)

Boxing Era: 1963-1977

Division: Middleweight

Carlos Monzon is an Argentine boxer whose illustrious career is filled with stellar boxing accolades, drama, and tragedy.

Carlos Monzon has one of the longest and impressive win streaks in the modern era of boxing. At first Monzon’s boxing style didn’t seem to be too impressive, losing 3 of his 1^st 20 fights on points, but began to pick up momentum and manifested bullying punching power. He eventually catapulted himself on the map as a top contender in the world rankings, and steamrolled through the field going undefeated in over 60 fights.

From having a lackluster style and no one really knowing who he was, to being a top world contender, Monzon was offered a title fight with acclaimed and decorated boxing world champion, Nino Benvenuti. No one thought he would win, but Monzon applied the necessary pressure in a tenacious battle and was victorious in becoming the new middleweight world champ. That fight was Ring Magazine’s “Fight of the Year” for 1970. In the rematch, Monzon finished off Benvenuti even earlier than the 1^st time continuing to build off his fast growing momentum.

It became obvious that Carlos Monzon winning the Middleweight Championship was no fluke. Monzon defeated 3 time world champion Emile Griffith which was a major feather in his cap and a test of his true greatness. In their second face off, Monzon had to run 3 miles and spar before the fight to make weight, then came out and beat him once again. Becoming champ and continuously defending it against great fighters like Griffith, European champ Tom Bogs, and Mexican José Nápoles launched Monzon into a new stratosphere of respect. While fighting top contenders and winning many of them by early round knockout, Monzon defended his title an astounding number of times and never lost a fight again and did it as champion.

Monzon’s career soared, and with it came the money, fame and the prestige. Carlos became a living boxing legend, an actor who starred in several Argentine and Italian films, and only associated with the elite. He was international superstar and Argentina loved him.

A midst his stardom, Carlos Monzon’s inner demons surfaced at times and he was known to viciously beat up paparazzi and his mistresses. He was even once shot by one the women in his life that was downplayed as an accident. Monzon became full of himself, partied with socialites and models, and became known for his very abusive domestic violence that went public.

Monzon may very well have had a big problem, and was eventually sentenced to 11 years in prison for the death of one of his mistresses in 1989. In 1995 he was given a weekend furlough and died in a car crash.

Many boxing sources rank Carlos Monzon as the 3rd best middleweight of all time behind Sugar Ray Robinson and Marvin Hagler.

Record: Won 94 (KO 60) Lost 18 Draws 4 (94-18-4)

Division: Welterweight

Boxing Era: 1919-1935

Mickey Walker is a boxing legend whose name is always thrown in the hat when considering the top ten middleweights of all time. Walker was both Welterweight and Middleweight champion, and also fought competitively as light heavyweight.

His legacy is impeccable. Mickey Walker routinely beat fighters who outweighed him by 20 pounds, his reign as champion lasted for 9 years, and he defeated 5 other Hall of Fame fighters. He also only lost twice in his first 40 fights.

In an era of true tough guys, legend has it that Mickey Walker fought the whole Notre dame football team one drunken night and won. Legend also has it that after he lost to Harry Greb in a vicious legendary fight in the ring, he sucker punched him later in a bar that night. There are differing reports as to what the outcome was.

As an unknown kid who just started boxing, Mickey Walker took well known reigning welterweight champ Jack Britton the entire distance and the fight was ruled a “No Contest”. When his prestige in the boxing world began to grow, he was able to land fights with the best contenders and knocked them out, landing him a rematch and title fight with Jack Britton, and this time at 21 years old, he won.

Walker was a brave and gritty brawler. He fought with little technique or conditioning, but his fighter’s heart took him far in the sport and he excelled as one of the greats.

Nowadays, in an era in which fighters are heralded for moving up in weight divisions, it’s all been done before and more impressively. Mickey Walker is the first welterweight champion to fight as a successful and serious contender in the heavyweight division.

Mickey Walker became Welterweight Champion of the World, and Middleweight Champion of the World and banged it out with the best contenders in the sport all career long and defended his titles against other champions, top contenders and future Hall of Famers.

He gave up his dream of adding the Heavy Championship to his collection after a beating from Max Schmelling seemed to effect his fighting ability hence forward, and he began to lose a few fights to people who he probably could’ve beaten.

Walker eventually lost most of his money due to his wild life style, but reemerged years later as a golfer and a successful artist. His work was displayed in various prestigious venues in New York City.

Mickey Walker has the huge honor and distinction of being one of the very first inductees into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Record: Won 61 (KO 48)-Lost 5 (KO 4)-Draw 1 (61-5-1)

Boxing Era: 1977-2006

Division: Welterweight/Super Welterweight/ Middleweight/Super Middleweight/Light-Heavyweight/Cruiserweight

Thomas “The Hit Man” Hearns is a boxing legend most remembered for his fights with 3 Hall of Fame Legends: Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, and Roberto Duran. He also had an astounding career full of first of all time achievements. Hearns won an incredible 6 world titles in 5 weight classes and he won his first 17 straight fights all by knockout.

