Ike Williams

Ike Williams ( born February 2, 1923 in Brunswick, Georgia; † September 5, 1994 in Los Angeles, California ) was an American boxer.

Williams, an unconditional attack boxer with a strong punch and stylistically similar to Roberto Durán, was a black lightweight boxer in the postwar period. But he struggled in his career against welterweight like George Costner, Johnny Brannon and especially Kid Gavilan.

He became professional in 1940, remained after several defeats at the start of his career in the years 1942 and 1943 undefeated.

In 1944, he met one of his two arch-rivals, the classical counter- boxer Bob Montgomery, who won against him completely dominated and in the twelfth round by KO. Even with the relatively unknown Willie Joyce, his nemesis, he always had his problems. He lost three of four of their struggles.

In 1945, he won the NBA World Champion title by knockout against Juan Zurita. The Mexicans Enrique Bolanos he knocked out three times. As the undisputed lightweight world champion, he was still recognized in the rematch in August 1947 after the knockout victory against NYSAC champ Montgomery.

In his second major rivals Beau Jack, who was also from Georgia, he met for the first time in 1948 and won by TKO in the sixth round. In 1948, he was also the Cuban welterweight Gavilan in the first meeting hit had he even on the ground, but he lost two more fights against him.

In 1951, he lost the title fight Jimmy Carter. He said in 1960, before the Senate that a bribe was offered to him though, to lose (as well as the rematch against Gavilan, he also lost ) that he would have rejected and regularly lost. On the other hand, he stated that the knockout loss to Chuck Davey had been faked.

After a draw and knockout against Beau Jack in his last fight and he finished his career in 1955.

Since Williams was managed from the mid- 1940s by the Mafioso Frank " Blinky " Palermo, hangs a question mark over his successes. The Ring Magazine rated him anyway as the fifth- best lightweight of all time. 1990 was Williams induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.