Archie Moore said that Williams was the best welterweight he'd ever seen...and Ike did have success at welterweight in a very tough era...In your opinion, at what time (era) would Williams have won the welterweight championship?:think
Well, let's just look at some of the welter champs over the years and ask ourselves whether Ike beats them. Of the fighters I've seen fight I'd say Williams beats: Jackie Fields (1929-30) Young Corbett III (1933) Jimmy McLarnin (1933-34) Fritzie Zivic (1940-41) Johnny Saxton (1954-55 & 56) Tony DeMarco (1955) Virgil Akins (1958 ) Don Jordan (1958-60) Benny Kid Paret (1960-61 & 62) Curtis Cokes (1966-69) Billy Backus (1970-71) John H Stracey (1975-76) Carlos Palomino (1976-79) Donald Curry (1985-86) Lloyd Honeyghan (1986-87 & 88-89) Jorge Vaca (1987-88 ) Marlon Starling (1989-1990) Maurice Blocker (1990-1991) Simon Brown (1991) Shane Mosley (2000-2002) Vernon Forrest (2002-03) Ricardo Mayorga (2003) Cory Spinks (2003-2005) Zab Judah (2005-06) Carlos Baldomir (2006) There are quite a few others others that I think he could beat, but I wouldn't make him favourite to beat them. So, to answer the thread question, imo, he becomes a champ in every decade from the 20's onwards so long as he comes around at the right time peaking for the guys I mention above. This content is protected
I think Mayorga would beat Williams over 12 rounds. Ike doesn't hit hard enough to stop him coming at him full force and Mayorga's workrate would probably be enough for him to win a hard fought decision 8-4 or 7-5. Over 15 rounds, the better conditioned Williams may scrape a decision. I'd also pick Curry, Forrest, Mosley and Zivic too. Maybe even Judah, I don't know.
