Jimmy Ellis vs. Tony Doyle ~ March 2, 1971

[Bill Paxtom]

After Bout Analysis

Jimmy Ellis looked good. He was sleek {198 lbs.} and sharp. All those sparring sessions with Muhammad Ali and
Jeff 'Candy Slim' Merrit in late-1970 and early-1971 proved beneficial.

Jimmy dominated the entire fight, except for some 'rocky moments' in Round 4. Jimmy showed that he was back,
as he stopped a 'tough' Tony Doyle, who was a Top 20 challenger. At {Age; 31} Jimmy showed that he still had
a lot left-in-the-tank.

Jimmy Ellis >
"I proved that I'm the next Heavyweight to challenge for the Championship. The winner of the Championship Bout
between Joe Frazier - Muhammad Ali next week should to give me the next opportunity. All I need is one more
'strong fight', and then I'll be ready."

"I expected a bit more from Tony Doyle. I guess he was worried about my right-hand, and didn't want to take any
chances early. I got a little careless in Round 4, and he caught me coming in. I'll admit it, I was hurt bad for a few
moments. But I came back, and dropped him 'twice' in Round 7. I had the fight 'in-the-bag' so I cruised until the
last Round before I opened up on him."
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Tony Doyle lost the bout and a big opportunity. A win here, and 'Irish Tony' would have secured a Title Bout for the
late-Summer of 1971. Tony at {Age; 26 1/2} is still a young man, but too many tough fights {46-Bouts in 8-Years}
have apparently taken there toll.

Tony Doyle >
"I got smeared tonight. Jimmy was too fast for me. I only caught him once, as I had him in big trouble in Round 4,
but I couldn't finish him. He was too smart, and boxed really well tonight. And he punches harder than you think.
Now you can see why nobody wants to fight Jimmy Ellis. He's one tough cookie."

"I won't quit just yet. I'm still ranked in the Top 20. I have to put together a few wins, and then I'll give it one more try."