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A new Hometown Heroes banner for former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion James "Jimmy" Ellis was unveiled June 25 by the Greater Louisville Pride Foundation, according to a release.
The banner, located on the historic Murphy Elevator Building at 128 E. Main St., honors Ellis' legacy as reigning Heavyweight Champion between 1968 and 1970 before surrendering the title to Joe Frazier. Ellis also won the National 160-pound division of the Golden Gloves Tournaments in 1961.
A childhood friend of Muhammad Ali, Ellis maintained a brotherly relationship with him over the decades. Dr. Ferdie Pacheco, who worked with both Ellis and Ali, said Ellis' jump from middleweight to heavyweight in the mid-1960s was one of the most dramatic he could remember, project spokespeople said.
“It is fitting that Jimmy’s banner be installed on this beautiful historic building,” president and founding member of Greater Louisville Pride Foundation Mike Sheehy said in the release. “Jimmy’s success in and out of the ring earned him a place in the sport of boxing’s history books and endeared him to his fellow Louisvillians throughout his life and beyond.”
After retiring from boxing, Ellis served as a manager and trainer in the boxing world and remained involved in the Louisville community by working with youth groups, seniors and young boxers.
Ellis told the Washington Times in 2004 that all he ever wanted to be was "a good fighter and a good man." It was largely this quote made Greater Louisville Pride Foundation and Hometown Heroes spokesperson Jeanne Hilt confident he "embodied what the program is all about."
This story may update.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Greater Louisville Pride Foundation honors Jimmy Ellis with banner
Continue reading...
The banner, located on the historic Murphy Elevator Building at 128 E. Main St., honors Ellis' legacy as reigning Heavyweight Champion between 1968 and 1970 before surrendering the title to Joe Frazier. Ellis also won the National 160-pound division of the Golden Gloves Tournaments in 1961.
A childhood friend of Muhammad Ali, Ellis maintained a brotherly relationship with him over the decades. Dr. Ferdie Pacheco, who worked with both Ellis and Ali, said Ellis' jump from middleweight to heavyweight in the mid-1960s was one of the most dramatic he could remember, project spokespeople said.
“It is fitting that Jimmy’s banner be installed on this beautiful historic building,” president and founding member of Greater Louisville Pride Foundation Mike Sheehy said in the release. “Jimmy’s success in and out of the ring earned him a place in the sport of boxing’s history books and endeared him to his fellow Louisvillians throughout his life and beyond.”
After retiring from boxing, Ellis served as a manager and trainer in the boxing world and remained involved in the Louisville community by working with youth groups, seniors and young boxers.
Ellis told the Washington Times in 2004 that all he ever wanted to be was "a good fighter and a good man." It was largely this quote made Greater Louisville Pride Foundation and Hometown Heroes spokesperson Jeanne Hilt confident he "embodied what the program is all about."
This story may update.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Greater Louisville Pride Foundation honors Jimmy Ellis with banner
Continue reading...
