Injury-hit Ellis longs for a televised bout

Ishmael Ellis…career stalled by elbow and hand injuries

THE months of frustration continue for tattooed lightweight Ishmael Ellis, one of our region’s true gladiators.

The Birmingham fighter has struggled – and is still struggling – with a long-standing hand injury and tennis elbows, which have made every combination thrown excruciating.

The left hand has responded to treatment, the elbows have not, “Ish” candidly admitted.

Nevertheless, he plans to return before summer and that’s good for the game. The man who turned pro in 2016 with scant amateur background has been a near ever present on the small hall shows. He’s earned his stripes.

Ish is one of the game’s unsung heroes. He represents boxing’s bread and butter.

“The hand went in the third against Joe (Joe Duckers who outpointed him over 10 rounds for the Midlands lightweight title last July),” Ish told me. “The tennis elbows aren’t getting better, really.

“I wanted to be back by the end of March, but the arms can’t cope. Now I’m hoping to be back before summer.”

To an extent, Ellis has gained much more than expected under manager Jon Pegg. He’s won 14 of 20 and captured the Midlands title at the third attempt.

Previous title attempts were thwarted on points by Kane Baker and Jack O’Keefe.

He’s a stylish, polished operator without true “lights out” power.

“I’m happy with what I’ve achieved,” said Ish. “I’m just a gas engineer, I never intended to go pro.”

His record shows a steady rise in the class of opposition. After an apprentice, small hall grounding, progress was hampered by Covid and manager Pegg, with fighters clamouring for a payday on the few shows that took place without crowds present, wheeled and dealed to get his fighter work.

He succeeded, but that meant getting Ellis bouts where the odds were stacked against him.

Ish was stopped by Craig MacIntyre in Liverpool and current British light-welter champ Dalton Smith proved much to much. Pegg, with his fighter’s safety paramount, retired the Brummie at the end of the third.

“Dalton Smith was the best, 100 per cent,” said Ellis. “He was a different class. You’d think you were out of range and then get hit, not by one punch, but by combinations. I was thinking, ‘where did that come from?’”

Opportunities still beckon for Ellis – and his hunger for the game remains.

“I’m still looking for an English (title chance) and there’s the chance of fighting for a Midlands title at a different weight,” Ish added.

“Really, I’m just trying to get a nice fight, a TV fight, something to add to my resume. I don’t really want to go in there and fight another journeyman for the sake of it.”

Make no mistake, the boxing bug still burns bright within gas engineer Ishmael Ellis.