afriring@tiscali.co.za

JEFF ELLIS

Welcome to the African Ring Memorabilia Website. Enjoy the journey!

I have known Jeff Ellis as a friend and a boxing colleague for more than 40 years.

He has been through all the facets of the boxing game, first as a professional fighter when he fought as a heavyweight in the mid 1970’s and faced fighters like Jimmy Abbott and Kallie Knoetze.

Jeff also had many rounds of sparring sessions with top fighters like Johnny du Plooy, Gerrie Coetzee, Mike Schutte, Jan Kies and many others including overseas fighter visiting South Africa.

After retiring from the ring Jeff trained and managed fighters, and also worked with top trainers – Willie Toweel and Willie Lock.

He also served as a commissioner on the South African Boxing Board of Control and as a representative for the World Boxing Union.

In 1993 Jeff ventured into the promotional side of boxing and put on some of the finest small hall tournaments at the Brixton Palace; and without a doubt could be called the best small hall promoter of all-time in South Africa.

Subsequent to that Jeff got a call from South Africa’s most successful promoter Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves Promotions who has been promoting since August 1977 and should be in the Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, to produce the program for the Lennox Lewis vs Hasim Rahman world heavyweight championship bout at Carnival City near Brakpan on 22 April 2001. The rest is history as he continues to work for Golden Gloves with his wife Marie to this day.

Operating mostly at Emperors Palace for Golden Gloves Promotions which includes Box and Dines they produce top class organisation at the shows.

Throughout the years he has positioned himself as one of only a few collectors of boxing memorabilia in South Africa, and also published the informative African Ring magazine for a number of years

His collection has many rare fight programmes dating back to before the 1920’s, and some 50 000 fight photographs on file which include rare autographed photos.

His collection of boxing memorabilia and photographs started many years ago and has grown enormously over the years.

Boxing memorabilia from hard-core collectors like Andre de Vries, Ron Jackson, and from Eric Moolman, Bert Blewett, Chris Lessing, Les Muller, Gary Gordon, Chris Greyvenstein who have all passed away, have found its way to the heart of his collection which is gradually taking over his home.

His integrity is beyond reproach and I would recommend him to anyone who wishes to conduct business with him. Aside from numerous awards throughout his more than 50 years in boxing, the ultimate recognition for him came in 2018 when he received a lifetime achievement award from Boxing SA for his contribution to boxing.

Yours sincerely

Ron Jackson

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