Big Cat......Fun Filled Fact #37

Ambling Alp II · Post by **Ambling Alp II** » 24 Mar 2013, 15:56

For some reason, Williams was often not ranked by Ring Magazine. You would think he would be ranked around #5 for several years, but he was not.

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 24 Mar 2013, 16:06

For some reason this always struck me as a bizarre photo with the expressions on everyones faces here considering.
from JET magazine December.01.1966

http://www.books.google.com/books?id=kb ... pg=PA32&dq

donnellon · Post by **donnellon** » 24 Mar 2013, 19:53

Maybe because he hadn't beaten one rated fighter, that most of his wins were over losing record fighters and that the best class of a fighter that he fought, despite been past his sell by date, spotted him 25 pounds and ko'ed him in three?

donnellon · Post by **donnellon** » 25 Mar 2013, 07:59

1858 year-end rankings;
Floyd Patterson, Champion
Ingemar Johansson
Nino Valdes
Zora Folley
Henry Cooper
Willie Pastrano
Archie Moore
Eddie Machen
Brian London
Sonny Liston
Mike DeJohn

A few in there not sterling but they had all done more than The Cat at that time IMO.
Who would you put out?

loaded_gloves · Post by **loaded_gloves** » 25 Mar 2013, 08:25

Williams must have one of the most awesome physiques of any heavyweight, ever. Even late on in his career, fighting George Chuvalo, the bombs that the ruined Big Cat was swinging looked very scary.

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 26 Mar 2013, 12:38

Did I miss Fun filled facts 1-36?
Cleveland Williams would have been an interesting biography
for some sports writer to write.Maybe even he could have written
his own autobiography
when he was still alive in the 1990's.
Ernie Terrell had once said that Cleveland Williams was the strongest fighter that he had ever fought(Williams TKO him in 1962 and was supposed to get a shot at the WBA title in January 1965 before the incident with the highway patrol man
in Texas just a couple months earlier.
Since there does not exist(as far as i know) a biography of Cleveland Williams,
maybe we can start a thread on him,starting with his amateur career
(did he even have any amateur bouts?)
and early pro career,and link to stories,photographs and any fight films
that are available on-line,this time in chronological order more or less.
Maybe Il Duce can start the thread.

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 27 Mar 2013, 13:19

http://www.josportsinc.com/catalog/view.php?id=13625

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 27 Mar 2013, 13:37

http://www.news.google.com/newspapers?i ... 3355370&dq

and the result.....

http://www.news.google.com/newspapers?i ... 4007686&dq

(scroll up to see photo,and scroll right to read article)

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 29 Mar 2013, 03:56

The "Big Cat"in England(March.1958)
Cleveland Williams was ranked either number 5 or 9 or both
going into this fight(probably by the WBA).

The Big Cat in training.....18.March.1958

http://www.news.google.com/newspapers?i ... 1574116&dq

results of the bout 25.March.1958
Williams vs Dick Richardson.

http://www.news.google.com/newspapers?i ... 3854819&dq

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 29 Mar 2013, 17:47

Liston vs Williams I
15.April.1959 Miami Beach,Florida.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXo7Ryg3lpQ

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 29 Mar 2013, 19:49

The Big Cat in England
17.March.1958

Cleveland Williams delivers his "Pulpwood Punch"
to a heavybag at the Cambridge Gym.

http://gettyimages.com/detail/news-phot ... to/3139474

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 29 Mar 2013, 22:21

http://www.josportsinc.com/catalog/view.php?id=13625

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 30 Mar 2013, 18:16

from JET 28.November.1964
pp 54-56.

http://www.books.google.com/books?id=hL ... pg=PA54&dq

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 30 Mar 2013, 18:21

photo taken of Texas Highway Patrolman Officer Dale Witten
shortley after the alleged incident..
(scroll down page for larger image)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1964-Press-Phot ... 3a77f188e2

keithmoonhangover · Post by **keithmoonhangover** » 30 Mar 2013, 19:26

Fact #38..... I named my first cat Cleveland.