Thomas Hearns stormed through the field at 32-0 and as WBA Champion, Hearns’ first career loss came in a legendary battle with the great Sugar ray Leonard in an attempt to unify the belts. Leonard was down on all score cards and needed a knockout to win, so that’s exactly what he did. Leonard dug deep and assaulted Hearns in the 13^th round and left Hearns dazed and saved by the bell. Hearns was rubbery and out of gas, and Leonard who smelled blood at this point continued his attack and finished the job in the 14^th round. His rematch with Leonard years later would be a draw.

Thomas Hearns rose from the Leonard defeat to his pinnacle stage. He beat acclaimed world champion Wilfred Benítez and became the WBC Super Welterweight Champion of the World. On an impressive roll, he defended the title against European Champion Luigi Minchillo, and defended it again against the great Roberto Duran in a stunning 2^nd round knock out. He became the only man ever to knock Duran out making him the Ring Magazine “Fighter of the Year for the 2^nd time. Hearns was Fighter of the Year in both 1980 and 1984.

The bold Hearns moved up to middleweight and took on “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler in a fight that would forever be looked at as the greatest 3 rounds in boxing history. The 2 warriors traded blows from start to finish, but something had to give. Hearns delivered a crushing blow to Hagler that split his face open and had him bleeding profusely, but unfortunately broke his hand and had to employ more boxing and less slugging it out. Regardless, the fight remained tough and fast paced, and Hearns was eventually knocked out in the 3^rd after a small error in judgement as Hagler was surging.Even though Hearns lost, it was really a win for both fighters as both immediately became huge boxing superstars after such a great fight.

The weight divisions Hearns fought in was stacked with legendary talent during this period of time. Boxing juggernaughts like Leonard, Hearns, Hagler and Duran stood at the top of the chain and battered the rest of the field, but would take losses from each other, but the losses only added to their notoriety and legend.

Thomas Hearns' last finishing touches to an excellent, record setting career was when the aging Hearns took the WBA Light Heavyweight Championship from Virgin Hill in 1991. This win gave him 6th world title.

Record: 96-25-1 (58 KOs)

Boxing Era: 1940-1959

Division: Light heavyweight / Heavyweight

Ezzard Charles is an unsung champion but is referred to by many boxing historians as the greatest light heavyweight of all time.

Although he shined in smaller divisions and light heavyweight was perhaps his strongest, he was a formidable heavyweight champion who took on Heavyweight legends Joe Louis, Joe Walcott and Rocky Marciano and was more than a handful for each of them.

Ezzard Charles was clearly on the path to greatness as an amateur. He had an excellent record of 42-0, and he won the Diamond Belt Middleweight Championship, the Chicago Golden Gloves, and the AAU Middleweight Championship. In 1940, Charles began his professional career winning his first 15 fights without a loss. As a middleweight he beat future Hall of Fame fighters Teddy Yarosz and Charley Burley, and which immediately launched him on the short list of top contenders in the division. Just as he earned himself a name among the big boys, he served in the military and didn’t return to boxing until the war was over.

Ezzard Charles returned to the ring as light heavyweight and turned heads with wins over top contenders, including future legend Archie Moore.

Finally in a cinematic moment, a very tragic event happened that many feel changed Ezzard Charles from that fight onward. Ezzard Charles killed young contender Sam Baroudi in the ring. He knocked him out in the tenth round and Baroudi never recovered. Charles was distraught and contemplated not fighting ever again.

After pulling himself together, Charles couldn’t score a title shot so he moved up to light heavyweight. In this division, he won the next several fights by knockout which earned him a fight with “Jersey” Joe Walcott. He impressively won that fight too and took the NBA light heavyweight championship.

Clearly on the move, Charles fought his aging idol Joe Louis and outpointed him to become lineal champ. The aging Louis who was in the ring because of debt would take a beating from Marciano next before he called it quits.

When Charles began to age himself, he lost 2 of his rematches with Walcott. Regardless, Charles hung on and fought his way back into top contention, including a knockout victory over Bob Satterfield which earned him a title fight with his friend Rocky Marciano.

Charles had 2 wars with Rocky Marciano; the second would receive “Fight of the Year” honors. In the 1^st battle, Charles took Marciano the distance and lost by decision. In the 2^nd war, Marciano was losing and bleeding badly from a nasty cut, but rallied back and knocked Charles out in the 8^th round. As a fighter in decline, Charles still manifested enough greatness to offer a riveting challenge to an undefeated champion. And even upon losing, those fights immortalized Charles and forever linked him to one of the greats.

Like many fighters, Charles stayed in the ring too long due to financial problems and ended up losing 12 out of 23 fights.

In addition to boxing skill, Charles was also a talented double bass player who played with many Jazz greats. He also starred in an independent motion film by filmmaker Earl Schwieterman. Unfortunately however and paralyzed from the waist down, Charles died of Lou Gherig's disease at age 53 in 1975.

Ezzard Charles is ranked in the top 30 of almost all professional boxing lists as one of the greatest boxers of all time.