After two breezy European shows,
the clamour grew to have Ali back in America to fight Cleveland
‘big cat’ Williams, a once-formidable fighter.
Cleveland hailed from Texas and there was little objection
to the bout going ahead in his home state. New York looked
on with interest: it seemed likely they’d license an
Ali-vs-Terrell fight there if the Williams bout passed without
incident.
Williams was the epitome of a hard man. Hed been shot in
the stomach by a policeman, attacked by a girlfriend with
a meat cleaver and slugged it out toe to toe with sonny Liston
twice. Hed come through it all but the cost had been high.
Before hed been shot, Williams had been a thrilling puncher,
but now much of his ability remained after such travails was
unclear. Hed won impressively enough in his comeback fights,
but in reality Williams had little left for a man of Ali’s
skill.
Ali became concerned that Williams might be badly hurt if
the bout went on for any length of time. Jerry Izenberg, alone
with Ali the night before the fight, advised him to KO Williams
quickly to avoid causing any lasting damage.
The fight was watched by an indoor record 35,460 fight fans.
What they witnessed was, in Ali’s own words, “the
night I was at my best.”
During the first round, Ali remained elusive. Williams tried
to cut the distance between them, but Ali’s superior
footwork kept him beyond his challenger’s punches, although
Williams did show flashes of his old power when he landed
a shot or two. “He caught me a couple of times and really
shook me up,” Ali confided to Cus D’Amato years
later.
Ali opened up the second with two jabs to Williams’
stomach before back pedalling as Cleveland came on strong,
then from nowhere he threw a one-two combination that sent
the Texan to the canvas. Gathering himself during the mandatory
eight count, Ali loosed a 16-punch barrage that rocked Williams
back on to the seat of his pants. Gamely, big cat rose but
five punches later, he was back on the deck and saved by the
bell.
Enter the Ali shuffle. Some thought it a gimmick, but as
Ali explained to Cus D’Amato, “when I do the shuffle,
whatever you have planned, you are either gonna forget or
look at my feet.” In the third, his feet flew a counterpoint
to his fists, Williams was down again and the referee spared
him more hurt.
Broadcaster Howard Cosell told Thomas Hauser; “the
greatest Ali ever was as a fighter was against Williams. That
night, he was the most devastating fighter who ever lived.”
Even Muhammad Ali’s fiercest critics outside of the
ring now saluted his dominance within it.
