Ernie Terrell

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Ernie Terrell
Heavyweight boxing world champion
boxer
Data
Birth Name Ernest Terrell
Weight class Heavyweight
nationality US-american
birthday April 4, 1939
place of birth Belzoni
Date of death December 16, 2014
Place of death Chicago , Illinois
style Left delivery
size 1.98 m
Combat Statistics
Struggles 54
Victories 45
Knockout victories 21st
Defeats 9

Ernie Terrell actually: Ernest Terrell (born April 4, 1939 in Belzoni , Mississippi , † December 16, 2014 in Chicago , Illinois ) was an American boxer ( heavyweight ) and WBA world champion .

Professional career

The very gaunt Terrell made his professional debut in 1959, but lost early in his career to the unknown Johnny Gray and Wayne Bethea. He even went KO against Cleveland Williams before he had his first good win against Amos Lincoln (25-1) in 1962. In 1963 he was able to defeat Williams in a rematch, as well as Zora Folley and Gerhard Zech on points.

After he had knocked out the later light heavyweight world champion Bob Foster , he was able to win the vacant WBA world title against Eddie Make in 1965 . Since Muhammad Ali was generally recognized as a real world champion, Terrell was only considered a "paper world champion". He then defended the title against George Chuvalo and Doug Jones , whom he was able to beat more clearly by knockout in the seventh round than Ali had done before.

In a direct comparison against Ali in 1967, however, he had no chance. Once again, Ali's name was the center of attention. Terrell continued to call Ali by his maiden name Cassius Clay in the run-up to the fight, which Ali so angry that he said he extended the fight despite complete dominance over the full distance of fifteen rounds and avoided a knockout in order to "punish" Terrell.

After this defeat he lost the next two fights, after which he remained inactive for three years. In December 1970, he returned to the ring and won seven fights until 1973 when he lost controversially on points to Chuck Wepner . Wepner was managed by Al Braverman, who had good relationships with the Mafia (especially Blinky Palermo) and who later became an executive at Don King . After this fight Terrell lost to Jeff Merritt by a first round knockout and then finally ended his career.

Others

Terrell's sister Jean was a member of the Supremes . During his three years of inactivity he worked as a singer and founded his own music group called "Ernie Terrell and the Heavyweights", with which he toured for a total of 13 years. After his resignation, he also worked as a music producer and boxing promoter. Terrell died on December 16, 2014 in Chicago at the age of 75 of complications from dementia .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Bruce Weber: Ernie Terrell, Heavyweight Champion, Dies at 75; Lost Grudge Match to Ali. In: The New York Times, December 18, 2014 (accessed December 21, 2014).