WILLIAMS, CLEVELAND WIRE PHOTO (1969)

HISTORY: Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams (June 6, 1933 – September 3, 1999) was an American heavyweight boxer who fought in the 1950s through the 1970s. A Ring Magazine poll once rated him as one of the finest boxers never to win a title. He made an imposing figure, tall with an impressive athletic broad shouldered build. Williams turned professional in 1951 and fought many of the best heavyweights of his era. He is best known for the two brutal bouts he had with Sonny Liston. Critics[who?] felt the second match was overrated and quickly over. Liston often said Williams was the hardest puncher he ever fought. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the 6 ft 3 in Williams was a top-rated heavyweight. His quest to obtain a title fight, however, was consistently derailed. First he was knocked out by Liston on April 15, 1959, after hurting Liston early and breaking Liston's nose. Williams recovered from the Liston fight to score more wins, but was again stopped by Liston in 2 rounds in their rematch on March 21, 1960. His quest for the title was later stalled when he was held to a draw by Eddie Machen on July 10, 1962, and when he dropped a split decision on March 13, 1963 to Ernie Terrell, a fighter he had previously knocked out in 7 rounds in 1962. During this time frame, he defeated Billy Daniels. Williams had been inactive the entire year of 1965 while recovering from gunshot wounds he suffered at the hands of a police officer arising out of a traffic stop. Boxing reporter Jerry Izenberg adds "...shot for no apparent reason." Williams was shot with a .357 Magnum in the abdomen, barely survived, and suffered permanent kidney damage, a loss of over ten feet of his small intestine, and nerve damage from the bullet, which affected his left leg above the knee and caused it to atrophy as a result. Williams, however, didn't bear the policeman any malice. It was in the above greatly diminished physical condition that Williams fought for the heavyweight championship against a peak Muhammad Ali on November 14, 1966 and was stopped easily in the third round. Williams retired from boxing after the Ali bout, but later made a comeback. Although able to defeat journeymen fighters, he suffered several knockout losses before retiring for good in 1972. Williams finished his career with a record of 78 wins (58 KOs), 13 losses and 1 draw. George Foreman interviewed post retirement recalled Williams as one of the three hardest punchers he'd been with, stating they'd sparred when George was a rising boxer. In 2003, he was ranked 49th in Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. It was all in the big famous left hook for Williams. Ring Magazine in the 1980s reported he drove a forklift truck later for a while as a job. According to George Foreman, Cleveland Williams was one of the three hardest punchers he have faced in his career along with Ron Lyle and Gerry Cooney. In 1999, Cleveland Williams was killed in a hit and run accident. Offered here is an original wire photo depicting Cleveland Williams in action against Charley Polite on March 18, 1969 in Houston, a fight Williams won by unanimous ten round decision.

FULL DESCRIPTION: This is an original wire photo with caption on the back and stamp. Bold, clear image. Clean. Not creased or torn. 7 3/4" x 9 1/4."