Jimmy Ellis

[GJC]

I've always wondered why Jimmy Ellis went virtually straight from Middleweight to Heavyweight without stopping long at Light Heavy.
Anyone know why and how do we think he would have fared at LHW?
I guess we would be looking at the mid 60's Pastrano, Torres, Tiger era.

[sonnyboyx2]

I've always wondered why Jimmy Ellis went virtually straight from Middleweight to Heavyweight without stopping long at Light Heavy.
Anyone know why and how do we think he would have fared at LHW?
I guess we would be looking at the mid 60's Pastrano, Torres, Tiger era.

what a great fighter Jimmy Ellis was, he beat lots of very good heavyweights and was one of a kind from 160-200lbs until we seen Toney & Jones Jr... yet Ellis beat better men than both those guys did

[GJC]

what a great fighter Jimmy Ellis was, he beat lots of very good heavyweights and was one of a kind from 160-200lbs until we seen Toney & Jones Jr... yet Ellis beat better men than both those guys did

I agree very good fighter, but why no Light Heavy resume? I would have thought it would have been his optimum weight.

[Benncollinsaad]

He wanted the big money right away.

[Obama]

what a great fighter Jimmy Ellis was, he beat lots of very good heavyweights and was one of a kind from 160-200lbs until we seen Toney & Jones Jr... yet Ellis beat better men than both those guys did

Middleweights were fighting Heavyweights long before Jimmy Ellis, and beat better Heavyweights than he did. Difference between Ellis and Jones & Toney is simple, they were great at Middleweight, he wasn't great at any weight. Quite frankly he sucked at Middleweight.

Other Middleweights who found success in the Heavyweight Division:


Harry Greb (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Ezzard Charles (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Archie Moore (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Gene Tunney (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Charles Kid McCoy (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Bob Fitzsimmons (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Tommy Burns (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Jimmy Bivins (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Billy Conn (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Tommy Loughran (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Battling Levinsky (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Joe Choynski (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Maxie Rosenbloom (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Tommy Gibbons (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Jack Delaney (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Billy Miske (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Jack Root (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)

[sonnyboyx2]

Middleweights were fighting Heavyweights long before Jimmy Ellis, and beat better Heavyweights than he did. Difference between Ellis and Jones & Toney is simple, they were great at Middleweight, he wasn't great at any weight. Quite frankly he sucked at Middleweight.

Other Middleweights who found success in the Heavyweight Division:


Harry Greb (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Ezzard Charles (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Archie Moore (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Gene Tunney (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Charles Kid McCoy (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Bob Fitzsimmons (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Tommy Burns (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Jimmy Bivins (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Billy Conn (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Tommy Loughran (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Battling Levinsky (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Joe Choynski (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Maxie Rosenbloom (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Tommy Gibbons (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Jack Delaney (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Billy Miske (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Jack Root (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)

nothing wrong with the heavyweights Jimmy Ellis beat,
Chuvalo, Quarry, Patterson, Leotis Martin, Bonavena,

[GJC]

Middleweights were fighting Heavyweights long before Jimmy Ellis, and beat better Heavyweights than he did. Difference between Ellis and Jones & Toney is simple, they were great at Middleweight, he wasn't great at any weight. Quite frankly he sucked at Middleweight.

Other Middleweights who found success in the Heavyweight Division:


Harry Greb (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Ezzard Charles (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Archie Moore (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Gene Tunney (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Charles Kid McCoy (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Bob Fitzsimmons (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Tommy Burns (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Jimmy Bivins (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Billy Conn (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Tommy Loughran (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Battling Levinsky (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Joe Choynski (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Maxie Rosenbloom (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Tommy Gibbons (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Jack Delaney (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Billy Miske (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Jack Root (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)

No agree he wasn't a great middle but all the middles you mention fought at light heavy whereas ellis didn't, just find it suprising. Guess it must have been the money. Personally think he would have been weight drained at middle and a bit small at heavy but a perfect light heavy.

[TheGreatA]

A 190 pound cruiserweight division would have probably been the most suitable for his frame.

He wasn't truly a terrible middle, he fought a lot of top contenders early on and troubled all of them. Dundee thought he would be better at a higher weight and he was right.

[GJC]

A 190 pound cruiserweight division would have probably been the most suitable for his frame.

He wasn't truly a terrible middle, he fought a lot of top contenders early on and troubled all of them. Dundee thought he would be better at a higher weight and he was right.

Wouldn't argue with that but not an option in the mid 60s early 70s