Mathew Ellis

[spudder56]

How can you defend a sport as dangerous as boxing when you discover that a washed-up 44-year-old heavyweight is still permitted to fight somewhere in the world and nobody gives a damn? The heavyweight in question is Blackpool's Matthew Ellis, who comes off a two-round defeat to 52-year-old (you couldn't make it up) Ratko Draskovic last month in Germany but has another fight lined up according to the British forum at boxrec and then probably another and another, maybe this time against 22-year-olds. You worry where it all ends for a man who fights so sporadically it is plain dangerous because he can't be in fighting shape. The record says it all: Matthew last won a fight in 2008 and someone in boxing authority needs to think back all the way to Muhammad Ali and scream “enough is enough!” because look how it ended for Ali after maulings at the hands of a peak Larry Holmes and a potty Trevor Berbick in the early 1980s (although most of Ali's physical damage was done in the formidable heavyweight era of the 1970s)!
Ellis is no Ali but he did have fast hands and certainly looked the part when he turned pro as an ABA champion and England star back in February 1996 under the auspices of Liverpool promoter John Hyland, a former amateur star himself, but ambitious talk never walked the walk as Matthew lacked the size to make an impact among the heavyweight big boys and when he tried the cruiserweights, he took a pasting from Liverpool's Tony Moran. His options exhausted, he barely trained, piled on the weight and became a stepping stone for everyone from Enzo Maccarinelli and Audley Harrison to Tyson Fury and Tony Bellew, all of whom dropped him and dropped him until he refused to get up - yet he refuses to walk away.
Two fights ago, Matthew injured his ribs against someone called Billy “The Hitman” Corito, who belted him to the body until Ellis went down and stayed down in the third round. The 6ft 7ins Moran also got to him with body shots back in 2003, just as Maccarinelli did in two brutally one-sided rounds in 2008. It all adds up to health problems later in life, as it did for an Ali who no longer danced in the 1970s but allowed fighters to pound away at his body until his doctor, Ferdie Pacheco, walked away in 1977 when a urine sample after Ali's sickening 15-rounder with Earnie Shavers in Madison Square Garden showed pending kidney damage. “He'll never box in New York again,” Pacheco was told and Ali never did but he ploughed on into the abyss with four more outings before he was dragged away at the relatively young age (compared to Ellis) of 39. He died in hospital two years ago while undergoing kidney dialysis.
The warning signs are there for Ellis, who sported a full belly and a full beard against Corlito, the latter of which is illegal under normal boxing rules and tells you everything you need to know about the boxing company he keeps today. Matthew needs to take a long look at the men around him and a longer look at himself because ultimately he's responsible for himself and his own welfare. They say a fighter is the last to know when he's through but that's a big boxing lie. A fighter is the first to know.

Really is sad to see but he will continue until he carnt get a licence with any commission but that won’t be anytime soon as long as he’s got a few quid in his pocket he will get licensed simple as that I sincerely hope Matthew doesn’t get hurt

[leejonesjnr]

What country is he fighting in?
Which organisation is the governing body overseeing the show?

[spudder56]

What country is he fighting in?
Which organisation is the governing body overseeing the show?

Biba mate

[leejonesjnr]

What country is he fighting in?
Which organisation is the governing body overseeing the show?

Biba mate

Oh I see.
I assumed it was somewhere else as mimmy is a BIBA supporter generally.

[spudder56]

What country is he fighting in?
Which organisation is the governing body overseeing the show?

Biba mate

Oh I see.
I assumed it was somewhere else as mimmy is a BIBA supporter generally.

About sums biba up don’t it

[Sklar]

It's Mathew not Matthew, bennie.

[TheGoods]

Great write up from Bennie. Totally surreal that Ellis is still at it. The poor mush needs saving from himself. Genuinely upsetting.

[Neil Gee]

I didnt realise that Eliis was still fighting.

