Ernie Terrell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ernie Terrell |
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| Statistics | |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 6 in |
| Reach | 82 in |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | April 4, 1939 Belzoni, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | December 16, 2014 (aged 75) Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 55 |
| Wins | 46 |
| Wins by KO | 21 |
| Losses | 9 |
Ernest Terrell (born April 4, 1939 – died December 16, 2014) was a tall and talented American professional boxer. He was a heavyweight champion, holding the World Boxing Association (WBA) title from 1965 to 1967. Standing at 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 meters) tall, he was one of the tallest heavyweights of his time. He is also known for his important fight against Muhammad Ali in 1967, where they battled to decide who was the true heavyweight champion. Ernie was the older brother of Jean Terrell, who became a lead singer for the famous music group the Supremes in the 1970s. In the 1960s, Jean even sang with Ernie's own music group, Ernie Terrell & the Heavyweights!
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Ernie Terrell was born on April 4, 1939, in Inverness, Mississippi. He spent his early childhood in Belzoni, Mississippi. Ernie was one of ten children in his family. His father was a sharecropper, which means he farmed land owned by someone else and paid rent with a share of the crops. When Ernie was a child, his family moved north to Chicago because his father found work in factories there.
Ernie went to Farragut School in Chicago. Before he became a professional boxer, he won the Chicago Golden Gloves as a young man. This was a big amateur boxing competition. Besides boxing, Ernie also loved music. He formed a pop music singing group called "The Heavyweights" with three of his brothers and sisters.
Boxing Career Highlights
Ernie Terrell started his professional boxing career in 1957. Early on, he beat some very good boxers, including Cleveland Williams, Zora Folley, and Bob Foster, who later became a light heavyweight champion.
In 1965, the World Boxing Association (WBA) took away Muhammad Ali's heavyweight title. This happened after Ali decided not to fight a rematch with Sonny Liston. The WBA then set up a fight between Ernie Terrell and Eddie Machen to decide who would be the new champion. Ernie Terrell won that fight on March 5, 1965, and became the WBA heavyweight champion.
During his time as WBA champion, Ernie successfully defended his title twice. He beat Doug Jones and George Chuvalo. However, many people in the boxing world still thought Muhammad Ali was the real champion because he hadn't lost his title in a boxing match.
The Big Fight Against Muhammad Ali
On February 6, 1967, Ernie Terrell and Muhammad Ali finally met in the ring. This fight was meant to decide who was the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Before the fight, Terrell kept calling Ali by his birth name, Cassius Clay. Terrell later said he had known "Clay" for many years as an amateur boxer and hadn't gotten used to calling him Muhammad Ali. Ali was offended by this and promised to punish Terrell in the fight.
Ali won the fight by a clear decision after 15 rounds, taking back the undisputed championship. The fight was very intense. After this big fight, Terrell lost a match to Thad Spencer later in 1967. He then took a break from boxing for three years.
Return to the Ring
Ernie Terrell returned to boxing in 1970. He won seven fights in a row before losing to Chuck Wepner. His last professional fight was in 1973, when he lost to Jeff Merritt.
In total, Ernie Terrell had 55 professional fights. He won 46 of them, with 21 wins coming by knockout. He lost 9 fights and had no draws.
Life After Boxing
After he stopped boxing, Ernie Terrell started a new career as a record producer in Chicago. He helped create music for other artists. He also tried to get involved in politics, running for alderman (a local government official) in Chicago in 1987. He did well in the first round of voting but lost in the final election.
Later Years and Death
Ernie Terrell passed away on December 16, 2014, at the age of 75. He died in a hospital in Evergreen Park, Illinois. In his final years, he had been dealing with dementia. He was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Chicago.
Personal Life
Ernie Terrell married Maxine Sibley in 1974. Together, they raised two children.
Images for kids
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Ernie Terrell in his boxing career.
See also
In Spanish: Ernie Terrell para niños
