Jeff Fenech vs Lester Ellis

I'm not going to debate anything that's been said here because it's pretty much semantics, but I think you're overlooking the fact that Jeff, who at best was a Super feather & lester was a light Welter/welter.

Given the nature of these two aggressive fighters & thier chins, I suspect it would have come down to weight.

Carlos Zarate caught Jeff with a sternum punch that made the him look like someone pulled his plug out.

I dunno, but I can't agree that a S Feather would "monster" a L welter at this level :?

 

i was at the old horden pavillion that night......and way back. i didnt see the kd but i dont think it was ruled such. fenech monstered him from then on. i cant remember what stopped the fight.?

its said zarate retired more livers than alcohol......and in todays idea of boxing careers, he wasnt passed it yet either....

 

a few months later zarate was bashed by zaragoza, who fenech had monstered 18 months earlier.

 

id say jeff as much as i hate his theiving DOG ass lol xx

 

There is no way Nelson had malaria in the first bout. That he even suggested it forever lowered his standing in my book.

In the lead up to the second bout it was reported in the boxing press that he had an elbow injury at the time of the first bout, that was later verified by a WBC official. Fair dibs if so, but the malaria excuse is just a crock.

 

Didn't Nelson's wife die shortly before the first fight with Fenech ?

 

Ellis too big for Fenech. TKO

 

An accidental headbutt caused a cut to Fenech's eye which stopped the fight which then went to the cards. Fenech thought he'd lost by TKO and was about to lay into Zarate after the fight was stopped. Zarate covered up waiting for it. Magnificent sportsmanship by Jeff atsch

Zarate was well past it by this stage

 

Zarate, at 36, was certainly past his best by Fenech - 7 years of retirement was also not advantageous.

But as we know, years earlier Zarate was an absolute wrecking ball, and to his credit said Fenech would have troubled him at any stage of his career.

 

we need a wrecking ball for mundine.....retired....any thoughts?

 

yeah right......Zarate actually pushing and insulting jeff after the bell had nothing to do with it..

 

I remember at the time, this fight was discussed a bit, and i always thought this.

Fenech is hard to judge. I think his prime ended before Nelson I, with his hand problems and multiple retirements. And he was definitely a class or two above Lester. Fenech was invincible in his prime, but later in his career his chin was showed to be dentable (like everyone elses).

And lester showed in losing to Calvin Grove taht while he was brave against this level of fighter, he wasnt really up to the task. I think the Fenech Ellis would ahve been a great fight, but in the end, despite size Fenech would simply be too classy and wins. Either by late stoppage or wide decision.

 

Fenech was a great fighter, a tough, walk forward punching machine. He really was a mauler, a thug and a bully, but he anything but, Boilermaker, classy. He was also one dimensional (albeit very good at that dimension) and small (he was, after all bees'dick weight champion).
Ellis, at least in his first incarnation, was a boxer as well as fighter, and was bigger.
I remember a lot of media interest of the time about a local super fight between the two of them and, from memory, Fenech was less than interested. There was a rumor going around at the time that Lester had sparked Jeff during a sparing session down at the Fitzroy Star gym, Knocked him out cold. One of Lester's brothers has since confirmed this with me (as well as a few others that claimed to be there).
Lets not forget that Fenech suffered a devastating knockout by Calvin Grove in '93 and and three months later Ellis lost a close points decision to Grove (although losing in similar fashion to Fenech in a rematch nearly three years later).
Taking all this into account I think Ellis would have been to big, tough and slick for fenech had they met in the mid eighties.