I remember back in 1997 I think it was he came in dressed as James Bond. He was unbeaten at the time in around 4 or 5 fights and was bombed out by a Russian novice. Thats when the bubble was burst. Im sure the pundits were comparing him to Billy Walker at the time.

Anyway hes still fighting possibly not bbboc but has a fight coming up.

I remember the James Bond outfit too, but I remember that when he took it off he looked seriously overweight, he obviously hadn't trained for the fight.

Strange how boxers who never took their conditioning seriously never know when to retire.

If Ellis had been fit he might have won the fight and continued his progress instead of slipping into opponent category as quickly as he did.

[jameswilson]

I somehow completely erased from my memory that Ellis fought Tyson Fury.

[TheGman]

I didnt realise that Eliis was still fighting.

I remember back in 1997 I think it was he came in dressed as James Bond. He was unbeaten at the time in around 4 or 5 fights and was bombed out by a Russian novice. Thats when the bubble was burst. Im sure the pundits were comparing him to Billy Walker at the time.

Anyway hes still fighting possibly not bbboc but has a fight coming up.

I remember that fight,then i remember him fighting audley and thinking he was too small for heavyweight

[Espada]

Can't believe he is still boxing, I rememeber him from years ago, there was some interview with him and his manager saying he would become the first billionaire athlete and would take over Lennox

He looked good in his first few fights then looked like he stopped training the James bond suit when he took it off was embarrassing

Wish him well though he sounded a nice lad

[punchoutsb]

I too wish he would retire. He was one of my favorites to watch back in the early 2000's. I remember getting really hyped for him against Bakhtov II. Both similarly sized guys, little tanks with maxed out frames.

At 44 he must realize brain damage will not be his friend.

[Oiky]

Should hang em up shouldn't he

[leejonesjnr]

I believe he didn’t box

[bripez]

Can't believe he is still boxing, I rememeber him from years ago, there was some interview with him and his manager saying he would become the first billionaire athlete and would take over Lennox

He looked good in his first few fights then looked like he stopped training the James bond suit when he took it off was embarrassing

Wish him well though he sounded a nice lad

Yep, along with Roman Greenberg he was often described as going to be boxings first billionaire.

As ridiculous as that may seem today, if you have got that many people blowing smoke up your arse you can see how it might affect a person - to go from that to boxing on BIBA shows for a few quid in your mid 40's must be hard to take.

[nobleart1978]

Ellis needs to come to his senses and pack it in otherwise he' going to get damaged, thats if he's not already.

A fella in our gym fights in Malta and on unlicensed shows. He's 42, got diabetes and limited vision in one eye.

Medical checks are non existent on these shows. Really sad.

[Floyd the snake]

The show which Matthew pulled out of sat night sanctioned by the BIBA and promoted by Lee Mcallister, went ahead with career light welterweight Mcallister filling in at heavyweight for Ellis how anybody can take BIBA seriously after that is beyond me , so dangerous letting bouts like that go ahead .

[spudder56]

The show which Matthew pulled out of sat night sanctioned by the BIBA and promoted by Lee Mcallister, went ahead with career light welterweight Mcallister filling in at heavyweight for Ellis how anybody can take BIBA seriously after that is beyond me , so dangerous letting bouts like that go ahead .
[/quote

Just a joke mate

[Espada]

Can't believe he is still boxing, I rememeber him from years ago, there was some interview with him and his manager saying he would become the first billionaire athlete and would take over Lennox

He looked good in his first few fights then looked like he stopped training the James bond suit when he took it off was embarrassing

Wish him well though he sounded a nice lad

Yep, along with Roman Greenberg he was often described as going to be boxings first billionaire.

As ridiculous as that may seem today, if you have got that many people blowing smoke up your arse you can see how it might affect a person - to go from that to boxing on BIBA shows for a few quid in your mid 40's must be hard to take.

You are right it must be hard to take, but I think he did let it go to his head if he had been dedicated he will have done much better.