Muhammad Ali vs. Jimmy Ellis

Last updated
The Inevitable Fight
DateJuly 26, 1971
Venue Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Title(s) on the line NABF heavyweight title
Tale of the tape
Boxer Flag of the United States.svg Muhammad Ali Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Ellis
Nickname "The Greatest"
Hometown Louisville, Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky
Purse $450,000
Pre-fight record 31–1 (25 KO) 30–6 (14 KO)
Age 29 years, 6 months 31 years, 5 months
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight220+1⁄2 lb (100 kg) 189 lb (86 kg)
Style Orthodox Orthodox
Recognition Former undisputed heavyweight champion Former WBA heavyweight champion
Result
Ali won via 12th round TKO (2:10)

Muhammad Ali vs. Jimmy Ellis , billed as The Inevitable Fight, was a professional boxing match contested on July 26, 1971, for the NABF heavyweight championship. [1]

Contents

Background

This was Ali's first boxing match after Fight of the Century, [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] and had originally been scheduled as a bout between Wilt Chamberlain, who had challenged him, then trained for the bout with Cus D'Amato, but later withdrew from the fight. [7]

A problem arose before the fight when it was realized that both Ali and Ellis shared the same trainer, Angelo Dundee. Dundee had been Ali's trainer since he began professionally fighting, and had been Ellis' manager and trainer, as well. It would be decided that Dundee would be in Ellis' corner, since Dundee's purse would be bigger. Ali, understanding the circumstances, got Harry Wiley, who had helped train and manage Sugar Ray Robinson. Also of note is that Ali's assistant trainer, Drew "Bundeni" Brown, had forgotten to pack Ali's trunks, as such, Ali would wear a pair of over-sized white trunks for the bout.

The fight

Ellis made a good account of himself for the first three rounds, but in the fourth, a straight right by Ali buckled Ellis' legs. From there-on, Ellis would begin to take a beating, with Ali circling, jabbing, and occasionally planting his feet and throwing combinations to Ellis' head. Another straight right from Ali wobbled Ellis in the twelfth, Ali took his opportunity to pound on Ellis, and eventually won the bout through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight.

Undercard

Confirmed bouts: [8]

Broadcasting

CountryBroadcaster
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines ABS-CBN
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom BBC

References

  1. ↑ "Muhammad Ali vs. Jimmy Ellis". boxrec.com. BoxRec. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  2. ↑ Thomas Hauser (1991). Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times . Simon & Schuster. pp.  240–1.
  3. ↑ Felix Dennis; Don Atyeo (2003). Muhammad Ali: The Glory Years. miramax books. pp. 190–2.
  4. ↑ "He Has Heavy Things On His Mind". Sports Illustrated. 26 July 1971. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  5. ↑ "END OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP". Sports Illustrated. 2 August 1971. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  6. ↑ "Victor, at 220½, in Command of Houston Bout". The New York Times. 27 July 1971. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  7. ↑ O'Reilly, Terry (August 30, 2018). "Achilles Heel Advertising: Repositioning the Competition". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  8. ↑ "BoxRec - event".
Preceded by Muhammad Ali's bouts
26 July 1971		Succeeded by
Preceded by Jimmy Ellis's bouts
26 July 1971		Succeeded by
vs. Dick Gosha
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