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When it came to style Holman Williams was a talent so far ahead of his contemporaries that stable-mate Eddie Futch once said that he would rather watch Williams shadow box that watch most other fighters in the ring. Essentially a product of the Detroit boxing gyms, where he trained with Joe Louis and Futch, Holman Williams was one of the great crop of black fighters that battled in the 1930's and 1940's. One look at his record will show that this slick boxing defensive wizard fought the best welterweights, middleweights and even light-heavyweights around at the time. Conspicuous by their absence however, as on most other records of the standout black ring men of the day, are meetings with big name white fighters.
Holman Williams opposed Cerdan and LaMotta only after he had been a professional fighter for close to fourteen years, losing to both of them on points. The only fighter to beat him consistently while in his prime was the largely ignored Louis 'Cocoa' Kid who beat Williams eight times while losing only three decisions.
Other great black fighters that opposed Holman Williams were Charley Burley, Jack Chase, Lloyd Marshall, Kid Tunero, Eddie Booker, Joe Carter, Bert Lytell, Aaron Wade and Archie Moore. Practically every one of these men was avoided by the higher ranked white fighters of the day, (and were mostly avoided by a certain Ray Robinson). All of these guys had to fight amongst themselves opposing each other on a regular basis just to get a payday. Williams fought the great Charley Burley seven times with three wins apiece and one no decision, (though it has been said that they fought each other more than twenty times all over the United States in cash fights), Burley was one of only three fighter to stop Williams.
Besides his great talent one barrier to Williams' quest for a title may have been that Joe Louis managed him for a time, though largely ineffectively. A great asset in the gym due to his marvelous boxing skills and great sense of humor. Holman was liked by everyone he met and was a credit to the sport. After his retirement he helped in the development of young fighters in Akron, Ohio, assisting Lee Thornton. When Thornton opened the Club Wonder, Williams helped out as a weekend maintenance man. One weekend, while asleep in the club he was killed in a fire that engulfed the club.
Holman was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 20081932 Aug 1 Joe Lynn Detroit, Mi KO 6 Sep 2 Art Smith Detroit, Mi KO 2 Sep 23 Eddie Isaacs Detroit, Mi W 6 Oct 10 Henry Pacer Detroit, Mi KO 2 Oct 12 Chuck Woods Detroit, Mi L 8 Nov 16 Len Hendrickson Detroit, Mi W 8 1933 Aug 18 Jackie Young Detroit, Mi KO 4 Aug 24 Jack "Soldier" Dombrowski Detroit, Mi W 6 Aug 30 Wilbur Chevalis Mount Clemens, Mi W 8 Oct 13 Mickey O'Brien Detroit, Mi KO 2 Oct 30 Joe Dempsey Saginaw, Mi W 10 Nov 24 Frankie Pallo Detroit, Mi KO 2 1934 Jan 26 Billy Moore Detroit, Mi KO 2 Feb 14 Cecil Lothery Mount Clemens, Mi W 6 Feb 16 Harry Robertson Detroit, Mi D 6 May 4 Chick Watson Detroit, Mi KO 3 Oct 11 Tommy Corbett Milwaukee, Wi KO 3 Nov 9 Battling Gizzy Milwaukee, Wi KO 1 Dec 6 Charlie Bochio Milwaukee, Wi KO 6 1935 Jan 1 Eddie Carroll Milwaukee, Wi TK 2 Jan 7 Lee Shaywood Chicago, Il KO 2 Jan 14 Harry Booker Chicago, Il W 8 Feb 