Cleveland Williams vs. Curley Lee
Cleveland Williams 211 lbs beat Curley Lee 181 lbs by KO at 0:58 in round 10 of 10
- Date: 1959-10-14
- Location: Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, USA
- Williams was a 2-1 betting favorite. [1]
- Williams said this was his toughest fight. Boxing Illustrated, September 1961, page 30
- After the knockout loss, Lee started to have nosebleeds and severe headaches. It was discovered that he had a blood clot on the brain. He never fought again. In 1972, Lee drowned his four children and beat his brother-in-law to death with a crowbar. Psychiatrists testified that Lee suffered brain damage and "trauma-induced epilepsy" as a result of his boxing career. Superior Court Judge George Dell sentenced Lee to an indefinite term in a state hospital for the criminally insane. Dell said the insanity was due to "a vicious beating in the ring." [2] [3]
Notes
Williams Is KO Victor In 10th Round
HOUSTON, Tex. (AP) — Big Cleveland Williams used a powerful left uppercut Wednesday night to knock out tough Curley Lee after 58 seconds of the 10th round of a nationally televised heavyweight boxing match.
Williams weighed 211, Lee 181¼.
Lee ignored two eight-count knockdowns and the 30-pound weight disadvantage to come back gamely and win two of the last three rounds.
Williams staggered Lee in the second round and knocked him down twice in the fifth round. The much bigger Williams, from Houston, also staggered Lee with a right late in the sixth.
But in almost each case, Lee, from Los Angeles, fired back strongly.
Williams generally ignored Lee's shots and about the only damage he received was a swollen right eye, which started in the third. Williams' nose also bled at times.
The final uppercut almost lifted Lee from his feet. He landed on his head and was unconscious for a couple of minutes. He was worked on by the ring physician before he regained his feet.
In the fifth, Williams worked in spurts, at times showing almost a reluctance to punch. Several times when Lee was hurt, Williams appeared to fail to follow up his advantage.
This was Williams' 38th knockout and ran his record to 46-3. Lee was losing his second of 16 fights.
Lee was substituting for Sonny Liston, the No. 3 heavyweight, who hurt his hand in training. [4]