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[October 20, 2003] For Carter Williams, anticipation of anything close to a smooth ride during his fighting debut in Japan quickly came to an end after the 23-year-old and his Modesto, California-based crew boarded their Osaka-bound plane on Tuesday, October 7th. But after Williams brilliantly kept his eyes on the prize following a near aircraft disaster and still wound up on the losing end of a controversial decision, he and trainer Gene Fields decided to fight back with a formal protest.
“I thought the decision was unfair,” said Williams candidly. “At the (post-fight) interview, they’re discussing how the fight is judged more by aggression and who created more damage. I was the one who created more damage; I was more of the aggressor. I thought I had it, but didn’t want to get my hopes all high at the end of the fight and throw my arms up in the air because I wasn’t sure if I really won the decision being that I was in an international fight.”
Williams’ dream-come-true of taking center stage in a major Japanese fighting arena turned into a brief nightmare when his United Airlines jet that was backing away from its San Francisco International Airport gate for departure was struck by an incoming A and A Airlines jet that was taxiing into its arrival gate. After the aircraft that caused the accident swiped a seven foot section of the wing off of the United Airlines plane, team Williams and the other shocked passengers aboard were forced to disembark and wait five hours for a new jet to take them to their destination.
A peaceful commute to Japan ensued during Williams’ second attempt to leave town and the American was ushered into a new world where K-1 prize fighting enjoys the attention of millions. “I could go on for days about Japan,” said Williams. “The people there are beautiful and humble. Even though we were two different people speaking two different languages, they took their time for us and were patient. They’re real polite, real courteous. As far as K-1 goes, they love it just like we love football. K-1 is one of the biggest sports out there and they treat the guys like royalty.”
While many dismissed Williams from being able to contend with 32-year-old opponent Ray Sefo, the 2000 World Grand Prix Finals runner-up and veteran of big-time K-1 fighting by nearly a decade, the younger fighter controlled the tempo of the first round in similar fashion to that which he did during throughout the K-1 USA eight-man elimination tournament in Las Vegas. “My combos were coming out and my focus was plus. There was nothing that was going to stop me,” Williams said. “You saw him hit me with his hardest blows that night. They couldn’t stop me. I was like an iron train that night.”
Midway through the first round, though, Williams tagged Sefo with two knee shots, each of which was ruled a low blow. The referee issued Williams a warning after the first shot and gave him a yellow card after the second blow. “I don’t know what angle the judges were watching from, but those blows were not low blows. The second one – from the side angle – it showed I hit him right in the gut.”
A round later, Williams continued to score with crisp punches and round kicks and succeeded in badly damaging Sefo’s left eye. While the two fighters were tangling against the ropes, Williams caught Sefo with a left elbow the head, an illegal blow that prompted the referee to give Sefo a rest period in his corner and issue both a yellow card and a red card to the American fighter. K-1 rules, however, stipulate that a red card may only be issued for an offense after two yellow cards have been dealt out for two separate, prior infractions of the rules. In this case, Fields explained, the referee mistakenly issued two cards - a yellow and red - for the same offense.
As for the elbow blow, Fields and Williams insisted that it was accidental. “When Carter goes on the ropes, he uses his weight and he’ll push on top when a guy gets rough with him,” explained Fields, Williams’ mentor of eight years. “Basically, that’s what he did. He twisted when he did it. I’m not trying to make any excuses and he’s not making any excuses. But, that’s exactly what happened. They called it an elbow and we weren’t going to argue it. You’ve got to have ethics and you’ve got to have morality and be gentlemen about it so we just took it in stride.”
When Sefo gave word that he was too badly injured from the blow to continue the bout, the fate of both fighters was left to the judges’ scorecards. Two of the three judges had Sefo ahead on points, thus giving him the victory. “How two guys had it unanimously in favor of Ray, I don’t know,” said Fields. “I’m not trying to take nothing away from nobody. We’re not trying to be the new kids in the park, but you saw, I saw, and the world saw (Carter) was put up with the number two guy in the world and he beat him fair and square.”
Team Williams has yet to hear back from K-1 headquarters in Japan with a response to its protest. In the meantime, though, Williams and Fields are hoping that they will be invited back to K-1’s homeland to compete on the December Tokyo Dome World Grand Prix Finals card either in a tournament reserve fight or in the eight-man tournament should a spot suddenly open up. “There’s more to this than people realize,” said Fields. “Carter’s repping all of The United States because nobody else out there is contending with these guys. This kid has stepped up and is standing with the best of the best and showing that we in the U.S. still got a chance and we can take this thing this year.”
