[Rocco Del Sesto]

01/17/67 Tuesday
Sacramento, CA, USA
Fred Lewis – HW (21-4-1) vs. Ray (Junior) Ellis – HW (2-3-0)

Fred Lewis - USA Rating 3
Heavyweight 1956-73
38 wins / 15 losses / 1 draw / 24 KO

Hometown: Colorado Springs, CO
Manager: Jim Malcolm

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Lewis' career had 2 distinct phases to it. From June 1956 thru December 1958 he fought mostly the usual array of local area club fighters and lower echelon journymen fighters to accumulate a 17-4-1,11KO record. His biggest fights in that time period were a 3rd round TKO loss to Al(Tiger) Williams(40-40-5,8) and then a 2nd round KO win over Hal Boylston(16-3-1) which ended up being Boylston's last fight. In September 1957 Lewis defeaed Larry Melton(1-5-0,1) for the Arizona State Light Heavyweight Title. Lewis fought and won one more fight in 1957 and then fought and won 5 out of 6 fights in 1958. But, after consecutive wins in November and December 1958 against Mexican HW Negro Lira in Nogales, Mexico, Lewis then hung the gloves up for about 7-1/2 years.

In August 1966, Lewis started a comeback in the world of heavyweight boxing winning the first of 4 straight KO victories in 1966. He then defeated Ray (Junior) Ellis in early 1967 by 7th round TKO and then won a 10 round decision over Bobby Stininato(41-19-2,17) in February. That set up a March 1967 meeting in Sacramento, CA against Henry Clark for the California State HW Title. The Scheduled 12 rounder went the full distance, but Lewis suffered his first defeat after 6 wins on his come back trail. Lewis never got a chance to fight for any other kind of title, but over those years from 1966 thru 1973 in this second life of his career he posted a 21-11-1,13KO record against a good number of fighters we've seen in the TBCB game. Those fights include wins over Charley Leslie, Hank Casey, Georgie Johnson, Charley Polite, Lou Bailey, Charlie Jordan, Charlie Reno and Eduardo Corletti. He lost fights against Roger Rischer, Bill McMurray, Leslie, Henry Clark again in 1972, Jack O'Halloran, and finally to Pat Duncan and John Conteh in 1973 to end his career for good.

Ray (Junior) Ellis - USA Rating 1
Heavyweight 1965-71
6 wins / 12 losses / 0 draws / 6 KO

Hometown: San Francisco, CA

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Ray's career started out against a top LHW of the era, Eddie Jones (36-15-3,14). Ellis KO'd Jones in the first round! His very next opponent a month later is non other then Jerry Quarry who is 5-0 in his very young career. This is a scheduled 6 round fight which Ellis manages to go the distance with Quarry but looses it in the end. After a 1st round KO of a guy named John Henry Jackson(8-12-2,5), Ellis meets Quarry in a rematch in late September 1965. Quarry beats Ellis again, this time though Jerry KO's Ellis in the 3rd round. Ellis fights one time in 1966 loosing a 10 round decision to Emil Umek from Germany then in January 1967 he meets Fred Lewis(38-15-1,24). Lewis is the victor by 7th round TKO.

After a 1st round KO of LHW George Gaston(6-4-0,3), Ellis' career goes pretty much south ending 3-8-0,3 in his last fights. He lost by 2nd round KO to Mac Foster in 1967. Ellis finishes his career with straight KO losses to Ken Norton, Ron Stander and Pat Duncan.

The Fight....
Fred Lewis started his career 10-1/2 years come this January day in 1967. In building his 21 victories up till now, it’s been the usual array of club fighters and low rank journeymen as his opponents. He lost by 3rd round TKO to Al (Tiger) Williams in 1956 and later that same year KO’d in the 2nd round Hal Boylston. He fought until November 1958 beating a Negro Lira for a second straight fight, and then Lewis strayed away from the ring for almost 8 years. He started a comeback in August 1966 with consecutive wins over George Thomas, Al Carter, Eddie Land and LHW-Fred Roots (27-23-6 career). Ray Ellis’ career is going through a stumbling start. Of his 3 losses though, 2 have been against Jerry Quarry who is just in the beginning stages of his career also. Ellis has fought only one time in all of 1966 since a 3rd round KO at the gloves of Quarry in September 1965. In March 1966 Ellis lost a 10 round decision to German Emil Umek, so Ellis is looking to this fight with the veteran Lewis to jump-start his sputtering career. Ellis’ hopes to get things rolling against Lewis ended in disappointment as the fight was stopped in the 7th round handing Lewis a TKO victory.
Our replay fight was quite exciting and looked to be as if Ellis was going to carry an upset. For the first 5 rounds of this scheduled 10 round affair, Ellis really took it to Lewis. Round one was all Ellis as he peppered Lewis with jabs and combinations to out point Fred 15-1. Round 2, Lewis finally mounted an offense and this was a tough round with both landing punches on equal terms. The points scored the judges cards scored all a tie in this round 10-10 each after all three judges gave round 1 to Ellis 10-9. Lewis came out quick in round 3 and landed a hard shot seconds into the round that made Ellis blink, but he didn’t take advantage and Ellis fought himself back into the round enough to edge him in that round. Round 4 was pretty even through the first 2-1/2 minutes with neither fighter able to land a whole lot when all of a sudden, Ellis throws a wild overhand right that catches Lewis flush and he drops to one knee where he stays taking an 8 count. Interestingly judges 2 and 3 give the round to Ellis 10-8 with the drop of Lewis, but judge one scores it only 10-9, Ellis. Round 5 after the brief, quick excitement toward the end of round 4, kind of lulls the crowd to sleep. Ellis again forces most of the action landing enough to convince judges 1 and 2 to give him the round 10-9. Judge three though sees it as another even round. So round 5 ends with Ellis in control of the fight. He’s ahead on all three judges cards, 50-46, 50-45, 50-46, and with Lewis showing no real signs of being able to come in and connect with any of his punches except for that 2nd round, this fight would look to be in control and won by Ellis. Well, this ringside observer sure was fooled! Round 6 started out again with Ellis taking it to Lewis landing a strong cross and a straight right stopping Lewis in his tracks. Ellis maneuvers into the right corner then the fighters circle around into the center of the ring……all of a sudden…BAM!!…Lewis lands a perfect uppercut that sends Ellis slumping to the canvas! Ellis takes a three count then manages to gather himself up, but, his legs look wobbly and Ellis is suddenly looking fatigued in this fight for the first time! After wrapping Ellis up for a few seconds, Lewis then connects with a solid hook and drops Ellis for a 2nd time in the round at the 1:52 mark! This time Ellis can’t make it up! A sudden, shocking finish to this fight…KO at the 2:01 mark in the 6th round for Fred Lewis over Ray (Junior) Ellis!!