Jimmy Ellis
Encyclopedia
James Albert "Jimmy" Ellis (born February 24, 1940) is a retired boxer
from Louisville, Kentucky
. He fought in what some consider to be the greatest heavyweight era of all-time, which included Muhammad Ali
, Joe Frazier
, George Foreman
, Jerry Quarry
, Floyd Patterson
, Oscar Bonavena
, Earnie Shavers
and George Chuvalo
among others. Ellis held the WBA
World Heavyweight
Championship from 1968 to 1970. He was a skilled boxer, with a good chin and, as Angelo Dundee
always stated, much better punch power than many expected. Ellis had 'Iron jawed' Bonavena down twice.
, then known as Cassius Clay, fight on a local amateur boxing television show called Tomorrow's Champions
. "I had a friend of mine named Donnie Hall, and he fought Ali," Ellis said. "Donnie lost, and I thought I could maybe be a fighter then." Ellis went with Hall to Louisville's Columbia Gym, where the coach was a police officer named Joe Martin.
Ellis won 59 of 66 amateur bouts and was a Golden Gloves
champion. He boxed Ali twice as an amateur, with Ali winning the first bout and Ellis winning the second.
. With Bruner, he compiled a record of 15-5 (6 KOs) and was ranked #10 in the world as a middleweight
. His five losses were decisions to top middleweight contenders Holly Mims (whom he defeated in a rematch), Henry Hank, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter
, Don Fullmer
, and George Benton
.
At the end of 1964, after losing three out of four fights, Ellis decided to leave Bruner. He later recalled Bruner fondly. "I liked him, and I fought a lot of top-rated fighters when I was with him, but eventually I had to move on," Ellis said. "He did me justice, and we always remained friends."
Ellis wrote a letter to Angelo Dundee
, the trainer of Ali, and asked him to handle his career. Dundee agreed to be his manager and trainer. Ellis became a sparring partner for Ali and started to fight on his undercards. Six of his first eight fights with Dundee were on an Ali undercard.
staged an eight-man tournament that featured most of the top heavyweight contenders. Ellis, with eight consecutive wins, was invited to be in the tournament. Joe Frazier
, the widely accepted #1 contender, chose not to participate in the tournament. Instead, Frazier fought and knocked out Buster Mathis
for the vacant New York State Athletic Commission
World Heavyweight Championship.
in nine rounds on cuts when the scoring was around evens. But his sneak fast and dangerous right hand had been a continual danger to Martin throughout. Perhaps, then the best win of his career was when he then easily outpointed Oscar Bonavena
to reach the WBA tournament final.
in a cautious from both fighters dull fifteen-round Split decision to win the vacant WBA World Heavyweight Championship.
In his only successful title defense, Ellis defeated Floyd Patterson
via a controversial fifteen-round decision on September 14, 1968 in Stockholm
, Sweden
. Many in the crowd of 30,000 disagreed with the decision and started chanting, "Floyd champ!" The New York Times
scored the fight seven rounds to six for Ellis, with two even. Ellis left the match blooded with a broken nose.
Following the defeat of Patterson, Ellis was out of the ring for seventeen months. He was going to fight Henry Cooper
in the United Kingdom, but Cooper was injured and pulled out of the fight. In his biography Cooper alledges the British Boxing board blocked the match but the reason is unclear. Ellis then planned to fight Bob Cleroux in Montreal, but Cleroux lost what was supposed to be a tune-up fight against the lightly regarded Billy Joiner. Finally, Ellis was going to fight Gregorio Peralta
in Argentina, but promoters canceled the fight 24 hours before it was to take place because of poor ticket sales.
, who was 44-2 (43 KOs). The fight took place on June 18, 1973 at Madison Square Garden
. Ellis stunned Shavers with a chopping right to the jaw and backed him into a corner. Then, with a single right uppercut, Shavers put Ellis down for the count. The time was 2:39 in the first round.
Ellis came back with a knockout of Journeyman Memphis Al Jones, but with his skills in decline, he went winless in his next five fights. He lost a split decision to Boone Kirkman
, fought a draw with Larry Middleton, dropped decisions to Ron Lyle
and Joe Bugner
, and was stopped in nine rounds in a rematch with Frazier.