Williams humbly commended the other Osaka participants for their performances. “All the fighters did really well. I want to congratulate Bonjasky and the rest of the guys who are going out to the eight man tournament in December,” said Williams. “I saw some things that I need to work on and I’m gonna get right to it. I’m gonna go back out there and give this another shot. I’m gonna go back out there with a vengeance and destroy anyone who they put in my path.”
“I thought the decision was unfair,” said Williams candidly. “At the (post-fight) interview, they’re discussing how the fight is judged more by aggression and who created more damage. I was the one who created more damage; I was more of the aggressor. I thought I had it, but didn’t want to get my hopes all high at the end of the fight and throw my arms up in the air because I wasn’t sure if I really won the decision being that I was in an international fight.”
Williams’ dream-come-true of taking center stage in a major Japanese fighting arena turned into a brief nightmare when his United Airlines jet that was backing away from its San Francisco International Airport gate for departure was struck by an incoming A and A Airlines jet that was taxiing into its arrival gate. After the aircraft that caused the accident swiped a seven foot section of the wing off of the United Airlines plane, team Williams and the other shocked passengers aboard were forced to disembark and wait five hours for a new jet to take them to their destination.
A peaceful commute to Japan ensued during Williams’ second attempt to leave town and the American was ushered into a new world where K-1 prize fighting enjoys the attention of millions. “I could go on for days about Japan,” said Williams. “The people there are beautiful and humble. Even though we were two different people speaking two different languages, they took their time for us and were patient. They’re real polite, real courteous. As far as K-1 goes, they love it just like we love football. K-1 is one of the biggest sports out there and they treat the guys like royalty.”
While many dismissed Williams from being able to contend with 32-year-old opponent Ray Sefo, the 2000 World Grand Prix Finals runner-up and veteran of big-time K-1 fighting by nearly a decade, the younger fighter controlled the tempo of the first round in similar fashion to that which he did during throughout the K-1 USA eight-man elimination tournament in Las Vegas. “My combos were coming out and my focus was plus. There was nothing that was going to stop me,” Williams said. “You saw him hit me with his hardest blows that night. They couldn’t stop me. I was like an iron train that night.”
Midway through the first round, though, Williams tagged Sefo with two knee shots, each of which was ruled a low blow. The referee issued Williams a warning after the first shot and gave him a yellow card after the second blow. “I don’t know what angle the judges were watching from, but those blows were not low blows. The second one – from the side angle – it showed I hit him right in the gut.”
A round later, Williams continued to score with crisp punches and round kicks and succeeded in badly damaging Sefo’s left eye. While the two fighters were tangling against the ropes, Williams caught Sefo with a left elbow the head, an illegal blow that prompted the referee to give Sefo a rest period in his corner and issue both a yellow card and a red card to the American fighter. K-1 rules, however, stipulate that a red card may only be issued for an offense after two yellow cards have been dealt out for two separate, prior infractions of the rules. In this case, Fields explained, the referee mistakenly issued two cards - a yellow and red - for the same offense.
As for the elbow blow, Fields and Williams insisted that it was accidental. “When Carter goes on the ropes, he uses his weight and he’ll push on top when a guy gets rough with him,” explained Fields, Williams’ mentor of eight years. “Basically, that’s what he did. He twisted when he did it. I’m not trying to make any excuses and he’s not making any excuses. But, that’s exactly what happened. They called it an elbow and we weren’t going to argue it. You’ve got to have ethics and you’ve got to have morality and be gentlemen about it so we just took it in stride.”
When Sefo gave word that he was too badly injured from the blow to continue the bout, the fate of both fighters was left to the judges’ scorecards. Two of the three judges had Sefo ahead on points, thus giving him the victory. “How two guys had it unanimously in favor of Ray, I don’t know,” said Fields. “I’m not trying to take nothing away from nobody. We’re not trying to be the new kids in the park, but you saw, I saw, and the world saw (Carter) was put up with the number two guy in the world and he beat him fair and square.”
Team Williams has yet to hear back from K-1 headquarters in Japan with a response to its protest. In the meantime, though, Williams and Fields are hoping that they will be invited back to K-1’s homeland to compete on the December Tokyo Dome World Grand Prix Finals card either in a tournament reserve fight or in the eight-man tournament should a spot suddenly open up. “There’s more to this than people realize,” said Fields. “Carter’s repping all of The United States because nobody else out there is contending with these guys. This kid has stepped up and is standing with the best of the best and showing that we in the U.S. still got a chance and we can take this thing this year.”
Williams humbly commended the other Osaka participants for their performances. “All the fighters did really well. I want to congratulate Bonjasky and the rest of the guys who are going out to the eight man tournament in December,” said Williams. “I saw some things that I need to work on and I’m gonna get right to it. I’m gonna go back out there and give this another shot. I’m gonna go back out there with a vengeance and destroy anyone who they put in my path.”
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