Why Cleveland Williams disappear from public eye after he ended his boxing career?

@janitor

Please answer this I'm curios.

 

There was a nice profile in Ring, I think in late 1979.

He announced his retirement after losing to Ali, then came back a year and a half later and fought 20 times through 1972. Unfortunately, whenever he stepped up in competition he lost. There are short contemporary press write-ups on three of those fights on Boxrec.

I think by that point Williams was "just" a journeyman. He was a useful name for guys like 'Florida' Al Jones, Al 'Blue' Lewis, and Mac Foster, but those guys weren't quite ready for TV (no USA or ESPN in those days) so his bouts probably weren't filmed (vs. Chuvalo, maybe?). And because he was on the downside of his career, there wasn't any reason for the mags or papers to write stories about him.

 

I don't know much about the topic. I know George Chuvalo talks about fighting him in his book, Chuvalo won the fight I remember that, but my memory is too hazy to post something really accurate.

 

Their were a couple of interviews. I'll post them after they're found.

 

https://www.houstonpress.com/news/on-the-ropes-6571668

 

Cleveland Williams after his stoppage loss to Muhammad Ali in his only title try in 1966, became mainly like mentioned above, a stepping stone for up and coming contenders. He fought George Chuvalo on Nov 17 1971 as an undercard to Muhammad Ali vs Buster Mathis, at the Houston Astrodome, Big Cat lost by unanimous decision that night. His last pro bout was a unanimous decision over Roberto Davila, in Denver, Colorado. Before fighting Ali, Williams was shot by a Texas State Trooper in 1964, as the WBA announced that Ali had been stripped of that title for giving Sonny Liston a return bout. Cleveland was to meet Ernie Terrell on March 5 1965 for the WBA Title, instead after the shooting, Eddie Machen took Williams place, he dropped a decision to Ernie, in 15 rounds. Cleve was killed by a hit and run driver on Sept 3 1999, in Houston, Texas, he was 66 years old. He was a big hitter in his prime, avoided by then champion Floyd Patterson in the late 1950's and Ingemar Johannson, same time frame. In 1959, he broke Sonny Liston's nose before being stopped by Sonny.

 

I recall reading about Williams sparring with Joe Frazier in 71 or 72. The gist of it was the guy could still hit.

 

"i'm lonely and lonesome. I'm sad. I'm broke. I'm bored. I'm restless. I'm downhearted. And I don't know anyone here." Williams describes being so broke him and his wife had to sleep in cars. He was also involved in a lawsuit with former manager Adams (after he and Benbow dissolved their partnership) over him not receiving his purse over the Ali bout (which I believe hospital expenses were deducted from). https://www.newspapers.com/clip/48891972/the-miami-news/

 

"The Big Cat is lonely, broke downhearted." https://www.newspapers.com/clip/48892239/the-corpus-christi-caller-times/

 

It was late '71. My memory is a little fuzzy but I believe a shot big cat did better than expected, which led those to believe that the great Joe Frazier was gone forever.

 

That would makes sense. It would be right after the Ali fight perhaps training for Terry Daniels Jan of 72. Joe wasn't recovered from the FOTC and all that went with it.

 

I remember that he had an argument with Hugh Benbow before the Muhammad Ali fight on Nov 14 1966, Big Cat told Benbow that he did not feel ready to go out against Ali, Benbow then began to call Williams a lot of derogatory names, threatened to file a lawsuit against him. Cleveland went out and got stopped in round 3, referee Harry Kessler rescued him.

 

Yeah apparently he told him, he was going to take his entire purse leaving him nothing and Big Cat started freaking out. Ali somehow got wind of it and told Williams they didn't have to fight if he didn't want to. This is all in the 1st link I posted. Very interesting read.