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How good was this contender? I understand he was never as strong after a gunshot wound. Please fell free to comment on his career.
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Most fans think of Williams as an early 60's campaigner in Ali's era however he started in 1950-1! He was a decent guy without any amateur background to speak of, he had good size (6' 3") and long arms. As he fought on he had ups & downs but remained a top ten contender for a ten year period. As his longevity carried on he became a trail horse type guy that was a test for young up and coming fighters. His big losses were tko's to Liston and Ali. His biggest wins were against Ernie Terrell, Billy Daniels and Alonzo Johnson.
He was shot by a police officer at a traffic stop and lost a kidney from the incident. He returned to the ring and had an offer to fight Ali and did!
Having one kidney myself I can't imagine fighting with a missing one. Your side is extremely venerable, the mass of the organ takes up a lot of space and without it a punch can go much deeper than anyone would think. Tuff guy!
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Yeah he was tough as hell, those fights against liston are good. Ali seemed to know where to hit cleveland in the body, one of the few fights you actually see ali go to the body.Comment
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From The New York Times obituary:
[After the shooting incident] Williams lost almost 60 pounds off his 6-foot-4-inch, 220-pound frame, but he regained strength by tossing 80-pound hay bales on a cattle ranch in Yoakum, Tex., owned by his manager, Hugh Benbow.
He returned to the ring on Feb. 8, 1966, in Houston, receiving a 10-minute ovation from his hometown fans that began when he walked down the aisle and didn't conclude until he appealed for quiet with a finger to his lips.
The Houston Post said it was ''the greatest single ovation ever paid one man in Houston athletics.''
(He won by a 1st-round KO.)
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Originally posted by Ben Bolt View PostFrom The New York Times obituary:
[After the shooting incident] Williams lost almost 60 pounds off his 6-foot-4-inch, 220-pound frame, but he regained strength by tossing 80-pound hay bales on a cattle ranch in Yoakum, Tex., owned by his manager, Hugh Benbow.
He returned to the ring on Feb. 8, 1966, in Houston, receiving a 10-minute ovation from his hometown fans that began when he walked down the aisle and didn't conclude until he appealed for quiet with a finger to his lips.
The Houston Post said it was ''the greatest single ovation ever paid one man in Houston athletics.''
(He won by a 1st-round KO.)
Those fans are what are so special, they supported this guy who showed real courage in adversity...This courage made him great. He also had a decent runComment
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Came to think about Cleveland "Big Cat", and **** Tiger, watching this.
One comment on youtube is "Is it possible that theres a string being held just out of shot, and the cat really doesnt give a **** about the boxing" but according to Animal Planet the cat is really reacting to the TV screen.
Well, why ruin a good story ...
Last edited by Ben Bolt; 08-27-2014, 06:32 PM.Comment
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