11 Harry Booker Chicago, Il KO 4 Feb 18 Billy Mackey Chicago, Il KO 3 Feb 19 Billy Vaughn Milwaukee, Wi W 8 Mar 22 Tommy Paul Detroit, Mi W 10 Apr 5 Wesley Farrell New Orleans, La W 10 May 17 Wesley Farrell New Orleans, La W 8 May 31 K.O. White New Orleans, La W 12 Jul 2 "Baby" Tiger Flowers Chicago, Il KO 8 Aug 29 Lew Massey Chicago, Il W 10 Sep 22 Cocoa Kid L 10 Oct 2 Chuck Woods Detroit, Mi W 10 Oct 30 Andy Bundy St. Louis, Mo W 8 1936 Mar 13 Cocoa Kid New Orleans, La L 10 Apr 17 Cocoa Kid New Orleans, La L 10 Jun 14 Roger Shea Pittsburgh, Pa KO 2 Oct 6 Richie Fontaine New York, NY D 10 Oct 19 Wesley Martin Pittsburgh, Pa W 5 Nov 28 Ray Nash New York, NY KO 3 1937 Jan 8 Tony Falco Philadelphia, Pa W 10 Jan 28 Joe Nealon Scranton, Pa W 8 Feb 7 Johnny Lucas Philadelphia, Pa L 8 Mar 12 Cocoa Kid New Orleans, La W 10 Mar 19 Luther "Slugger" White New Orleans, La KO 4 Apr 19 Bobby Pacho Pittsburgh, Pa W 10 Jun 11 Cocoa Kid New Orleans, La L 15 Jul 5 Johnny Lucas Pittsburgh, Pa W 10 Aug 5 Paulie Walker New York, NY W 8 Sep 2 Vincent Pimpinella New York, NY W 8 Sep 24 Gillito Ramirez Chicago, Il KO 3 Oct 2 Reno Fernandez Chicago, Il W 8 Oct 5 Penna Randezell Milwaukee, Wi KO 2 Oct 11 Tony Rock Pittsburgh, Pa W 10 Oct 22 Gene Buffalo New Orleans, La W 10 Oct 29 Reno Fernandez Chicago, Il W 10 1938 Jan 8 Manuel Victoria Los Angeles, Ca W 6 Feb 9 Jimmy Berices San Francisco, Ca W 6 Apr 25 Saverio Turiello Baltimore, Md W 10 May 17 Paulie Walker Baltimore, Md W 10 Jun 9 Jack Portney Baltimore, Md W 10 Jul 11 Kid Frattini Baltimore, Md L 10 Oct 14 Johnny Jackson Baton Rouge, La W 10 Nov 25 Tony Rock New York, NY D 4 1939 Jan 18 Wildcat O'Connor Scranton, Pa W 10 Jan 25 Eddie Booker New York, NY D 6 Feb 7 Francisco Montaneri Scranton, Pa W 10 Feb 20 Andre Jessurun Pittsburgh, Pa W 10 Mar 19 Jackie Burke Scranton, Pa W 10 Apr 17 Bobby Seaman Los Angeles, Ca W 6 May 30 Ralph Gizzy Clarksburg, WV KO 4 Jul 14 Johnny Jackson New Orleans, La W 10 Aug 4 Gene Buffalo New Orleans, La KO 5 Oct 2 Carl Dell New York, NY W 6 Oct 27 Tommy Mollis New Orleans, La KO 4 Dec 1 Charley Burley New Orleans, La W 15 Dec 13 Isidoro "Izzy" Jannazzo Scranton, Pa D 10 1940 Jan 11 Cocoa Kid Baltimore, Md L 15 Jan 25 Steve Mamakos Baltimore, Md W 12 Mar 27 Isidoro "Izzy" Jannazzo Scranton, Pa W 10 Jun 20 Joe Legon New York, NY W 6 Jul 4 Milo Theodorescu Baltimore, Md W 10 Jul 17 Vinnie Vines New York, NY KO 4 Jul 29 "Wild" Bill McDowell Washington, DC W 10 Sep 4 Isidoro "Izzy" Jannazzo Washington, DC L 10 Oct 29 Eddie Dolan Scranton, Pa W 10 Dec 6 Mansfield Driskell Detroit, Mi KO 6 Dec 16 Frankie Britt Boston, Ma W 6 1941 Jan 31 Ernest "Cat" Robinson New York, NY W 6 Feb 17 Frankie Britt Philadelphia, Pa KO 4 Mar 21 Gene Buffalo Detroit, Mi W 8 Mar 27 Gene Buffalo Baltimore, Md W 10 May 13 Antonio Fernandez Philadelphia, Pa W 8 May 23 Jimmy Leto Washington, DC W 6 Jun 18 Antonio Fernandez New York, NY W 6 Jul 28 Jack Dubios Bridgeport, Oh KO 6 Sep 29 Jose Basora New York, NY W 6 Oct 6 Raul Carrabantes New York, NY W 6 Oct 31 Rand Jackson New Orleans, La W 10 Nov 7 Ernest "Cat" Robinson New Orleans, La W 10 Nov 21 Howell King New Orleans, La W 10 Dec 22 Cocoa Kid Baltimore, Md D 10 1942 Jan 9 Jose Basora New York, NY W 6 Jan 19 Cocoa Kid Baltimore, Md W 12 Feb 26 Charley Burley Minneapolis, Mn L 10 Mar 2 