On May 6, 1975, in what would be his last fight, Ellis knocked out a Carl Baker in the first round. He retired after suffering a training injury that left him partially blind in his left eye. Ellis finished with a record of 40-12-1 (24 KOs).
After retiring from boxing, Ellis trained boxers and worked for the Louisville Parks Department. He now suffers from dementia pugilistica
.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
from Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. He fought in what some consider to be the greatest heavyweight era of all-time, which included Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
, Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....
, George Foreman
George Foreman
George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...
, Jerry Quarry
Jerry Quarry
Jerry Quarry , nicknamed "Irish" or “The Bellflower Bomber,” was an Irish-American heavyweight boxer. Quarry was rated by Ring Magazine as the most popular fighter in the sport, 1968–1971, and was one of the biggest stars of arguably the greatest era in the history of the heavyweight division.-...
, Floyd Patterson
Floyd Patterson
Floyd Patterson was an American heavyweight boxer and former undisputed heavyweight champion. At 21, Patterson became the youngest man to win the world heavyweight title. He was also the first heavyweight boxer to regain the title. He had a record of 55 wins 8 losses and 1 draw, with 40 wins by...
, Oscar Bonavena
Oscar Bonavena
Oscar Natalio "Ringo" Bonavena was a heavyweight professional boxer with a career record of 58 wins, 9 losses and 1 draw. A rugged, wild-swinging puncher, he was nicknamed "Ringo" because of his Beatles haircut, and enjoyed professional success in both Argentina and the United States...
, Earnie Shavers
Earnie Shavers
Earnie Dee Shaver , better known as Earnie Shavers, is an American former professional boxer and is widely considered along with George Foreman as the hardest punchers of all time...
and George Chuvalo
George Chuvalo
George Louis Chuvalo, CM is a retired Canadian heavyweight boxer who was never knocked down in ninety-three professional fights between 1956 and 1979. He is often considered to have had the greatest chin in the history of boxing and to be one of its most durable fighters...
among others. Ellis held the WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
World Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
Championship from 1968 to 1970. He was a skilled boxer, with a good chin and, as Angelo Dundee
Angelo Dundee
Angelo Dundee is an American boxing cornerman. He is best known for his work with Muhammad Ali , and has worked with 15 world boxing champions, including Sugar Ray Leonard, José Nápoles, George Foreman, Jimmy Ellis, Carmen Basilio, Luis Rodriguez and Willie Pastrano.-Professional career:Born in...
always stated, much better punch power than many expected. Ellis had 'Iron jawed' Bonavena down twice.
Amateur career
Ellis got into boxing as a youngster after watching fellow Louisville native Muhammad AliMuhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
, then known as Cassius Clay, fight on a local amateur boxing television show called Tomorrow's Champions
Tomorrow's Champions
Tomorrow's Champions was a local television program in Louisville, Kentucky, which featured bouts between local amateur boxers. It aired on NBC affiliate WAVE from 1954 to 1966. It was produced by Louisville police officer and boxing trainer Joe Martin. Future World Heavyweight Champions Muhammad...
. "I had a friend of mine named Donnie Hall, and he fought Ali," Ellis said. "Donnie lost, and I thought I could maybe be a fighter then." Ellis went with Hall to Louisville's Columbia Gym, where the coach was a police officer named Joe Martin.
Ellis won 59 of 66 amateur bouts and was a Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
champion. He boxed Ali twice as an amateur, with Ali winning the first bout and Ellis winning the second.
Early Professional Career
Ellis turned professional in 1961. Early in his pro career, he was trained and managed by Bud BrunerBud Bruner
Edgar L. "Bud" Bruner was a boxing manager, trainer, and gym proprietor from Louisville, Kentucky.Bruner was a star athlete at duPont Manual High School in Louisville. He lettered in baseball, basketball, football, and track...
. With Bruner, he compiled a record of 15-5 (6 KOs) and was ranked #10 in the world as a middleweight
Middleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
. His five losses were decisions to top middleweight contenders Holly Mims (whom he defeated in a rematch), Henry Hank, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter
Rubin Carter
Rubin "Hurricane" Carter fought professionally as a middleweight boxer from 1961 to 1966. In 1966, he was arrested for a triple homicide in the Lafayette Bar and Grill in Paterson, New Jersey...
