Ernie Terrell

Ernie Terrell was a heavyweight boxer who competed professionally from 1957 to 1973. Over the course of his career, Terrell amassed a record of 46 wins, 9 losses, and 0 draws across a total of 55 fights. He was an orthodox fighter who competed in the heavyweight weight class, standing at an impressive 6 feet 6 inches tall, and possessing an 82-inch reach.

Terrell entered professional boxing at a young age, making his debut against Norman Bolden in May 1957 at just 18 years old. He won that fight by a unanimous decision and went on to win seven more consecutive bouts, five of which came by way of stoppage.

Terrell's first world title fight came in March 1965 against Eddie Machen for the vacant WBA heavyweight title. After 40 professional fights, he defeated Machen via a 15-round unanimous decision to become heavyweight champion of the world.

Terrell's career highlights include notable victories over Bob Foster, George Chuvalo, Cleveland Williams, Amos Lincoln, Doug Jones, Herb Siler, and Tunney Hunsaker. Some of his best bouts include his win over Cleveland Williams via 10th round split-decision in April 1963, his world title win against Eddie Machen in March 1965, his successful title defense against George Chuvalo in November 1965, and his legendary fight against Muhammad Ali in February 1967.

During his time as WBA champion, Terrell defended his title twice: first against Doug Jones and then against George Chuvalo. However, many in the boxing world continued to recognize Ali as the undisputed champion, as he had not lost his championship in a bout. On March 29, 1966, Ali and Terrell were set to fight, but Terrell ultimately backed out, and Ali won a 15-round decision against substitute opponent George Chuvalo instead.

Finally, on February 6, 1967, Ali and Terrell faced off in what became known as one of Ali's nastiest fights of his career. Terrell had repeatedly called Ali by his birth name before the bout, as he had known him for years in the amateurs and hadn't gotten used to calling him by his new name. Ali, in turn, took extreme offense to this and vowed to punish Terrell, stoking the pre-fight antagonism further by labeling Terrell "an Uncle Tom n***** who is going to get his ass whupped". Ali won the fight by unanimous decision, reclaiming the undisputed championship.

Terrell went on to suffer an upset loss to Thad Spencer later in 1967 in the WBA heavyweight tournament organized after Ali was stripped of his title in April 1967. He eventually left the sport for three years before returning in 1970, winning seven consecutive fights before losing to Chuck Wepner by decision in what was a controversial loss. After a final loss to Jeff Merritt via 1st round TKO in September 1973, Terrell retired from the sport for good with a record of 46-9, which included 21 knockout wins and two losses via knockout, as well as one title win.

Outside of the ring, Ernie Terrell was also a talented musician and record producer. Following his retirement from boxing, he began a new career as a record producer in Chicago. He even ran for alderman of Chicago's 34th ward in 1987 but ultimately lost the runoff to Lemuel Austin. Terrell married Maxine Sibley in 1974 and the couple raised two children together.

Terrell passed away on December 16, 2014, at the age of 75 in a hospital in Evergreen Park, Illinois. He had been afflicted with dementia in his final years. He was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Chicago.

In conclusion, Ernie Terrell was a formidable heavyweight boxer whose record speaks for itself. Though he only held the world title once during his career, he was an accomplished fighter who stood tall amongst his peers. His notable victories over the likes of Bob Foster, George Chuvalo, Cleveland Williams, and Doug Jones cement his legacy as one of the greats of his era. Despite his ultimate loss to Muhammad Ali, Terrell's performance in the ring was nothing short of commendable, and his contribution to the sport of boxing will not be forgotten.

Ernie Terrell Fight Record