HOLMAN WILLIAMS in action, on film.

Canzoneri is an excellent example in particular.

 

M, right you are...Ike Williams who I saw obliterate the powerful windmill
Beau Jack in Philly ,1948,and saw him a few other times, was a CRUEL
cutting puncher who was rated by everyone as just under Ray Robinson
as a great lightweight. As is acknowledged, Williams was handcuffed in many of his bouts. He could HIT when he was allowed to, and often fought welterweights to get bouts. Ike was a legitimate lightweight,who once beat a STRONG great bolo punching Kid Gavilan, once dropping the iron-jawed keed to the canvas. No, he wasn't a Bob Satterfield type puncher, but hit with great sharp combinations that had the same effect. LaLa land.
The fighter I compare him to in his combination punching was the middleweight-lightheavyweight Ezzard Charles. On his best nights, the sharp hitting Williams,was the best LW,H2H I ever saw...Duran included. Ike's LW competition was so much tougher than Duran's as a LW...Cheers

 

Canzoneri KO3 Berg is so devastating and kind of stylish. Problem with Canzoneri is that he tried to be the best at everything except he performed better as a slick brawler who could make people miss and then counter - hard.

Burt - you got any knockout memories of Williams floating around up there? Be good to hear some genuine stories if you have the time.

 

Yeah when he's in that punch-slip-punch-slip mode he could really catch his man with potent leather.

The shot he hit Berg with was f'n devastating. The Pacqiuao-Hatton of it's day, but on a higher level. Pretty lazy comparison but it's late, I'm stoned and **** and...I'm going to bed.

Saensak Muangsurin KO1 Ike Williams

 

Could have fooled me on that being a bigger Henry Armstrong for a second. Then those digs to the body, and that double tap to set up those right hooks near the kidneys looked a bit eerie to SRR right hooks. Only difference is Holman appears to lean forward a bit more. A slice of Robinson, Burley, and perhaps LaMotta? He's a boxing puncher for sure, but maybe he's just as much a boxer-puncher swarmer. Think Andre Ward for the modern equivalent maybe. Bernstein calls Ward the "equivocal boxer-puncher" but I think that's wrong. Joe Louis is the equivocal boxer-puncher. Andre Ward is the equivocal boxer-swarmer in my assessment.

It's a nice treat, but 17 seconds is a tease! Shouldn't be greedy, it's better than nothing.

 

M,I've already posted the time in 1948 in Philly when I and a pal hopped a bus,saw the vicious and almost fatal knockout of Beau Jack ,when the referee belatedly stopped the slaughter of the brave Beau Jack . We in the crowd were begging the ref to stop the bout as Jack was helpless against the ropes. What a night we had, as we then hopped another bus to Atlantic City, arriving in the early morning, whence we were both arrested by the A City police ! I once saw Ike Williams stop a tough favorite of mine Irishman Bobby Ruffin,who in about 85 prior bouts was never stopped before. Ruffin was never the same after that bout...Ike Williams was the most feared LW of that rich talent era in the 1940s....A lean and mean punching machine was Ike...Cheers.

 

Honestly, this era does far better with the more footage released as opposed to the far more underwhelming Langford vs Jeannette footage that was released not too long away. Boxing may have peaked during the 40's. The depth was just insane.

 

I loved the Langford-Jeanette footage.

 

Whats wrong with them fighting overseas?

Just realised what you meant.

Seriously, this footage gets better with every viewing, from 14 seconds you can learn a good few things.

 

I tried to reply to this a couple of times today but couldn't find the right words without sending this off into a droning mess.

It comes down to your opinion. You don't think Williams is as impressive as I do. I'm not as impressed by certain fighters as you are.

I'll leave you with this; Williams did score many more decisive knockouts (not that this is a strict rule by which to judge fighters' offensive abilities*) than what we have but they happen to have been lost or just weren't filmed. A bit like Henry Armstrong - he was an absolute knockout machine but all of his filmed fights were decision wins. If we had Williams' knockouts of James, Larkin, Montgomery and the two of Bolanos, I'd bet money on your estimation being higher, and mine, because that would form a real highlight to remember. I bet we'd see single punch power worthy of even your respect, or if not, an overwhelming display of aggressive finishing abilities.

What if we only had footage of Robinson's stoppages of LaMotta and Turpin?

One more thing. Beau Jack would make any lightweight's power look underwhelming.

Actually, an interesting quote:

And there's me sitting there all like 'damn, he broke a welterweight's jaw' - and you're like 'couldn't he have finished him off?'

--

*Because otherwise you'd rate Julian Jackson over Joe Louis, who incidentally seemed like he couldn't truly penetrate Abe Simon and seemed unable to put away smaller fighters earlier than what he did.

Think it's time to move Louis down.