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The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia -- Title Contender

Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams
(Cleveland T. Williams)

BORN   June 30 1933; Griffin, Georgia
DIED September 3 1999; Houston, Texas
HEIGHT 6-3
WEIGHT 192-231 lbs
TRAINERS Al Silvani, Bill Gore

Williams was an aggressive, two-handed hitter who carried real dynamite in each fist; He was a very powerful hitter who is most famous for his "showdown" battles with Sonny Liston; He may have become Heavyweight Champion had Liston not been around at that time

During his career, he defeated such men as Ernie Terrell, Wayne Bethea, John Holman, Omelio Agramonte, Frankie Daniels, Alex Miteff, Alonzo Johnson, Terry Daniels, Roberto Davila, Billy Daniels, Roger Rischer, Bob Albright, Tod Herring, Dick Richardson, "Young" Jack Johnson, Curly Lee Chapman and Sonny Banks

Herb Goldman ranked Williams as the #22 All-Time Heavyweight; Cleveland was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997

1951
Dec 11 Lee Hunt                    Tampa, Fl                       KO  3

1952
Feb  4 Ray Banks                   New Orleans, La                 KO  1
          -Some sources report "Paul Banks"
Feb 26 Rudolph Wood                Tampa, Fl                       KO  2
Feb 29 Roosevelt Holmes            New Orleans, La                  W  6
Mar 28 Ray Banks                   Tampa, La                       KO  1
          -Some sources report "New Orleans, La"
Apr 15 Johnny Fowler               Tampa, Fl                       KO  5
May 28 Ray Brown                   Miami Beach, Fl                 KO  3
Jun 10 Paul Favorite [Favrot]      Tampa, Fl                       KO  4
Jun 17 Harry Turner                Tampa, Fl                       KO  1
Jun 24 Eddie Joe Williams          Daytona Beach, Fl               KO  1
Jul  8 Jimmy Felton                Miami Beach, Fl                 KO  3
Jul 22 Lee Raymond                 Miami Beach, Fl                 KO  5
Jul 25 Sam Harold                  Macon, Ga                       KO  4
Aug 12 Candy McDaniels             Miami Beach, Fl                 KO  2
Sep  2 Baby Booze                  Tampa, Fl                       KO  1
Sep 12 Roosevelt Holmes            New Orleans, La                 KO  1
Sep 16 Art Henri                   Miami Beach, Fl                 TK  8
Sep 23 Joe McFadden                Philadelphia, Pa                KO  6
Oct  3 Johnny Hollins              New Orleans, La                 KO  1
Nov 25 Claude Rolfe                Tampa, Fl                       KO  9
Dec  8 "Graveyard" Walters         Dayton Beach, Fl                KO  2

1953
Jan 13 Abie Gibson                 Tampa, Fl                       KO  1
Mar  4 Ponce DeLeon                Miami, Fl                        W  8
Mar 12 Terry O'Connor              Minneapolis, Mn                 KO  3
Mar 24 Ponce DeLeon                Tampa, Fl                       KO  2
May 12 Omelio Agramonte            Tampa, Fl                        W 10
Sep  1 Keene Simmons               Tampa, Fl                        W 10
          -Some sources report 9/02/53
Sep 24 Sylvester "Sonny" Jones     New York, NY                     L  4
Oct  1 Claude Rolfe                Charlotte, NC                   KO  3
          -Some sources report 10/21/53
Oct 20 Lloyd "Bo" Wills            Miami Beach, Fl                 KO  2

1954
Mar  9 Jimmy Walls                 Tampa, Fl                       KO  1
Jun  8 Sylvester "Sonny" Jones     Tampa, Fl                       KO  7
Jun 22 Bob Satterfield             Miami Beach, Fl                 LK  3

1956
Aug  6 John Hollins                Austin, Tx                      KO  3

1957
Jun 11 Johnny Mason                Houston, Tx                     KO  1
Jul 15 J.D. Marshall               Tyler, Tx                       KO  2
Jul 23 Clifford Gray               Houston, Tx                     KO  1
Sep 17 Bob Albright                Houston, Tx                     KO  7
Oct 15 John Holman                 Houston, Tx                     KO  7
Dec  3 Frankie Daniels             Miami Beach, Fl                  W 10

