Cleveland Williams

Police shooting incident On the evening of November 29, 1964, during the height of the civil unrest of the American Civil Rights Movement, a car driven by Williams was stopped near Houston, Texas, by highway Patrolman Dale Witten, who stated afterwards Williams was speeding. According to the police report Williams resisted arrest, and the officer's .357 magnum revolver went off during an ensuing struggle, hitting Williams in the stomach and lodging in his right hip. Williams underwent four operations over the subsequent seven months to address injuries to his colon and right kidney. The right kidney ultimately had to be removed in June 1965. Doctors could not extract the bullet, which had broken his right hip joint and caused partial paralysis of some of the hip's muscles, over of his small intestine had to be removed, and nerve damage affected his left leg above the knee and caused it to atrophy as a result. Hugh Benbow, his manager, and Sonny Liston, former world champion, visited Cleveland Williams in the hospital. After his partial recovery Williams was fined $50 and briefly jailed after pleading no contest to charges arising from the incident. (Patrolman Witten visited Williams to wish him luck the day before his 1966 fight with Muhammad Ali, with both men saying they had "no hard feelings" toward the other).

Recovery and return to boxing The injury, surgeries and subsequent convalescence caused Williams to lose over 60 pounds (27 kg), and over 17 months of his career. He regained his weight and strength by tossing 80-pound (36 kg) bales of hay daily on a cattle ranch till he had regained his fighting weight and physique. On February 8, 1966, Williams received a standing ovation from the Houston crowd as he returned to the ring, and knocked out Ben Black in the first round.

Williams challenged for the heavyweight championship against Muhammad Ali on November 14, 1966, but was badly outclassed, and was knocked down twice in the third round ending the match. Williams retired from boxing after the 1966 Championship defeat, but later made a comeback. Although able to defeat journeymen fighters, he suffered several knockout losses before retiring permanently in 1972.

Later life The Ring in the 1980s reported he worked as a forklift truck driver in his later years.

Death On September 3, 1999, Williams was knocked down by a car in a hit and run while walking across a street in Houston, Texas; he died of his injuries at Ben Taub Hospital on September 10, 1999, at the age of 66. Sonny Liston stated Williams was the hardest puncher he'd ever been in the ring with.

In 2003 Williams was ranked 49th in The Rings list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.

Professional boxing record