We here at Notinhalloffame.com have to apologize as we are late to acknowledge the passing of former World Boxing Association Champion, Ernie Terrell, who passed away a few days ago at the age of 75.
Terrell became a professional boxer in 1957 and would work his way up the rankings until he received a title shot in 1965 when he fought Ernie Machen for the vacant WBA Heavyweight Championship. The belt became vacant, when Muhammad Ali vacated the championship (he was still the WBC Champion) when he took a fight against former champion Sonny Liston instead. Terrell would defeat Machen to become the WBA World Heavyweight Champion.
Terrell would successfully defend the championship against Canadian, George Chuvalo and Doug Jones but it was a match against Muhammad Ali that the public craved. That re-unification bout would take place in 1967 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas.
Muhammad Ali would win the match, while taunting Terrell saying “What’s My Name?”, as Ali had changed his name from Cassius Clay, the name that Terrell would only refer to him as.
After that loss, Terrell would lose to Thad Spencer and Manuel Ramos and retire at the end of 1967, until he returned in the early 70’s, though he would not become a serious Heavyweight contender.
Terrell would officially retire with a very respectable record of 46 and 9.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends and family of Ernie Terrell at this time.
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