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Cleveland Williams
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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 who never won a title. Williams turned professional in 1951 and fought the best heavyweights of his era. He is best known for the two brutal bouts he had with Sonny Liston. Liston often said Williams was the hardest puncher he ever fought.
During the late 1950s and early 1960s the 6'3" Williams was a top rated heavyweight.
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Encyclopedia
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 who never won a title. Williams turned professional in 1951 and fought the best heavyweights of his era. He is best known for the two brutal bouts he had with Sonny Liston. Liston often said Williams was the hardest puncher he ever fought.
During the late 1950s and early 1960s the 6'3" Williams was a top rated heavyweight. His quest to obtain a title fight, however, was consistently derailed.. First he was knocked out by Sonny 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 to Ernie Terrell on March 13, 1963, 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 gunshot wounds he suffered at the hands of a police officer arising out of 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 of his small intestine, and nerve damage from the bullet which affected his left leg above the knee, causing it to atrophy as a result. In this greatly diminished physical condition Williams fought for the heavyweight championship against Muhammad Ali on November 14, 1966 and was stopped 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. In 2003, he was named to the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.
In 1999, Cleveland Williams was tragically killed in a hit and run accident.
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