Jimmy Ellis vs Leotis Martin

Jimmy Ellis advanced to the semi-finals of the World Boxing Association’s heavyweight elimination tournament by stopping Leotis Martin in the ninth round at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, on 5 August 1967. Referee Ernie Taylor halted the contest after one minute and 43 seconds, with Martin bleeding heavily from facial injuries and no longer able to defend himself adequately. Ellis weighed approximately 194 pounds and Martin 192. The bout was scheduled for 12 rounds and shared the programme with Thad Spencer’s points victory over former WBA champion Ernie Terrell. An attendance of 13,946 produced receipts of $92,560, while the double-header was shown nationally by ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

The tournament had been arranged after the WBA stripped Muhammad Ali of its heavyweight championship following his refusal to enter the United States Army. Eight contenders were selected to provide a successor, although Joe Frazier declined an invitation and followed a separate course towards recognition in New York. Martin, a capable Philadelphia heavyweight with only one defeat in 25 professional contests, took Frazier’s place. Ellis had moved up after an uneven career as a middleweight, where he had lost to Rubin Carter, Holly Mims and George Benton and under the direction of Angelo Dundee, his speed and straight punching proved more effective against slower heavyweights. He received $50,000 for the tournament contest, while Martin was paid $22,500.

Ellis began with unusual force and drove Martin around the ring during the opening round. He landed a succession of hard right hands and left hooks, staggering Martin and repeatedly threatening an early finish. Martin remained upright, held when necessary and recovered sufficiently to land several left hooks to the body before the bell. Ellis had thrown heavily in his attempt to settle the contest at once, but the challenger’s resistance prevented him from obtaining the clean knockdown his attack appeared likely to produce.

Martin rallied in the second round, which proved to be his clearest success. Ellis suffered a slight cut over the left eye and became less adventurous, while Martin pressed behind hooks to the body and head. The wound ceased bleeding by the following session and never became a serious factor. Ellis resumed control in the third, bringing the right hand through Martin’s guard and opening a cut on his opponent’s face. The injury bled freely and became steadily worse as Ellis continued to land the straighter punches.

Martin fought back in the fourth, scoring with a right to the chin and a left hook to the head while Ellis relied more heavily upon his jab. The pace of Ellis’s opening attack had diminished, and Martin’s physical strength allowed him to remain competitive at close quarters. Ellis nevertheless regained the advantage with another hard right in the fifth. Martin was shaken but again refused to yield, answering whenever Ellis paused and attempting to force the quicker man into a slower, more physical contest.

There was a further shift during the sixth and seventh rounds. Ellis appeared to tire, and Martin pressed forward with greater confidence. The Philadelphia boxer worked towards the body, landed occasional hooks upstairs and made Ellis give ground. Martin’s face was by then badly marked, but his attack remained organised enough to keep the outcome in question. Ellis was ahead, though not beyond reach, and his inability to put Martin down had required him to expend considerably more energy than expected.

Ellis recovered in the eighth. He re-established the jab, moved sufficiently to prevent Martin from setting his feet and followed with short combinations. Martin’s cuts and swelling were now severe, and blood from his face marked both fighters. Ellis’s corner became concerned about the punishment and called for the referee or ringside doctor to inspect the injuries. Martin continued to advance, but his vision and defensive reactions were plainly deteriorating.

The end came in the ninth as Ellis concentrated upon the damaged areas with the jab and right hand. Martin’s face had become covered in blood, and he was absorbing clean punches without providing an effective reply. Taylor stepped between them at 1:43 and stopped the contest. Martin remained on his feet, but the intervention was necessary. His courage had carried him through the early assault and allowed him to recover rounds during the middle stages, yet the accumulated facial damage left no reasonable purpose in allowing the bout to continue.

Ellis was leading on every official card. Taylor had him ahead 77–74, judge Chris Johnson scored it 78–75, and Jimmy Webb returned a wider margin of 78–72. The Associated Press had Ellis in front by 79–72. The victory carried him into a semi-final against Oscar Bonavena, whom he defeated over 12 rounds after scoring two knockdowns. Ellis then outpointed Jerry Quarry in the tournament final to become WBA heavyweight champion. Against Martin, he had not enjoyed an easy passage, but his speed, right-hand leads and ability to regain control after tiring had supplied the first important victory of his heavyweight career.

The footage of this fight is grainy at best, but you can see Ellis’s superiority. Strange that he could make 160lbs and later beat a 192 lb heavyweight in this fashion.

Angelo Dundee moved him up, believing his speed and straight punching would trouble the bigger men. Leotis Martin was a legitimate contender with only one defeat and entered the tournament when Joe Frazier declined his invitation. Neither man was expected to become the eventual champion, which made the contest an important test for both.

The difference was Ellis’s speed and accuracy. His punches travelled straight, while Martin had to set himself before throwing. Once Ellis opened the cuts in the third, he repeatedly found the damaged areas with the jab and right hand. Martin kept pressing, but his face became a bloody mess, and his resistance did little except extend the punishment.

For me, this was the night Ellis proved the move to heavyweight had been the correct decision. Martin was brave and dangerous enough to test him, but Ellis had the quicker hands, better timing and cleaner technique. He did not dominate every minute, yet he recovered from his tired spell and systematically cut Martin to pieces.