By Thomas Gerbasi
Family and friends in Lynn, Massachusetts will see Ronald Ellis around the holidays this year. But other than that, the super middleweight prospect isn’t leaving Southern California anytime soon.
“They’re over there freezing already and it’s beautiful out here,” he said. “I can’t complain.”
No more picturesque New England winters?
“It’s too cold for me,” he laughs. “I love it out here.”
Rain, snow, sleet or hail, not much could get the 28-year-old down these days. After recovering from hand surgery, he’s making his return on Saturday against Taneal Goyco, and while the 36-year-old Philadelphian isn’t expected to trouble Ellis, the fact that he gets to punch somebody for real for the first time since January is cause for celebration.
“The surgery I had, they took a bone from my hip,” he said. “So I couldn’t run or punch for a couple months. But after I started moving and running around, it was beautiful. I missed everything. When I sparred for the first time, I knew I was back on track and I’m loving it. I feel alive again.”
The surgery was the second major one he’s had since turning pro in 2011, with the first being for an elbow injury in 2013. The injuries served to stall a promising career, but at 14-0-1 with 1 NC and 10 knockouts, there is still plenty of interest from the boxing world to see where he can take this. And though Ellis had his doubts at times early on, in the last couple years, he’s taken any negative moments with a grain of salt.
“I’m always positive,” he said. “Everybody has setbacks, but through those setbacks, I sit back, observe and try not to get lazy. I stay focused with watching other fighters, which can get boring if you’re not in the gym, but I try to stay in the gym and I feel like I’ll be back a hundred percent because with the elbow, it was a little more painful than my hand when I had the surgery, and I came back at hundred percent. I believe it will be the same now.”
If Ellis has his way, he will get through Goyco, maybe get in another fight before the end of the year, and then a 2018 like 2014, when he fought four times, would be ideal.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” he said. “I would love that. I’m gonna finish this year with a couple of fights, hopefully, and then next year, it’s my year. I always say that, and I had those setbacks, but this time I just need to take the ball and run with it. No looking back.”
And if any inspiration is needed, Ellis needs to look no further than his younger brother Rashidi, a Golden Boy signee who is unbeaten as well and coming off back-to-back wins over Eddie Gomez and John Karl Sosa in step-up fights. Big bro wants some of those fights sooner, rather than later.
“It’s hard to wait, but while I’m waiting I sit there and watch my little brother blossom and I watch the people around me and it gives me a little extra boost so that when it’s my time, I’m not gonna drop that ball,” he said. “We’re at that point where the competition gets stiffer and that’s what I’ve been waiting for. You never want to hear all these critics saying, ‘Oh, he never fought nobody.’ But everybody in this game was at that point once.”
How about some further inspiration in the form of the Charlo brothers, Jermall and Jermell? When the future world champions were on the way up, the younger (by one minute) Jermell was signed to Golden Boy and on the fast track while Jermall was winning but not getting the same push.
Sound familiar?
It does to Ellis, and it gives him hope that his day is coming.
“I feel like whoever opens the door first, they’re gonna be forced to look at the other brother,” he said. “We’re both at that stage where we can both land the big fight, and the whole point is just to stay ready so we won’t have to get ready.”
And make no mistake, Ronald Ellis is ready.
“I’m 28, so it’s now or never for me,” he said. “I’m trying to finish this year out with a bang and then starting next year, get right back on ShoBox, hopefully the main event spot, and then near summertime look for a title. I feel like I’m right there, so I just gotta stay sharp. I’m gonna get that call soon.”