, Don Fullmer
Don Fullmer
Don Fullmer is a former boxer and brother of former world middleweight champion Gene Fullmer.Eight years younger than his more famous brother, Don followed Gene into the gym in West Jordan, Utah, to learn how to box. He fought as an amateur for four years and did not lose in sixty-five fights...
, and George Benton
George Benton
George Benton was a boxer and a boxing trainer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.His first amateur bout was when he was thirteen. He turned professional three years later at the age of sixteen. He boxed professionally from 1949 to 1970 and defeated future world champions Freddie Little, Jimmy Ellis,...
.
At the end of 1964, after losing three out of four fights, Ellis decided to leave Bruner. He later recalled Bruner fondly. "I liked him, and I fought a lot of top-rated fighters when I was with him, but eventually I had to move on," Ellis said. "He did me justice, and we always remained friends."
Ellis wrote a letter to Angelo Dundee
Angelo Dundee
Angelo Dundee is an American boxing cornerman. He is best known for his work with Muhammad Ali , and has worked with 15 world boxing champions, including Sugar Ray Leonard, José Nápoles, George Foreman, Jimmy Ellis, Carmen Basilio, Luis Rodriguez and Willie Pastrano.-Professional career:Born in...
, the trainer of Ali, and asked him to handle his career. Dundee agreed to be his manager and trainer. Ellis became a sparring partner for Ali and started to fight on his undercards. Six of his first eight fights with Dundee were on an Ali undercard.
The WBA vacant Heavyweight Championship
By 1966, Ellis was fighting as a heavyweight. When Ali was stripped of the world title for refusing to enter the military, the World Boxing AssociationWorld Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
staged an eight-man tournament that featured most of the top heavyweight contenders. Ellis, with eight consecutive wins, was invited to be in the tournament. Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....
, the widely accepted #1 contender, chose not to participate in the tournament. Instead, Frazier fought and knocked out Buster Mathis
Buster Mathis
Buster Mathis was a boxer who had a very successful career as an amateur heavyweight boxer. He qualified for a spot in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. However, he was injured and was unable to compete there. Instead of him, the fighter Mathis beat in the Olympic Trials went to the Olympics...
for the vacant New York State Athletic Commission
New York State Athletic Commission
The New York State Athletic Commission or NYSAC, also known as the New York Athletic Commission, regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New York, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, professional wrestlers, seconds, ring officials,...
World Heavyweight Championship.
WBA Elimination bout series
In his first WBA elimintor, Ellis stopped Leotis MartinLeotis Martin
Leotis Martin was an American boxer, the first ever NABF heavyweight champion and best known for his victory over former heavyweight champion Sonny Liston. Martin was a good puncher and a fairly skilled heavyweight who fought from 1962 to 1969...
in nine rounds on cuts when the scoring was around evens. But his sneak fast and dangerous right hand had been a continual danger to Martin throughout. Perhaps, then the best win of his career was when he then easily outpointed Oscar Bonavena
Oscar Bonavena
Oscar Natalio "Ringo" Bonavena was a heavyweight professional boxer with a career record of 58 wins, 9 losses and 1 draw. A rugged, wild-swinging puncher, he was nicknamed "Ringo" because of his Beatles haircut, and enjoyed professional success in both Argentina and the United States...
to reach the WBA tournament final.
Wins WBA World title
On April 27, 1968, Ellis defeated Jerry QuarryJerry Quarry
Jerry Quarry , nicknamed "Irish" or “The Bellflower Bomber,” was an Irish-American heavyweight boxer. Quarry was rated by Ring Magazine as the most popular fighter in the sport, 1968–1971, and was one of the biggest stars of arguably the greatest era in the history of the heavyweight division.-...
in a cautious from both fighters dull fifteen-round Split decision to win the vacant WBA World Heavyweight Championship.
In his only successful title defense, Ellis defeated Floyd Patterson
Floyd Patterson
Floyd Patterson was an American heavyweight boxer and former undisputed heavyweight champion. At 21, Patterson became the youngest man to win the world heavyweight title. He was also the first heavyweight boxer to regain the title. He had a record of 55 wins 8 losses and 1 draw, with 40 wins by...
via a controversial fifteen-round decision on September 14, 1968 in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Many in the crowd of 30,000 disagreed with the decision and started chanting, "Floyd champ!" The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
scored the fight seven rounds to six for Ellis, with two even. Ellis left the match blooded with a broken nose.
