39-439: Dick Richardson may refer to: Dick Richardson (boxer) (1934–1999), Welsh heavyweight boxer Dick Richardson (cricketer) (born 1934), English Test cricketer President Dick Richardson, a fictional character in the video game Fallout 2 who serves as the main antagonist See also [ edit ] Richard Richardson (disambiguation) [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
78-572: 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). 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
117-399: 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 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
156-540: A gym in Blackfriars , London . In September 1954, he lost his first professional bout on points against Henry Cooper 's twin brother, George, fighting under the ring name of Jim Cooper. He avenged this defeat in March 1955 with a technical knockout in the second round. Richardson began to build up an impressive list of victories, many of them inside the distance . In May 1956 he fought fellow Welsh heavyweight, Joe Erskine , in
195-603: 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 including Archie Moore (three times), Jimmy Bivins (four times), Joey Maxim (five times) and Lloyd Marshall (twice). 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
234-473: A promoter from London he would have become a World Champion. David would not leave his father due to his loyalty He died from cancer on 15 July 1999, aged 65. He was married to Betty Richardson with one son, Gary and one daughter Lyn, from whom he has six grandchildren. In his 47 professional bouts, he won 31 (24 on knock-outs), and lost 14 (4 on knock-outs). Two of his bouts were drawn. Ezzard Charles Ezzard Mack Charles (July 7, 1921 – May 28, 1975),
273-511: 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
312-442: 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 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 2022,
351-457: 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. Despite being the top contender for the light heavyweight title held by Gus Lesnevich , Charles
390-413: 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 (a natural middleweight) to triumph against the tough light-heavyweights and heavyweights of the talent-rich 1940s. Charles
429-535: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Dick Richardson (boxer) Richard Alexander Richardson (1 June 1934 – 15 July 1999) was a heavyweight boxer from the Maesglas area of Newport , Monmouthshire , Wales . He held the European heavyweight title from March 1960 to June 1962. In all, he won 31 of his 47 professional bouts, losing 14, with two drawn. He
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#1732858816470468-642: The Maindy Stadium , Cardiff , in front of 35,000 fans. Despite knocking Erskine down in round five, Richardson lost on points. Richardson continued to look for higher-class opponents and in October 1956, he fought the ex-world champion Ezzard Charles in a fight that became a farce when the American was disqualified in round two for persistent holding. He next fought the world-class Cuban , Nino Valdes in December 1956, but
507-475: 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
546-498: The IBRO (International Boxing Research Organisation). The "Cincinnati Cobra" was a master boxer of extraordinary skill and ability. He had speed, agility, fast hands and excellent footwork. Charles possessed a masterful jab and was a superb combination puncher. He was at his peak as a light-heavyweight. His record is quite impressive. Against top rate opposition like Archie Moore, Charley Burley, Lloyd Marshall, Jimmy Bivins, and Joey Maxim he
585-642: The Londons invaded the ring to protest that Richardson had used his head to open a cut on his opponent. Richardson also won a return bout against Hans Kalbfell in Dortmund in February 1961, gaining a points decision. Richardson won the next defence of his title, in February 1962, against the German, Karl Mildenberger , by an astonishing first-round knockout. The bout was held in Dortmund. Mildenberger would fight Muhammad Ali for
624-441: 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
663-482: The eighth round. Richardson's last fight was in March 1963, when Henry Cooper defended his British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles against him at Wembley . Richardson was knocked out in the fifth round. Richardson retired at the relatively early age of 28, and ran a small chain of butcher's shops in Surrey . Dick Richardson, offered advice to Newport Heavyweight David Pearce . Dick believed if David had signed with
702-456: 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
741-427: 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
780-427: 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. 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
819-493: 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 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
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#1732858816470858-409: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dick_Richardson&oldid=1125117558 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
897-519: The thirteenth round. The defeat of Kalbfell provoked a riot amongst the German fans, and Richardson needed a police escort to reach his dressing room . Richardson defended his European title in August 1960, against Brian London , in Porthcawl , winning by a technical knockout in the eighth round. This result provoked a brawl , when London's father and brother, with Richardson's brothers coming in to defend as
936-503: The world title several years later. Richardson's fourth defence of his title was in June 1962, against the hard-punching Swede , Ingemar Johansson . Johansson had been world heavyweight champion after beating Floyd Patterson , but had subsequently lost the title to Patterson in June 1960. The bout was held in Gothenburg , Sweden in front of 50,000 spectators, and Richardson was knocked out in
975-758: 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. Charles was born in Lawrenceville, Georgia , and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio . Charles graduated from Woodward High School in Cincinnati where he
1014-542: 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 . Unfortunately for Charles, like many boxers, financial problems forced him to continue fighting. Age and damage sustained during his career caused Charles to begin
1053-506: Was a neighbor and friend of Muhammad 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). 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. In 1968, Charles
1092-650: Was already becoming a well-known fighter (greatly inspired by fighters Kid Chocolate and later Joe Louis ). 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. Charles started his career as
1131-561: 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 defeating 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. After losing
1170-425: Was an impressive 16-2 combined. Despite being a natural light-heavy he won the heavyweight title and made 9 successful title defenses. Nearly 25% of voters had Charles in the top 10. Half of the voters had him in the top 15. Two thirds of voters had him inside the top 20. Muhammad Ali said in his own autobiography: "Ezzard Charles was a truly great fighter and champion. He was the only heavyweight champion, other than
1209-568: Was beaten by Henry Cooper in September 1958, on a technical knockout in the fifth round, and also lost to Joe Erskine on points in June 1959. However, in March 1960, he was matched against the German boxer Hans Kalbfell, for the vacant European heavyweight title. He had previously beaten Kalbfell in four rounds, in Porthcawl , and he won this bout, held in Dortmund , Germany , by a technical knockout in
Dick Richardson - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-517: Was buried at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. 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. In 2006, Ezzard Charles was named the 11th greatest fighter of all time by
1287-527: 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 chilling 1973 commercial showed Charles in his wheelchair horribly disabled by ALS. Charles died on May 28, 1975, in Chicago. He
1326-669: Was forced to retire in the eighth round. Richardson's first title fight was for the Commonwealth ( British Empire ) Heavyweight Title against the holder, the Jamaican , Joe Bygraves, in Cardiff in May 1957. The fight, over fifteen rounds was a draw and Bygraves retained his title. In October 1957, Richardson, was easily out-pointed in a bout against the future world light-heavyweight champion, Willie Pastrano . His career appeared to be faltering when he
1365-646: Was known as Dick. He was 6 feet 3 inches (191 cm) tall and weighed about 14 stone 4 pounds (200 lb; 91 kg). He had a few amateur bouts before being called up for his national service in 1953. He served in the Royal Army Service Corps where he became boxing champion. However he was beaten in the inter-services boxing championships by Brian London , later to become British heavyweight boxing champion, and fighting under his real name of Harper. He turned professional in 1954, being managed by Wally Lesley and trained by Johnny Lewis at
1404-478: 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
1443-407: Was one of a quartet of British heavyweights in the 1950s and early 1960s, along with Henry Cooper , Joe Erskine and Brian London , who held out the possibility of a challenging for a heavyweight world champion. Richardson defeated a number of top heavyweights in his career, including; Karl Mildenberger , Bob Baker , Brian London and Hans Kalbfell. He was born Richard Alexander Richardson but
1482-567: 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
1521-496: 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 (including one over Lesnevich), before facing his idol and former heavyweight champion, Joe Louis, on September 27, 1950. Louis
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