Cocoa Kid Baltimore, Md L 15 Mar 9 Kid Tunero Baltimore, Md W 12 Mar 27 Cocoa Kid New York, NY L 6 Apr 27 Kid Tunero Baltimore, Md W 12 Jun 23 Charley Burley Cincinnati, Oh L 10 Jul 10 Randy Brown New Orleans, La KO 5 Jul 24 Lorenzo Strickland New Orleans, La W 10 Jul 27 Johnny Jackson Baton Rouge, La W 10 Aug 14 Charley Burley New Orleans, La LK 9 Oct 16 Charley Burley New Orleans, La W 15 Dec 16 R.J. Lewis New Orleans, La W 12 1943 Jan 15 Cocoa Kid New Orleans, La L 12 Jan 24 Harold "Jamaica" Smith New Orleans, La W 10 Feb 19 Roosevelt Thomas New Orleans, La W 10 Mar 15 Joe Carter Newark, NJ W 10 Mar 26 Anthony Jones New Orleans, La W 10 Apr 3 Mario Ochoa Havana, Cuba W 10 May 3 Roosevelt Thomas Newark, NJ W 10 May 14 Charley Burley Hollywood, Ca NC 10 Jul 31 Kid Tunero Havana, Cuba L 10 Aug 9 Jose Basora Philadelphia, Pa L 10 Sep 3 Lloyd Marshall New Orleans, La W 10 Sep 27 John Garner Washington, DC W 10 Oct 11 Joe Carter Baltimore, Md W 10 Nov 19 Eddie Booker San Francisco, Ca W 10 Dec 6 Steve Belloise Philadelphia, Pa W 10 1944 Jan 12 Tee Hubert Washington, DC W 10 Jan 24 Gene Buffalo Washington, DC W 10 Feb 7 Jack Chase San Francisco, Ca W 10 Feb 21 Jack Chase San Francisco, Ca W 12 Mar 6 Eddie Booker San Francisco, Ca L 10 Mar 17 Battling Monroe San Francisco, Ca W 10 Apr 10 Jose Basora San Fracisico, Ca W 10 Apr 27 Jack Chase Denver, Co W 15 May 10 Paul Lewis Oakland, Ca W 10 May 24 Jack Chase Oakland, Ca W 12 Jun 17 Lloyd Marshall Oakland, Ca L 10 Jul 11 Lloyd Marshall Washington, DC W 10 Jul 21 "Mad" Anthony Jones New Orleans, La W 10 Aug 14 Joe Reddick Baltimore, Md W 10 Sep 15 Cocoa Kid New Orleans, La D 12 Oct 2 Jose Basora Philadelphia, Pa D 10 Oct 11 Aaron "Tiger" Wade Oakland, Ca W 10 Nov 6 Kid Tunero Baltimore, Md W 10 Dec 22 Joe Carter New Orleans, La D 10 1945 Mar 26 Cocoa Kid New York L 10 Apr 24 Oscar Boyd Buffalo, NY W 10 May 8 Prentiss Hall Buffalo, NY W 8 May 14 Cocoa Kid Baltimore, Md W 12 May 20 Joe Carter New Orleans, La W 15 May 28 Sampson Powell Detroit, Mi W 10 Jul 11 Charley Burley Buffalo, NY W 12 Aug 1 Johnny Green Buffalo, NY W 10 Aug 17 Bert Lytell New Orleans, La D 10 Aug 22 Jimmy Gee Denver, Co KO 6 Aug 31 Bert Lytell New Orleans, La W 12 Sep 27 Bernie Lanier Akron, Oh W 10 Oct 2 Sampson Powell Buffalo, NY W 10 Oct 10 Len Wadsworth Windsor, Ont, Can W 10 Oct 22 Archie Moore Baltimore, Md W 10 Nov 26 Archie Moore Baltimore, Md LK 11 1946 Jan 24 Joe "Butch" Lynch Chicago, Il KO 3 Feb 4 Aaron "Tiger" Wade Queens, NY KO 4 Feb 14 George "Wildcat" Henry Chicago, Il W 10 Apr 4 Johnny Carter Chicago, Il KO 7 Apr 15 Bert Lytell Holyoke, Ma L 10 Apr 25 Bob Satterfield Chicago, Il W 10 Jul 7 Marcel Cerdan Paris, Fr L 10 Aug 7 Jake LaMotta Detroit, Mi L 10 Sep 17 Eddie O'Neill Detroit, Mi W 10 Oct 14 Sam Baroudi New York, NY L 10 Nov 25 "Deacon" Johnny Brown Washington, DC W 10 1947 Jan 23 Wylie Burns Philadelphia, Pa W 8 Feb 25 Henry Brimm Buffalo, NY L 10 Mar 14 Henry Hall New Orleans, La D 10 Mar 28 Henry Hall New Orleans, La W 12 May 18 Jean Walzack Paris, Fr L 10 Jul 4 Bert Lytell New Orleans, La L 12 Nov 3 Jose Basora San Juan, PR L 10 Nov 28 O'Neill Bell Detroit, Mi W 10 1948 Mar 3 Jose Basora Chicago, Il LK 4 Jun 30 Gentle Daniel Port of Spain, Trinidad L 10*** Thanks To Harry Otty For Providing The Record And Biography ***[Return to Top]