I feel like Williams was much better regarded during his own era by his peers whereas Briggs more or less has been a sideshow attraction for the last 20 years.
Cleveland Williams probably rates higher on most all time lists but I can see arguments either way. Neither man really a beat a list of stellar men.. both have losses to lesser fighters. Williams suffered a life threatening gun shot attack while Briggs fought until he was about 2000 years old. Briggs has the all time first round knockout record and Williams has a decent win over a young Earnie Terrell. I really don’t see much between them.
You would be on safe ground saying that Briggs was greater. He was a lineal champion, whatever the circumstances. He later picked up a strap, whatever the circumstances. Could Williams have beaten him? Possibly. Would you bet money on it? No.
Huh, you could’ve said the same thing about Williams, he beat NO ONE and was nothing himself. You could swap there places in history and the results would be about the same.
If Briggs existed during the same timeline as Williams they’d literally share the same identical career and the weird body beauty worship fifty odd years later on this forum.