Jimmy Ellis (boxer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jimmy Ellis |
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Ellis in 1968
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | James Albert Ellis |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in |
| Reach | 76 in |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | February 24, 1940 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | May 6, 2014 (aged 74) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 53 |
| Wins | 40 |
| Wins by KO | 24 |
| Losses | 12 |
| Draws | 1 |
James Albert Ellis (born February 24, 1940 – died May 6, 2014) was a famous American boxer. He became the World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight champion in 1968. He beat Jerry Quarry to win the title. Later that year, he successfully defended his title against Floyd Patterson. He lost his championship to Joe Frazier in 1970.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Jimmy Ellis was one of ten children. His father, Walter, was a pastor. Jimmy grew up in a Christian home. As a teenager, he worked in a factory. He also sang in his local church choir. He continued to be involved with his church his whole life. When he was young, he looked up to the boxer Joe Louis.
Jimmy Ellis was a quiet family man. He had six children with his wife, Mary. They had two sons and four daughters. His brother, Charles, was also a boxer and competed in the 1964 Olympics.
Becoming a Boxer
Jimmy Ellis started boxing as a teenager. He watched his friend, Donnie Hall, fight Muhammad Ali (who was known as Cassius Clay then). This fight was on a local TV show called Tomorrow's Champions. Jimmy thought, "Maybe I could be a fighter too." He went with Donnie to the Columbia Gym in Louisville. There, a police officer named Joe Martin was their coach.
Jimmy Ellis had a great amateur boxing career. He won 59 out of 66 fights. He was also a Golden Gloves champion. He even boxed Muhammad Ali twice as an amateur. Ali won their first fight, but Ellis won the second one.
Professional Boxing Career
Jimmy Ellis became a professional boxer in 1961. He started as a middleweight. His first trainer was Bud Bruner. With Bruner, he won 15 fights and lost 5. He fought some tough middleweight boxers.
In 1964, Ellis decided to work with a new trainer. He wrote a letter to Angelo Dundee, who was Muhammad Ali's trainer. Dundee agreed to train and manage Ellis. Jimmy then became a sparring partner for Ali. He also fought in many of the early fights before Ali's big matches.
By the mid-1960s, Ellis started fighting as a heavyweight. He was tall and athletic, so it was hard for him to stay at middleweight.
Becoming WBA Heavyweight Champion
In 1966, Muhammad Ali lost his world title. This happened because he refused to join the military. So, the World Boxing Association (WBA) held a special tournament. Eight top heavyweight boxers competed to find a new champion. Jimmy Ellis was ranked eighth and joined the tournament.
In the first round, Ellis fought Leotis Martin in August 1967. Ellis was not expected to win, but he fought very well. The referee stopped the fight in the ninth round because of how much Ellis had hit Martin.
Next, Ellis fought Oscar Bonavena in December 1967. Again, many thought Ellis would lose. But he knocked Bonavena down twice. After 12 rounds, Ellis won by a unanimous decision. This was one of his best fights. He moved on to the tournament final.
In the final, Ellis faced Jerry Quarry in April 1968. Ellis won a close 15-round decision. This made him the new WBA Heavyweight Champion! Quarry himself said he didn't deserve the win if it had been given to him.
Defending the Title
Jimmy Ellis defended his WBA title one time. He fought Floyd Patterson in Sweden in September 1968. Ellis broke his nose in the second round. After 15 rounds, Ellis was given the win by the referee. Many people watching disagreed with the decision.
After this fight, Ellis did not box for 17 months. He had planned several fights, but they were all canceled.
Fighting Joe Frazier
On February 16, 1970, Jimmy Ellis fought Joe Frazier. This fight was to unite the world heavyweight titles. Frazier was undefeated and very strong. Ellis had never been knocked down as a heavyweight before. But Frazier knocked him down twice in the fourth round. Angelo Dundee, Ellis's trainer, stopped the fight before the fifth round. This was Ellis's first knockout loss.
Ellis vs. Ali Rematch
After winning his next three fights, Ellis fought Muhammad Ali again. This big fight happened in Houston, Texas, in July 1971. Angelo Dundee chose to train Ellis for this fight. This was because he was Ellis's manager too, and he would earn more money. Ali understood and got a different trainer for this match.
Ellis fought well in the first three rounds. But in the fourth round, Ali hit him with a strong right hand. Ellis said it hurt him so much that he couldn't fight his best after that. The referee stopped the fight in the twelfth round as Ali was hitting Ellis hard.
Later Fights and Retirement
After losing to Ali, Ellis won his next eight fights by knockout. But in June 1973, he fought Earnie Shavers. Shavers was known for his powerful punches. Ellis surprised Shavers in the first round. But Shavers then hit Ellis with a strong uppercut. Ellis was knocked out in the first round.
Ellis continued to fight, but his skills slowly declined. He lost several more fights. He fought Joe Frazier again in March 1975 in Australia. Ellis started strong, winning the first three rounds. But Frazier then took control of the fight. Ellis was bleeding and hurt. Angelo Dundee stopped the fight in the ninth round.
On May 6, 1975, Jimmy Ellis had his last professional fight. He knocked out Carl Baker in the first round. He retired at age 35. He had a training injury that caused him to lose some sight in his left eye. Jimmy Ellis finished his boxing career with 40 wins, 12 losses, and 1 draw. He had 24 knockout wins.
Life After Boxing
After retiring from boxing, Jimmy Ellis helped train other boxers. He also worked for the Louisville Parks Department. He helped with sports and fun projects from 1989 to 2003. In 2004, Ellis said he always wanted to be a good fighter and a good man. His brother Jeff said Ellis was someone you could look up to.
Jimmy Ellis was a kind and polite person. He remained good friends with Muhammad Ali for many years. Ali often said Ellis was a great friend. Later in his life, Ellis had memory problems for over ten years.
Death
Jimmy Ellis passed away on May 6, 2014, at age 74. He died in Louisville, Kentucky, due to complications from his memory problems. His funeral was held on May 12, 2014. He was buried in Green Meadows Memorial Cemetery in Louisville.
Tributes
When Jimmy Ellis died, Muhammad Ali shared a statement. He said, "In the world of heavyweights I always thought him one of the best."