Following the defeat of Patterson, Ellis was out of the ring for seventeen months. He was going to fight Henry Cooper
Henry Cooper
Henry Cooper may refer to:*Sir Henry Cooper , British Heavyweight boxer*Henry Cooper from Tennessee*Henry Cooper , English recipient of the Victoria Cross...
in the United Kingdom, but Cooper was injured and pulled out of the fight. In his biography Cooper alledges the British Boxing board blocked the match but the reason is unclear. Ellis then planned to fight Bob Cleroux in Montreal, but Cleroux lost what was supposed to be a tune-up fight against the lightly regarded Billy Joiner. Finally, Ellis was going to fight Gregorio Peralta
Gregorio Peralta
Gregorio Manuel Peralta , better known as Gregorio "Goyo" Peralta, was a top Argentine boxer. Peralta enjoyed success as a both a light heavyweight and a heavyweight, one of a select group Latin American Heavyweights to attain world-class status...
in Argentina, but promoters canceled the fight 24 hours before it was to take place because of poor ticket sales.
Unification match against Frazier
On February 16, 1970, Ellis fought Frazier to unify the World Heavyweight Championship. Predictions were split. But Frazier proved too strong and powerful. The undefeated Frazier knocked Ellis down twice in the fourth round, and Dundee stopped the fight before the start of the fifth round. It was the first knockout loss for Ellis.Ali match
After winning his next three fights, Ellis fought Ali in the Houston Astrodome on July 26, 1971. Being the manager and trainer of Ellis, but only Ali's trainer, Dundee chose to work with Ellis for the fight. It was one of the few fights in Ali's career in which Dundee was not in his corner. Ellis fought well over the first three rounds, but the fight turned after Ellis was hurt by a right hand in the fourth round. The right hand "hurt me so bad I couldn't really fight my best after that," Ellis said. "It ruined me." Ali went on to stop Ellis in the twelfth round.Diminishing Skills, versus Shavers
Ellis won his next eight fights by knockout and then fought Earnie ShaversEarnie Shavers
Earnie Dee Shaver , better known as Earnie Shavers, is an American former professional boxer and is widely considered along with George Foreman as the hardest punchers of all time...
, who was 44-2 (43 KOs). The fight took place on June 18, 1973 at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. Ellis stunned Shavers with a chopping right to the jaw and backed him into a corner. Then, with a single right uppercut, Shavers put Ellis down for the count. The time was 2:39 in the first round.
Ellis came back with a knockout of Journeyman Memphis Al Jones, but with his skills in decline, he went winless in his next five fights. He lost a split decision to Boone Kirkman
Boone Kirkman
Daniel Victor "Boone" Kirkman is a former amateur and professional Heavyweight boxer. He fought during the same era as George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Frazier, which has been credited as being one of the greatest heavyweight eras of all time.-Early life:Kirkman was born in Vallejo,...
, fought a draw with Larry Middleton, dropped decisions to Ron Lyle
Ron Lyle
Ron Lyle was an American professional boxer in the heavyweight division. He is considered to have been one of the best contenders of his era. He was a crowd-pleasing power puncher.-Early life:...
and Joe Bugner
Joe Bugner
József Kreul "Joe" Bugner is a Hungarian-born British-Australian former top heavyweight boxer. He holds triple nationality, being a citizen of Hungary and a naturalized citizen of both Australia and the United Kingdom where he learned to box and spent his peak years.Born in Szőreg, a southeastern...
, and was stopped in nine rounds in a rematch with Frazier.
On May 6, 1975, in what would be his last fight, Ellis knocked out a Carl Baker in the first round. He retired after suffering a training injury that left him partially blind in his left eye. Ellis finished with a record of 40-12-1 (24 KOs).
After retiring from boxing, Ellis trained boxers and worked for the Louisville Parks Department. He now suffers from dementia pugilistica
Dementia pugilistica
Dementia pugilistica is a type of neurodegenerative disease or dementia, which may affect amateur or professional boxers as well as athletes in other sports who suffer concussions...
.