Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams - Best Known for Losing to Ali

[thenonpareil]

Anyone who remembers Cleveland Williams likely does so because of Neil Leifer, SI shutterbug extraordinaire, whose overhead shot of Muhammad Ali strutting triumphantly away from a splayed and seemingly slayed Williams, laid out on a splotchy canvas in the Houston Astrodome like some victim of a drive-by shooting, is considered one of the greatest photographs in sports history. Not only was his loss to Ali (TKO by 3) forever fixed in the collective pop culture psyche of the United States, but Williams unwittingly became a benchmark for an Ali at his absolute peak.

https://hannibalboxing.com/brief-lives- ... -williams/

[keithmoonhangover]

I named my first cat after Cleveland Williams

[Caractacus]

there is an entire thread on Cleveland Williams at this forum somewhere.

[Controversial]

He had a incredibly padded record, almost every time he stepped up in class he lost, similar to Shannon Briggs.

[jamamb]

He had a incredibly padded record, almost every time he stepped up in class he lost, similar to Shannon Briggs.

yep, but he still seems to have a bit of a cult who ovverrated him

funny, on another thread here i was saying how little he did, and someone responded with a list of 3 wins they thought were decent, but even one of those was actually just a draw. even ppl who rate him have to inflate what he accomplished

[Controversial]

He had a incredibly padded record, almost every time he stepped up in class he lost, similar to Shannon Briggs.

yep, but he still seems to have a bit of a cult who ovverrated him

funny, on another thread here i was saying how little he did, and someone responded with a list of 3 wins they thought were decent, but even one of those was actually just a draw. even ppl who rate him have to inflate what he accomplished

I think some of this is because so much is made of Ali knocking him out. It was a great display by Ali but it needs to be put in context.