1958
Feb  4 Gene White                  Houston, Tx                     TK  1
Mar 25 Dick Richardson             London, Eng                     WF  4
Jun  3 Frankie Daniels             Houston, Tx                      W 10
Dec  9 Howie Turner                Houston, Tx                      W 10

1959
Jan 13 Ollie Wilson                Houston, Tx                     KO  3
Apr 15 Charles "Sonny"  Liston     Miami Beach, Fl                 LT  3
May 26 Ernie Cab                   Houston, Tx                     KO  3
Oct 14 Curley Lee Chapman          Houston, Tx                     KO 10

1960
Mar 21 Charles "Sonny" Liston      Houston, Tx                     LT  2
Oct 24 Ben Marshall                Dallas, Tx                      KO  2
Nov  1 George Moore                Houston, Tx                     KO  4
Dec  7 Johnny Hayden               Miami Beach, Fl                 KO  2

1961
Feb  7 Wayne Bethea                Houston, Tx                      W 10
May 16 Alex Miteff                 Houston, Tx                     TK  5
Dec 19 Jim Wiley                   Houston, Tx                     KO  1

1962
Apr  3 Ernie Terrell               Houston, Tx                     TK  7
May 15 Alonzo Johnson              Houston, Tx                     KO  1
Jul 10 Eddie Machen                Houston, Tx                      D 10
Oct 23 Dave Bailey                 Houston, Tx                     KO  5

1963
Mar  9 Billy Daniels               Miami Beach, Fl                  W 10
Apr  2 "Young" Jack Johnson        Houston, Tx                     KO 10
Apr 13 Ernie Terrell               Philadelphia, Pa                 L 10
Aug 13 Kirk Barrow                 Houston, Tx                     KO  3
Oct  8 Roger Rischer               Houston, Tx                     KO  3

1964
Apr  7 Tommy Fields                Houston, Tx                      W 10
Jul 21 Sonny Banks                 Houston, Tx                     KO  6
Sep 30 Billy Daniels               Houston, Tx                      W 10

1966
Feb  8 Ben Black                   Houston, Tx                     KO  1
Mar 22 Mel Turnbow                 Houston, Tx                      W 10
Apt 18 Sonny Moore                 Houston, Tx                      W 10
Jun 28 Tod Herring                 Houston, Tx                     TK  3
Nov 14 Muhammad Ali                Houston, Tx                     LT  3
          -Heavyweight Championship of the World

1968
May 21 Roy Crear                   Houston, Tx                     KO  1
Jun 11 Mike Bruce                  Houston, Tx                     KO  1
          -Some sources report 6/21/68
Jun 25 Leslie Bordon               Houston, Tx                     KO  1
Aug  6 Jean-Claude Roy             Houston, Tx                      W 10
Oct  7 Moses Harrell               Tampa, Fl                       TK  7
Nov 21 Bob Cleroux                 Montreal, Que, Can               L 10

1969
Mar 18 Charley Polite              Houston, Tx                      W 10
May 20 Al Jones                    Miami Beach, Fl                 LT  8
Sep 14 Mac Foster                  Fresno, Ca                      LK  5
Nov 18 Mac Foster                  Houston, Tx                     LK  3
Dec  9 Leroy Caldwell              Orlando, Fl                     KO 10

1970
Apr 14 Eddie Brooks                Milwaukee, Wi                   KO 11
May 26 Roberto Davila              Milwaukee, Wi                    W 10
Oct 21 Al "Blue" Lewis             Detroit, Mi                     LT  4

1971
Apr 28 Ted Gullick                 Cleveland, Oh                    W 10
Sep 21 Jack O'Halloran             Houston, Tx                      L 10
          -Some sources report 9/22/71
Nov 17 George Chuvalo              Houston, Tx                      L 10

1972
May 11 Terry Daniels               Dallas, Tx                       W 12
          -Heavyweight Championship of Texas
Jul 11 Bob Washburn                Denver, Co                      KO  2
          -Some sources report "KO 9"
Oct 28 Roberto Davila              Denver, Co                       W 10
          -Some sources report 10/29/72


*** Assistance Provided By Seth Callis ***

Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization
 
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