Ernie Terrell (born on April 4, 1939 in Belzoni, Mississippi) is an American singer, record producer, and former World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight boxing champion. At 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), he was very tall, by the standards of the day. By comparison, Muhammad Ali was 6 ft 3 in, and Joe Frazier was 5 ft 11 in. Terrell is the older brother of The Supremes' early 1970s lead singer Jean Terrell. In the 1960s, she sang with his group, "Ernie Terrell & the Heavyweights".In his early boxing career, Terrell defeated some good contenders, including Cleveland Williams (Terrell won the rematch by decision after losing to Williams in their first fight by knockout), Zora Folley, and future Light Heavyweight champion Bob Foster. But he's best remembered for his challenge to World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali, on February 6, 1967—a bout in which he was badly beaten.Ali was scheduled to fight WBA champion Ernie Terrell (the WBA stripped Ali of his title after his agreement to fight a rematch with Liston) on March 29, but Terrell backed out and Ali won a 15-round decision against substitute opponent George Chuvalo. World Boxing Association matched Terrell and Eddie Machen for the vacant crown. Terrell defeated Machen to win the belt on March 5, 1965. He held it until February 6, 1967 when he lost to Muhammad Ali. During this time, most in the boxing world continued to recognize Ali as the legitimate champion, since he had not lost his championship in a boxing match. The WBA's rival, the World Boxing Council, also continued to recognize Ali as champion.During his reign as WBA Champion, Terrell defended the title twice, beating Doug Jones and George Chuvalo.In 1967, Ali and Terrell met to end the confusion about who was the legitimate heavyweight champion. Before the bout, Terrell repeatedly called Ali by his birth name. He explained later that he had known Clay for years in the amateurs and hadn't gotten used to calling him another name. Ali took offense to this, as he had in a previous fight with Ring Legend Floyd Patterson where Patterson chose to call Ali 'Clay.' Ali said he would punish Terrell as he had punished Patterson. Ali won a lopsided 15 round decision, reclaiming the undisputed Championship. The fight is recounted by the film Ali starring Will Smith. Terrell lost an upset 12 round decision later in 1967 in the WBA Heavyweight Tournament which was organized after Ali was stripped of his title in April 1967.In 55 professional fights, Terrell earned a record of 46 wins (21 by knockout), nine losses and no draws. He retired from boxing in 1973 and began a career as a music producer in Chicago, Illinois, the city where he attended Farragut Career Academy.Ernie Terrell ran unsuccessfully for alderman of Chicago's 34th ward in 1987. He finished second in the primary but lost to Lemuel Austin in a runoff.
[talking about the damage Muhammad Ali inflicted on him during their match] I had a great chance to win that fight. I was bigger than Ali at that point. But during the second round of the fight, we got caught in a headlock and he took his thumb and poked it in my eye. And my eye slits like it's an egg, that's what the doctors explained to me.
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[on what he learned after the Muhammad Ali fight] When the fight was almost reaching the end, I was out on my feet, I was blind from the two eyes, I was bleeding from my nose, mouth and ears, Ali kept shouting, "What's my name?" and, hoping that he would just finish me and end my suffering, I answered to him, almost begging. "It's Muhammad Ali, it's Ali, please, enough!". The most poignant thing during the beating wasn't the punches or Ali screaming to me, but the fact that I knew that my wife and family were watching at that ringside, the humiliation hurt more.
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Resides in Chicago where he promotes fights and is active in charity and community service. [March 2005]
$1.7 Million
