CINCINNATI — The late, great heavyweight champion known as the “Cincinnati Cobra” is being brought back to life thanks to the work of a local artist and organizations who have fought to memorialize him.
“I’m proud of the work that I’ve done on the statue, but I think the thing that I’m most proud is that we were able to get enough people behind the project in the first place to get it to happen,” sculptor John Hebenstreit said.
In 2017, the Cincinnati Parks Foundation, along with Andrew Van Sickle, came up with a plan to immortalize the “Cincinnati Cobra” in bronze.
Executive director Jennifer Hafner Spieser said not only does the statue pay tribute to Charles’s legacy but it’s also part of a bigger revitalization of Laurel Park.
“This is an edition to the West End community along Ezzard Charles drive, celebrating a true hero from our city,” Hafner Spieser said.
In partnership with Madtree Brewing, more than 100 trees have also been planted in the West End. Hafner Spieser said while it has been a slow process, “Ezz’s” big reveal is nearing closer and closer.
“We’re happy to unveil it this year in October at the Fifth Annual Ezz Fest, but we do have our fingers crossed for an earlier dedication this summer,” she said.
Hebenstreit’s sculpting is complete, after many hours dedicated to the project, but the final touches are underway. The base of the statue is in the pricess of being finished and the bronze patina still needs to be applied. When finished, the Cincinnati Cobra will stand 13 feet tall in the city where he made his name.
“There’s a lot to be learned from him,” Hebenstreit said. “A statue like this merely glorifies an individual. You need to go out and discover who he really was.”
A good way to do just that is by running the Cincinnati Cobra Route, a trail that has been established for folks to train like the champ. A QR code may be scanned to download an app to find out more about Ezzard Charles among the stops on the route.
The famed boxer was the heavyweight champion of the world from 1949 to 1951, but was also described as a Renaissance man. He served in the military, was an entrepreneur, a jazz enthusiast, a multi-linguist, and was a goodwill ambassador for the West End.
Everyone involved hopes the next generation can become inspired through the statue.
“Learning about, and taking the time to actually learn about him is a great thing for children to have the opportunity to do,” Hebenstreit said. “Without this statue, I don’t think it starts. This is the starting point.”
For more information on the project, visit the Cincinnati Parks Foundation website.
