Ernie Terrell (born on April 4, 1939 in
Belzoni, MississippiBelzoni is a city in Humphreys County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region, on the Yazoo River. The population was 2,663 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Humphreys County. It was named for the 19th century Italian archaeologist/explorer Giovanni Battista Belzoni...
) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer,
record producerIn the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
, and former
World Boxing AssociationThe World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title, at the professional level. It is also the most major title out of the four. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
(WBA)
heavyweight boxing champion. He was very tall, by the standards of the day: about 6'5" or 6'6" - so one of the tallest champions ever.
Terrell is the older brother of
The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
's early 1970s lead singer
Jean TerrellJean Terrell is an American R&B and jazz singer, singularly known for having replaced Diana Ross in The Supremes in 1970.-Early life and career:...
. In the 1960s, she sang with his group, "Ernie Terrell & the Knockouts".
In his early boxing career, Terrell defeated some good contenders, including
Cleveland WilliamsCleveland "Big Cat" Williams was an American heavyweight boxer who fought in the 1950s through the 1970s. A Ring Magazine poll once rated him as one of the finest boxers who never won a title. Williams turned professional in 1951 and fought the best heavyweights of his era. He is best known for...
,
Zora FolleyZora Folley was an African-American heavyweight boxer.Born in Dallas, Texas, he moved with his family to Chandler, Arizona in 1942, where he grew up playing baseball. Upon joining the U.S. Army in 1948, he entered the boxing ring, and won the 6th Army championship within a year, eventually...
, and future Light Heavyweight champion
Bob FosterBob Foster is a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA whom many boxing critics consider to be one of the greatest Light Heavyweight world champions in history. As an amateur he won a silver medal at the 1959 Pan American Games....
.
Ernie Terrell (born on April 4, 1939 in
Belzoni, MississippiBelzoni is a city in Humphreys County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region, on the Yazoo River. The population was 2,663 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Humphreys County. It was named for the 19th century Italian archaeologist/explorer Giovanni Battista Belzoni...
) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer,
record producerIn the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
, and former
World Boxing AssociationThe World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title, at the professional level. It is also the most major title out of the four. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
(WBA)
heavyweight boxing champion. He was very tall, by the standards of the day: about 6'5" or 6'6" - so one of the tallest champions ever.
Terrell is the older brother of
The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
's early 1970s lead singer
Jean TerrellJean Terrell is an American R&B and jazz singer, singularly known for having replaced Diana Ross in The Supremes in 1970.-Early life and career:...
. In the 1960s, she sang with his group, "Ernie Terrell & the Knockouts".
In his early boxing career, Terrell defeated some good contenders, including
Cleveland WilliamsCleveland "Big Cat" Williams was an American heavyweight boxer who fought in the 1950s through the 1970s. A Ring Magazine poll once rated him as one of the finest boxers who never won a title. Williams turned professional in 1951 and fought the best heavyweights of his era. He is best known for...
,
Zora FolleyZora Folley was an African-American heavyweight boxer.Born in Dallas, Texas, he moved with his family to Chandler, Arizona in 1942, where he grew up playing baseball. Upon joining the U.S. Army in 1948, he entered the boxing ring, and won the 6th Army championship within a year, eventually...
, and future Light Heavyweight champion
Bob FosterBob Foster is a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA whom many boxing critics consider to be one of the greatest Light Heavyweight world champions in history. As an amateur he won a silver medal at the 1959 Pan American Games....
. 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 MachenEdward Mills Machen was born in Redding, California, on June 15, 1932. Machen was a convict turned boxer. His 64-bout career began on March 22, 1955, and he went on to win his first 24 bouts....
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 AliMuhammad Ali is a retired American boxer and three-time World Heavyweight Champion, who is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight champions. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome...
. 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 CouncilThe World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
, also continued to recognize Ali as champion.
During his reign as WBA Champion, Terrell defended the title twice, beating
Doug JonesDoug Jones was an American Heavyweight Boxer.- Boxing career :Doug "Pugilism" Jones started off his career successfully with 18 consective wins against mostly lightly regarded opponents, until his first loss occurred at the hands of Eddie Machen. He lost his next two fights, and the third a draw...
and
George ChuvaloGeorge Louis Chuvalo, CM is a retired Canadian heavyweight boxer who was never knocked down in ninety-three professional fights between 1956 and 1979. He is often considered to have had the greatest chin in the history of boxing...
.
In 1967, Ali and Terrell met to end the confusion about who was the legitimate heavyweight champion. Before the bout, Terrell chose to call Ali by his birth name, Cassius Clay, rather than his adopted
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
name. Ali took offense to this, as he had in a previous fight with Ring Legend
Floyd PattersonFloyd Patterson was an American 2-time world heavyweight boxing champion. At 21, Patterson was then the youngest man to win the world heavyweight championship and, later, the first to regain it...
where Patterson chose to call Ali 'Clay.' Ali said he would punish Terrell as he had punished Patterson, having beaten on Patterson for 12 rounds, having him hurt but not knocking him out so that he could continue to punish him. Ali shoved Terrell during an interview with
Howard CosellHoward William Cosell was an American sports journalist.-Early life:Cosell was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to Nellie and Isidore Cohen, who was an accountant. He was raised in Brooklyn, New York. His parents had wanted him to become a lawyer...
which almost led to a brawl.
Ali did what he said he would, beating on Terrell the entire fight, having him hurt badly but purposely not knocking him out, wanting to beat on him more and punish him for not calling him by his chosen name. Ali screamed at Terrell "What's my name, Uncle Tom?" as he battered him with lightning fast punches that kept cutting Terrell's face. With blood streaming down his nose and mouth, and his eyes swollen shut from the earlier lightning punches, Ernie could barely see Ali's fists coming. People were disgusted with the humiliation Terrell received from Ali. Ali won a lopsided 15 round decision, reclaiming the undisputed Championship. By the end of the fight, Terrell's face was reduced to a bloody pulp. Terrell claimed the reason for this was due to being fouled by Ali. Terrell said Ali thumbed in the eye which closed his eye, which made Terrell change his style. This would inhibit the chance to win the fight and Ali went on to win a lopsided unanimous decision. The fight is recounted, though not entirely accurately, by the film
AliAli is a American biographical film directed by Michael Mann. The film tells the story of boxing icon Muhammad Ali from 1964 to 1974 featuring his capture of the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston, his conversion to Islam, criticism of the Vietnam War, banishment from boxing, his return to fight...
starring
Will SmithWillard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. is an American actor, film producer and rapper. He has enjoyed success in music, television and film. Newsweek has called him the most powerful actor on the planet...
.
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.
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.