Previously known almost exclusively for being selected as Manny Pacquiao's chief sparring partner in prep for the long-awaited May 2015 clash with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (brought in primarily to emulate Floyd's hand speed) - Ellis, now 14-0 with 11 knockouts, is poised and ready to start flashing his fists in front of TV audiences. He is appearing on the PPV undercard of Álvarez vs. Khan, although he is buried deep enough (in an 8-rounder, behind five 10-rounders) that he's extremely unlikely to be aired on the PPV except as tape-delayed filler in case most of the other co-features end in quick blitzes. Still, this high-profile card is a step in the right direction - as is the big step up in matchmaking. His opponent is the perhaps somewhat familiar Marco Antonio "El Kua-Kua" López. The gutsy Mexican has faced an impressive roster of names (including former champ Takahiro Aoh, future champ Kevin Mitchell, and blue chip prospect Felix Verdejo), and recently snapped an 0-3 skid (and more broadly, a run of 7 losses in nine outings) upsetting 9-2 Adrian Torres via KO1. This is a dynamic we have seen many times: a fast American boxer in the "slick & flashy" stylistic mold versus a much slower Mexican whose aim is to plod calmly behind a high guard and patiently wear his man down over time. Usually the former is victorious, unless their jaw gets exposed. This is made to order for Ellis to look impressive - perhaps to be spotted by at least some fans on a prelim show if one is run by HBO on any of its channels or streamed by Golden Boy anywhere. Passing the López test could open doors to proving himself "more than just a guy who gave Pacquiao decent work in sparring" - as some (like Shawn Porter) have done, and others (like Karim Mayfield) not so much. :think Of course, he is coming off a 14 month layoff and has fought nobody close to as good as the experienced and well-traveled López, so anything can happen. Check it... Ellis vs. Oscar Dias: [yt]rRm86tbLm7Y[/yt] Ellis vs. Bryan Abraham: [yt]6Pk9tr34Qps[/yt]
