Ronald Ellis making up for lost time

The story of redemption is one Ronald Ellis 8-0 (6 ko) knows all too well. The middleweight takes the next step on that journey when he battles Guillermo Garcia on June 12 in Tijuana, Mexico. Now managed by Sheer Sports and training out of the Box and Burn gym in Santa Monica, California, Ellis recalls when his career hit a standstill and how he moved forward.

Photo C/O: Peter Politanoff

With a background in Karate, Ellis found boxing thanks to his uncle who introduced him to the sport. “It started about 11 years ago. My uncle brought me to the gym and it was love at first sight. I was young and they let the kids spar and I loved it,” said Ellis.

While Karate offered him discipline, it was the physical exchange and one on one competition that captured Ellis at young age. “In Karate you get a point and they break it up and in boxing you get the 3 minutes and I loved it,” said Ellis.

With a short amateur career consisting of 20 plus fights, Ellis wasted no time in winning a national title. “I won the national golden gloves in 2010 and turned pro after that. I moved to Puerto Rico and lived in Bayamon for a few months and turned pro out there,” said Ellis.

That led him to move to Puerto Rico where he would train alongside former junior middleweight champion Daniel Santos. As a sparring partner to Santos, the confidence grew as a fighter who felt like he belonged.

“Growing up my amateur coaches were Puerto Rican and they took me out there to spar with Daniel Santos. Right after that I turned pro. I wish I would have stayed amateur a bit longer to try and get to the olympics but it happened and I turned pro,” said Ellis.

The move to another state was big for a young man who grew up in Linden, Massachusetts and was used to competing in the New England area. “Growing up I liked it but I knew it was rough. I knew I had to keep occupied to avoid trouble. I was always into sports and I was playing basketball but once I started boxing, all that stopped,” said Ellis.

Every young fighter wants to get on the fast track to a world title. With the backing of a big promoter and the right fights, Ellis was on his way. The 24-year-old undefeated middleweight was on that path once, signed by Top Rank Inc and training out of Robert Garcia boxing academy in Oxnard, CA.

Along the way something happened that can hinder the progress of any athlete, and that is an injury.  “I moved to Florida and got signed by Cameron Dunkin who took me to Top Rank. They moved me out to California first and I was in Oxnard with Robert Garcia. I had a few fights. I got injured and had surgery on my elbow which led to Top Rank releasing me,” said Ellis.

The injury would cost him over a year of his career and left him with an uncertain future till early 2014 when he would sign with his current management team. “I got my elbow fixed and had physical therapy and felt like I had got a second chance. Before I signed with Sheer management, it had been 15 months since my last fight.I picked up a job as an electrician and that’s when Sheer Sports management called me in March and everything has been good. I fought in April and weeks ago I fought in Mazatlan, Mexico. Sheer Sports has never let me down and everything they have said, they have delivered,” said Ellis.

Growing up as a kid, Ellis was a fan of popular punchers like Julian Jackson, Felix Trinidad and Terry Norris. Now under the training of former heavyweight contender Courage Tshabalala he hopes to deliver the same kind of excitement the way those fighters did.

“Coming from that experience now I’m back where I belong and I’m training like a dog. I love it. I’m a boxer puncher and the last few fights they haven’t let me show my talents since they’ve been going down. I just want to stay busy. If I can I just want to keep fighting the second half of the year. Just a matter of time before everyone gets to see me and I’m a crowd-pleaser,” said Ellis.