Today in Boxing History: Joe Frazier stops Jimmy Ellis

On this day in 1970, Joe Frazier unified the heavyweight title with a 5th-round stoppage of Jimmy Ellis at Madison Square Garden.

When Muhammad Ali was stripped of his heavyweight championship for refusing induction into the U.S. military in 1967, his title was split. The WBA chose to crown its champion through a tournament, which Ellis won with a majority decision over Jerry Quarry in April of 1968. Frazier chose not participate in the tournament, and instead won the vacant New York State Athletic Commission World Heavyweight title by knocking out Buster Mathis in the 11th round in March of 1968.

While new champions were in place, the heavyweight division was still in disarray. After almost two years of separate titleholders, a unification bout was finally put together.

In the first round, Frazier began his trademark slow start. However, by the fourth round he was running at full speed and dropped Ellis twice. The WBA champion woozily returned to his corner tat the end of the fourth round. His trainer, Angelo Dundee, examined his fighter and stopped the bout before the beginning of the fifth.

For Ellis, it was his last title bout. Frazier held the belt until 1973 and cleared up the confusion in the heavyweight division by winning a 15-round decision over Ali in 1971. Frazier and Ellis met again in 1975 in what was a “last chance� bout for both fighters. This time, Frazier stopped Ellis in the ninth round.