Is DaVarryl “Touch of Sleep” Williamson underrated?

Started boxing at 25, amateur record of 120-17-1 (almost entirely at HW rather than SHW), 103 wins inside the distance, won the U.S. National Championships (96’, 97’, 98’) and the National Golden Gloves (96’, 99’) a collective five times, turned pro in 2000 at 31.

Going into the Wlad fight, 36 year old future Byrd title challenger 20-2 Williamson had 17 KO wins.

Williamson was a 7/2 underdog against Wlad, 371 days removed from having been flatlined by Joe Mesi in 106 seconds.

“DaVarryl is a guy with a good amateur background, good right hand, good puncher” - Emanuel Steward

Only Sanders and Fury took less punishment against Wlad and only 2005 Peter arguably came closer to beating Wlad out of the 64 opponents who lost to him.

Williamson was the only fighter to beat former WBC champion McCall (233 lbs) in McCall’s 19 fight stretch between Lewis 2 and Gomez 1, 40 days after Williamson had lost to Wlad by a controversial headclash/cut-induced “5 round split technical decision” with the fight in the balance, having knocked Wlad down in the 4th round. Williamson regarded the stoppage and the result as a robbery.

Wlad avoided a Williamson rematch, despite the controversial and inconclusive nature of their fight and the winner of a rematch being next in line to challenge Byrd. This resulted in Williamson leapfrogging Wlad in the IBF rankings, much to team Wlad’s frustration.

“I don't see any sense in fighting Williamson again. For me this fight will not be a step forward. I understand his reasons for wanting to fight me. It's prestigious and financially favourable for him. But for me this fight will keep me at the same spot.” - Wlad Klitschko

"Rematch? No way. The styles are all wrong. Wladimir didn’t need this fight. The public almost surely wouldn’t want to see it again. It’s a wonder why they didn’t crack heads earlier. Both guys were dropping their heads down and reaching out punching wildly. Vitali and Wladimir both grew up fighting the European style and they still haven’t got it out of their systems despite all their natural talents." - Emanuel Steward

Apparently “the public wanted to see” Wlad return to Germany in a 10 rounder against lightly regarded unranked Cuban cruiserweight Eliseo Castillo instead (the significantly inferior brother of Elieser Castillo, who Williamson had beaten by a 4 point margin 12 months prior). Something’s not adding up here Manny.

 

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/choose-five-wlad-victims-to-beat-prime-joshua.713346/

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"I wouldn’t have wanted to see a rematch of that."

That was clearly just an excuse to duck a rematch. Wlad's next fight was a nonentity in Eliseo Castillo in Germany, at the expense of Wlad's IBF ranking. Castillo had beaten a 251 lbs Moorer by 7-3 decision and he was the worst of the Castillo brothers, the other of whom Williamson had already beaten. Moorer was over 7 years removed from his last notable win; a majority decision over Bean, though many would say that wasn't notable. A decade removed from beating Holyfield. There was far more intrigue in Wlad-Williamson 2 than in fighting that guy. But also far more danger in the former, hence it didn't happen.

"He ran around the ring looking pretty scared to engage Wlad"

Wlad was having a lot of problems landing and Williamson was having success with sneaky counters, hence he put Wlad down. At the point of the cut stoppage with 5 of 10 rounds to go the fight was in the balance (it was a 10 rounder in the first place because team Wlad were worried about Wlad gassing down the stretch, as he did early vs Brewster). Wlad looked in serious trouble and could have easily lost had it continued.

"But was bang on average other than that."

His footwork was much better than the vast majority of Wlad's opponents. He was taller and longer than most, and had good power and experience. He also believed that he could win and had a viable gameplan. That puts him well above average.

 

What is the distinction in your view?

Of course he's underrated, here's cast-iron proof:

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/choose-five-wlad-victims-to-beat-prime-joshua.713346/

Of the 10 Wlad-victims listed he's joint bottom with 2014 Pulev as a candidate to beat Joshua, who got shut out and stopped in 9 when he fought Joshua. Without my vote Williamson would be the absolute lowest.

This is despite Williamson arguably coming closer to beating Wlad than any other Wlad-victim, with the possible exception of 2005 Peter (who is a clear top 3 pick, along with Haye and Povetkin). And taking less damage than any Wlad opponent in 69 fights barring Sanders and Fury. And the fact that team Wlad blatantly ducked the rematch.

The plodding 5'11 Chagaev has 4.5x as many votes as the taller, longer, quicker and more powerful Williamson.

 

The result was a 5 round split technical decision, with Williamson having knocked Wlad down in the 4th

Wlad was in clear distress at the time of the controversial headclash-cut stoppage, in a fight which most observers would agree was in the balance with 5 rounds to go

Steward vehemently opposed a rematch based on "styles" and had Wlad fight an unranked unknown cruiserweight instead

"He could punch but it takes more than that to beat an ATG"

Puritty, Sanders and Brewster weren't great fighters, yet they toppled Wlad. Plenty of parallel cases could be mentioned too. Williamson was certainly better than Puritty and probably Brewster (who Williamson beat more often than not in the amateurs).