Ellis-Bey’s father, Dawud Bey Al-Rasul, believes that his son following in Allen’s footsteps would strengthen his family’s connection to Philadelphia’s rich boxing lore. Allen’s father, Brother Nazim Richardson – who trained Philly legends Bernard Hopkins and Steve Cunningham – was of great importance to Al-Rasul and Ellis-Bey. Moreover, Al-Rasul learned how to train fighters from Elvin “Rev” Thompson, with input from Sloan Harrison and Edward Dennis. Ellis-Bey holds Dennis in high esteem because he was teammates with Leroy “Bucky” Davis – a Philly legend who made the USA Boxing team in 1988 but was sadly killed in 1990. The shadow of “Bucky” and his unrealized potential are still felt in the southwest Philadelphia region, where Ellis-Bey is from.
Salim Ellis-Bey excited to follow in footsteps of Philadelphia greats
