John W. Williams (Died 1890)

Amateur boxer John William Williams died of injuries sustained during a 4 Feb. 1890 bout with Thomas Levitt at London, England.

Williams was a member of the Stanhope Amateur Athletic Club, and 8-ounce gloves were used. During this bout, Williams was hit repeatedly, but according to the papers, not especially hard. In any case, he stepped back, and then collapsed unconscious. He was rubbed down with vinegar and left to wake up on his own. After about an hour, he still was not conscious. Consequently, he was wrapped in blankets and taken to the hospital, where he died several hours later. Cause of death was due to the rupture of small blood vessels in the brain. Williams had been knocked unconscious during December 1899

Sources: (London) Daily News, February 10, 1890; London Times, February 10, 1890; (Glasgow) Scotsman, February 10, 1890.

Courtesy of Death under the Spotlight: The Manuel Velasquez Boxing Fatality Collection [1]