Derek Williams

[Bleak]

What was the drill with him fighting alot in america?

[polecateddy]

He was a journeyman who was in demand as a sparring partner, in places like the Tyson camp a lot. Ruined him as a fighter of course.

[SamWise72]

I wonder how good he could have been? I remember the Jimmy Thunder win, but I could never understand how he lost to Jean Chanet. I never saw those fights.

[Bleak]

oh right i see, i assume he had some tough spars obviously,
still made a commonwealth and European champ i notice,

[SamWise72]

I recall that he could look fantastic on his night; had it all, could punch, move, box, but just didn't seem to have the consistency. All Chanet had was bravery. You watch him annihilate Hughroy Currie though, and you'd think the world would be at his feet.

[polecateddy]

Lennox knocked all the fight out of him. Pretty much he reverted to a journeyman mentality from that loss onwards.

[Old bones Ian]

I think there was a claim by Williams that he had been drugged in the 1st Chanet fight, then he got the rematch and put in a lethargic effort in that one, he had all the tools to beat the Frenchman but for some reason never got going. That was his problem in the Wills fight as well, a good start then drifts into letharic effort.

I also remember crowd trouble in one of the fights with Chanet, but not sure what one.

http://www.sweetdwilliams.com/

[witherspoon]

I remember reading about the pre-fight intimidation campaign Williams was subjected to when he fought Chanet in France.
Apparently, Williams and his team were intimidated by knife wielding relatives of Chanet.

[SamWise72]

Wasn't he a Peckham boy though? I'd have thought that wouldn't phase him too much. I have never seen the Chanet fights, but what I started to feel was that maybe when he couldn't subdue someone he ran out of heart. He fought really well against Lewis for the first couple of rounds, despite Lewis really trying to steamroll him, but he looked like he could feel the fight getting away from him, and started to sag.