How do you guys he'd do? I think he'd be a P4Per today - He'd turn pro at 147lbs and finish around 175lbs. If he had all his boxing ability he'd be a dangerous guy with his physical attributes I think if he could be disciplined and stay at 168lbs he'd be a long reigning champ - but I'd be certain he'd go on a treasure hunt for lot's of different belt's up the ladder. Big fan of Jim.
He'd likely be an insanely dangerous KO artist at the lower weights. Dropped Bonavena and everything.
His rise to prominence as a heavyweight is an amazing and often overlooked boxing tale. I’m a huge Ellis fan. Dude could box but he had a lot of fighter in him and often chose to slug it out when it wasn’t in his best interest. To echo @mr. magoo, if there was a cruiser division at the time (say the original 190 limit, as a lot of heavies were still in the 190s/low 200s), he might have ruled it for a long time.
I think that’s a tough call - I think he’d do well but the guys there are 210-220lbs fighters like his own day. He’d have his best advantages at 175lbs. IMO.
Angie Dundee said Jimmy liked to eat too much. Shame because that heavyweight division at that time he fought was just too deep.
