What is your opinion on Ali-era champions Jimmy Ellis and Ernie Terrell

Ellis was decent,he got away from a questionable decision vs Patterson,but he's still very skilled.
Terrell was tough,but he's pretty dirty at times and a big spoiler when he wanted to...

 

Ellis was an Ali exile era "champion".

 

I think James Ellis has the better claim on being Lineal Champion than Ernie Terrell does. With Muhammad Ali forced into inactivity, and Joe Frazier refusing to participate in the WBA tournament, a case could be made that the #2 and #3 fought for the vacant title. The criteria is usually #1 and #2 fight to fill the vacancy, or, if #1 refuses to fight #2 or #3, then #2 and #3 can fight for the vacant title. It may or may not be a very weak claim, but it is better than Ernie's claim, with Miuhammad Ali still an active Champion.

 

Honestly I sound mean and I’m a nobody compared to those guys but if you’re comparing them to every “champion” that’s existed at heavyweight…. Ernie sort of wasn’t very good and Ellis was just pretty good.

 

Not too much.

 

Who set out these criteria?

 

I think both fighters are somewhat underrated on the whole, especially Ellis. They both racked up a respectable set of wins that get overshadowed by how poorly they fared in their unification efforts vs. a pair of ATGs.

 

Yes, the tournament Ellis won was a respectable tournament with the participation of eight legitimately rated fighters. The "tournament" Terrell won was a joke comprised of just one fight against a hand-picked washed-up Eddie Machen. You raise several very good points, particularly the comment about Ali still being active at the time.

 

For Decades this has been used by Ring Magazine, and others, to replace a retired Lineal Champion. A recent example is when Wladimir Klitschko (#1 Contender) defeated Ruslan Chagaev (#3 Contender) for the Lineal Heavyweight Championship. At that time the #1 and #2 Contenders would not fight each other, but the #1 Contender was willing to fight #3.

 

I dont think highly of either of them to be honest

 

Number 1 vs number 2/3, yes. But there was never a situation when the king was crowned after the number 2 vs number 3 match up. Nobody considered Ellis a legit champion. Frazier vs Ellis was the battle for the crown after they established themselves as the best of the bunch.

 

Up for grabs for me. I think it would end in a close decision either way