Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams (June 6, 1933 - September 3, 1999) was an American heavyweight boxer who fought in the 1950s through the 1970s. A Ring Magazine poll once rated him as one of the finest boxers never to win a title. He made an imposing figure, tall with an impressive athletic broad shouldered build.
Williams turned professional in 1951 and fought many of the best heavyweights of his era.
During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the 6 ft 3 in Williams was a top-rated heavyweight. His quest to obtain a title fight, however, was consistently derailed. First he was knocked out by Liston on April 15, 1959, after hurting Liston early and breaking Liston's nose.
Williams recovered from the Liston fight to score more wins, but was again stopped by Liston in 2 rounds in their rematch on March 21, 1960. His quest for the title was later stalled when he was held to a draw by Eddie Machen on July 10, 1962, and when he dropped a split decision on March 13, 1963 to Ernie Terrell, a fighter he had previously knocked out in 7 rounds in 1962. During this time frame, he defeated Billy Daniels.
Williams had been inactive the entire year of 1965 while recovering from a gunshot wound he suffered during a scuffle with police officer Dale E. Witten after a traffic stop. Williams was shot with a .357 Magnum in the abdomen, barely survived, and suffered permanent kidney damage, a loss of over ten feet (3m) of his small intestine, and nerve damage from the bullet, which affected his left leg above the knee and caused it to atrophy as a result. He was fined $50 and briefly jailed after pleading no contest to charges arising from the incident. Witten visited Williams the day before his fight with Muhammad Ali, and the two men bore no malice against each other.
Video Cleveland Williams
Versus Ali
It was in the aforementioned physical condition that Williams fought for the heavyweight championship against a peak Muhammad Ali on November 14, 1966 and was stopped easily in the third round.
Williams retired from boxing after the Ali bout, but later made a comeback. Although able to defeat journeymen fighters, he suffered several knockout losses before retiring for good in 1972. Williams finished his career with a record of 78 wins (58 KOs), 13 losses and 1 draw. George Foreman interviewed post retirement recalled Williams as one of the three hardest punchers he had been with, stating they had sparred when George was a rising boxer. In 2003, he was ranked 49th in Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. It was all in the big famous left hook for Williams. Ring Magazine in the 1980s reported he drove a forklift truck later for a while as a job.
According to George Chuvalo, Cleveland Williams was one of the hardest punchers he faced in his career. Williams, aged 38, was decisioned by veteran Chuvalo over 10 rounds at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas in November 1971. Chuvalo's sheer strength winning an all action bout.
Maps Cleveland Williams
Health issues, return to ring, and death
On November 29, 1964, in the evening, during the height of the American Civil Rights Movement, a car driven by Williams was stopped near Houston, Texas, by highway patrolman Dale Witten, who stated afterwards Williams was speeding. According to the police report subsequently filed by the patrolman, Williams resisted arrest, and the officer's .357 magnum revolver went off during the struggle to arrest him. The bullet moved across Williams's intestines, and lodged against his right hip. Williams ultimately had to undergo four operations in the next seven months for colon damage and an injured right kidney. The right kidney of Williams was too damaged and not working, and had to be removed in June 1965. Doctors could not take out the patrolman's bullet, which had broken his right hip joint and caused partial paralysis of some of Williams' hip muscles.
The injury, surgeries and subsequent convalescence caused Williams to lose over 60 pounds, and over 17 months of his career. He regained his weight and strength by tossing 80-pound bales of hay daily on a cattle ranch till he had regained his fighting weight and physique. On February 8, 1966, Williams got a standing ovation from Houston fans as he returned to the ring, and knocked out Ben Black in the first round.
In 1999, Cleveland Williams was tragically killed in a hit and run accident.
Professional boxing record
References
- ALI's DOZEN, ESPN Home Entertainment/Genius Entertainment, 2007.
External links
- Professional boxing record for Cleveland Williams from BoxRec
Source of article : Wikipedia
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