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 30 Mar 2013, 19:46

A question concerning Big Cat Fun Fact # 02.
How did he ever get the name Cleveland when he was born in Griffin there in rural Georgia?

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 30 Mar 2013, 21:07

Brutu wrote:A question concerning Big Cat Fun Fact # 02.
How did he ever get the name Cleveland when he was born in Griffin there in rural Georgia?

answer: he was named after his grandfather Cleveland Thomas Williams.

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 01 Apr 2013, 04:21

The Big Cat in Wales

for a scheduled rematch with Dick Richardson
at Porthcawl Wales 02.July.1958.

in bed....

http://www.news.google.com/newspapers?i ... ,362519&dq

and still in bed.

http://www.news.google.com/newspapers?i ... 1247969&dq

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 01 Apr 2013, 20:21

Cleveland Williams vs Curley Lee
14.October.1959
Williams would later say that in this fight with Curley Lee,Williams had taken the worst ring beating in his boxing career.
Sonny Liston was suppose to have been the original opponent that night
for their rematch,but Liston had injured his hand a couple days earlier and had to pull out.This was ultimately and belately a tragic fight.

(scroll to upper left to see ring action photo).

http://www.news.google.com/newspapers?i ... 1708883&dq

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 01 Apr 2013, 20:28

Here is a news article about Curley Lee from 28.June.1964
(scroll up to read beginning of article)

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pD ... 3909300&dq

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 01 Apr 2013, 20:46

The long prolonged Aftermath...
Curley Lee ,September 1972

http://www.news.google.com/newspapers?i ... 1571102&dq

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 02 Apr 2013, 16:12

Is there a Cleveland Williams boxing career DVD?
I know Iv'e seen some of his fights on youtube
that are not posted there anymore.
(Williams vs George Chuvalo,which was the closed-circuit preliminary
broadcast of Muhammad Ali vs Buster Mathis in Houston Texas.
The Williams vs Curley Lee bout was televised on the ABC-TV
Saturday Night Fight of the week as were a number of other
Cleveland Williams fights.
From what I understand Williams made his national televsion debut
with the first fight with Sonny Liston in Miami Beach ABC-TV Saturaday night fight(although its possible Williams may have fought on regional television
in Florida or Houston Texas.
what Cleveland Williams fights are recorded?

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 02 Apr 2013, 18:39

here is Cleveland Williams vs Tod Herring
June.18.1966 Sam Houston Coliseum Houston Texas.
It was on the closed-circuit preliminary to the Earnie Terrell vs Doug Jones
bout.
Williams record going into the fight:64-5-1
Herring 26-5-0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXNxTq9K2EM

This was one of Cleveland William's fights after the gunshot and
the fight just before his fight with Muhammad Ali later that Novemberl.
Tod Herring was the Texas Heavyweight champion(and former sparring partner to Cleveland Williams too).
BTW
Is it just my imagination or does Tod Herring remind you too
of Randall'Tex"Cobb?
Maybe they were kinfolk?

dempseyfire · Post by **dempseyfire** » 02 Apr 2013, 22:39

These are the Cleveland Williams fights I know are available on film/DVD:

Sonny Liston 1

Sonny Liston II

James Wiley

Ernie Terrell II

Muhammad Ali

Todd Herring

George Chuvalo

Billy Daniels* I know it's out there, but relatively rare on the collector's market. Only Williams fight available I haven't seen.

There are a number of other Williams fights that were televised (including the Curley Lee fight) and/or filmed but to my knowledge have been lost to history. I know his fights with Mac Foster were filmed but are now lost; I heard the first Foster-Williams fight was a slugfest while it lasted.

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 03 Apr 2013, 02:03

I seem to remember about 5 years ago,someone at either this forum or
the cyberboxingzone forum had said that they had located one of
Cleveland Williams early televised fights at a television station archive dept.
either somewhere in Scandanavia or maybe Iceland.
It had been in their archive vaults for about 45 years at the time.
I seem to recollect it was maybe the Curley Lee fight
(or maybe it was the Wiley fight before it became circulated on youtube.)

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