CARL THE TRUTH WILLIAMS BOXING DVD COLLECTION
excerpted from KO Sept 1985
repeatedly scored with the jab that is Muhammad Ali
commanded and demanded the frequently compared to Holmes', and even
attention of the world by winning a gold talked to his man, ensuring victory in the
medal at the 1960 Olympics, Carl Williams psychological, as well as the physical, war.
was 10 months old. When Larry Holmes decisioned Ken Norton to begin one
Williams' graduation was impressive,
especially considering what had transpired in
most dominant title reigns in heavyweight round one. But was Carl Williams satisfied?
history, Carl Williams was 18 and -getting "I couldn't watch the film more than
into the basic trouble kids get into.- He still once," he said. "He hit me with right hands
hadn't punched anyone—at lead .it flush. To me, that's like taking a beating.
boxing gloves on. Tillis was really a piece of cake. He was a big
Carl "The Truth- Williams is now 25.11 jump up in class compared to fighters like
Terry Mims, who were pushovers, hut I
he isn't already the best young heavyweight
knew I could handle him. I knew I was
prospect in the world, he will be by the
physically stronger and mentally sharper.
year's end. When Ali completed an amazing
But my twos were inoperative that night I
and unprecedented 14-year run by defeating
had a cold, and I sustained an injury to my
Leon Spinks and then retiring. Larry
right hand in training. I regret going
Holmes was 28 and visiting for the baton,
through with the fight, but I got bad advice.
ready for his own run. Today. seven years
People haven't seen me at my best."
later, Holmes is decelerating as he
How good can Williams be at his best?
approaches the finish line. The likely
Considering the fighter's natural gifts and his
candidates to nod sprint to the front
limited experience, the possibilities are
include Pinky Thomas, Greg Page, David mind-boggling. The heavyweight grew up in
Bey, and Gerry Cooney. Then there's New York City (he now lives in White
undefeated (1601 Cart Williams, 6'4", 220 Plains, a suburb), and fought in the streets,
pounds, quick, mobile. strong, and
not gyms and rings, until age 20. He opted
possessing an almost unbelievable 85-inch
to try boxing after watching top amateurs
reach. You'll know -The Truth" when you
like Marvis Frazier and Tony Tubbs and
see it.
deciding he could beat them. Not eventually,
"My friends and I used to watch boxing
all the lime.- said Williams, one of the more or after a hit of practice. Right then. If you
articulate fighters in the game. "We'd watch Carl Williams has bowled over many of his opponents haven't already noticed, confidence isn't one.
all the big fights. the Sugar Ray Leonard (stopping Michael Greer on opposite page) of Carl Williams' weaknesses.
fights, and bet on them. We had a slogan in winning all 16 of his pro bouts. Will The Truth
"By 1980 I had already been molded into
be victorious after challenging for a world title
about Leonard that he was nothing but the (above)? a style because my street fighting style was
truth. When I started boxing, I remembered
methodical boxing," he said. "I put up a bag
that. I started beating bigger guys. guys with and watched his heralded foe fall on his
in my basement and hit it for 30 minutes, 60
experience. I used to call myself 'The Man,' butt. Williams rose quickly, but this was no minutes at a time. I used to run and train
but then I said about myself, must be The harmless flash knockdown. A few seconds
brutally. Then I went to the gym in
Truth.'" later, Tillis landed a right and a straight left,
O'Connell Park and fought in the Golden
• • •
and back down went Williams. The Truth, it Gloves without even one smoker. They said
On October 23, 1984, at the Atlantis Hotel seemed, was nothing more than one big
it was natural ability."
on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, promoter snow job.
Williams won his first four amateur fights
Jeff Levine hosted a coming-out party. After Forty minutes later, the ring announcer
and, with them, the New York Golden
15 bouts, mostly against fighters who told us that one judge gave Tillis that first
Gloves Sub-Novice title. A year later, he won
weighed 30 pounds less, fighters who shook round and not another. Another judge gave
the Gloves Open crown and the World Cup.
when brushed with a jab, fighters who Tills two rounds. The third could have been
He ended his amateur career with only 22
should've moved back three spaces and termed generous for awarding the Tulsa
bouts (21-1, the loss being via
never passed Go, Carl Williams faced his cowboy three rounds. By the end of the disqualification to Benny Heard in the 1981
think he exercises a lot of displaced hostility)
If things are not going well in one phase of
his life, he'll strike out. And since I'm in the
gym with him every day. I'm an easy target. I
would never call him loyal. He's selfish,
disrespectful, and ungrateful, in my opinion.
Sometimes I think he can't be that bad, that
he's just trying to set me up."
Unlike most disgruntled fighters,
Williams does not complain about his
eaming. In Williams' ninth fight, an eight-
rounder at the Felt Forum and his last bout
for Madison Square Garden, he was paid
$7,500, far more than the average paycheck
for Forum main-eventers. He made $75,0C
in three fights in 1983 with promoter Dan
Duva, and signed with Jeff Levine in 1984
for three years and $50,000 up front. He
was paid $20,000 for a Westchester bout
against trialhorse Lou Benson (his first bout
network TV, are extraordinary. But
promoters judge Williams as an
extraordinary property, and they've been
willing to demonstrate that in the most
definitive way—with their checkbooks.
Talented, undefeated heavyweights, you so
are an endangered species.
As we went to press, Levine was
attempting to finalize a bout with NABF
champion James Broad, a fighter Williams
calls "a fat kid, the dough boy." After the win
over Tillis, and Williams' sparkling
September 1983 fourth-round stoppage of
one-time prospect Percell "Magic" Davis,
Broad would seem to be the perfect level o
opposition. At this point, Berlingo believes
there is no need to be overly selective.
"The only thing that he still needs is
experience and seasoning," he said. His
is phenomenal and his timing is beautiful
He throws a great assortment of punches
and he's durable. I don't know if he a_tea
rock-hard jaw [the only criticism consist
get clipped by
the same combinations
now he has .111 the tools to beat anybody y.
from winning the heavyweight championship
:h, (as,ts;,I've been
championship
know because sets the job done. By the
fight for title.
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