Holman Willims has one of the best resumes boxing - but he was dominated by Cocoa Kid

A quick summary of Williams resume -


Guys like Gene Buffalo (5-0) and Jack Chase (4-0) got utterly dominated. When he mixed in the very highest company the results were also impressive. He went 2-1 with Lloyd Marshall. He went 1-1-1 with Booker. He went 3-3-0-1 with Charley Burley, one of the best in history and 1-1 with Moore, another of the true greats. He also beat guys like Bob Sattersfield, Jimmy Leto, went 1-1- with Izzy Jannazzo, beat Bert Lytell before succumbing to him twice past his prime.

A win over the huge puncher, Bob Sattersfield was his last hurrah. So:

Booker
Burley
Jannazzo
Leto
Marshall
Chase
Moore
Sattarsfield

Either tied or were beaten in series with Holman Williams. A brillinat, glittering resume.

But the Cocoa Kid dominated Williams in their series. There is some controversy regarding how many times they met, but the best numbers available for Williams have the Kid dominating him 7-2-2. Those are serious numbers. To look at those numbers you would say it was settled that the Kid was the better of the two.

But Cocoa Kid's resume is nothing like as impressive. He was beaten by Burley (though he later managed a draw), Lou Ambers, Georgie Abrahams, Bert Lytell, Aaron Wade, Archie Moore...in fact in stepping up to the highest class, Kid's results were mixed at best - though he does have some excellent wins over Eddie Booker, Chalky Wright, Jimmy Leto, Phil Phur and Jack Chase - not to be sniffed at, certainly. Then again, he lost to fighters who were less than great, Tony Martin for example.

Kid also got a shot a Izzy Jannazo's welterweight title of the world and was edged out in a split decision.

To further complicate matters, Kid was a business fighter -for a fee and a get ahead (and he was the only memeber of the murderer's row to get a title shot) - he would throw in the name of gambling. His attempted dive against LHW contender Oakland Billy Smith is one of the most notorious in the sport's history. Who knows how many of these losses were on the level?

But the wins against Williams certainly were - 7 of them. 7 or more wins against a genuine ATG.

What do you gents make of this anomolly, if it is one? What about Cocoa Kid? How good was he? I think he may have been brilliant, he could bang a bit despite the low ko % (he once dropped Sugar Ray in sparring), and was slick and quick.

Perhaps he was made for the modern era rather than the hurley burley of the 50's?

 

Holman Williams:

This content is protected

Cocoa Kid:

This content is protected