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Johnny Williams (boxer)

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Johnny Williams
Born(1926-12-25)25 December 1926
Died28 January 2007(2007-01-28) (aged 80)
NationalityWelsh
Statistics
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Boxing record
Total fights75
Wins60
Wins by KO38
Losses11
Draws4
No contests0

Johnny Williams (25 December 1926 – 28 January 2007) was a British former professional boxer in the 1940s and 1950s and was at one time both the British and Empire heavyweight champion.

Life and career

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Born in Barmouth, Wales, Williams grew up in Rugby, England, his family having moved there when he was a toddler. He started to box from the age of 10.[1] He turned professional in 1946 and was known for his scientific approach in the ring, with one of his greatest fights being a bout with Jack Gardner on 17 July 1950 in Leicester. It was a Commonwealth title eliminator fight and he lost on points, and according to the BBC it was rated as one of the most grueling bouts ever staged in Britain and left both boxers requiring a night in hospital.[2]

Two years later on 11 March 1952, Williams had his finest hour, when in a rematch with Gardner, he won the 15 round fight, claiming both the British and Empire Heavyweight titles. However the following year he lost these titles to Don Cockell.[3]

Williams made an attempt at winning back the titles in 1955, but was defeated in a fifth-round knockout by Gardner.[4][3]

Williams retired in 1956 with 60 wins, 38 by knockout, 11 losses and 4 draws, and began a career as a farmer at Newton near Rugby.[3]

He died on 28 January 2007 survived by his wife and daughter.[3]

Professional boxing record

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60 Wins (38 knockouts, 22 decisions), 11 Losses (6 knockouts, 5 decisions), 4 Draws [1]
Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
Loss 33-9 Jamaica Joe Bygraves TKO 6 1956-11-16 United Kingdom Belle Vue Zoological Gardens, Belle Vue, Manchester
Loss 28-0-1 Wales Joe Erskine PTS 15 1956-08-27 Wales Maindy Stadium, Cardiff BBBofC Heavyweight Title.
Loss 26-4-1 United States Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson TKO 4 1956-04-13 United States Uline Arena, Washington, District of Columbia Referee stopped the bout at 2:49 of the fourth round.
Draw 45-5-1 Germany Willi Hoepner PTS 10 1956-02-04 Germany Festhalle Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Hesse
Win 23-3-2 Tonga Kitione Lave TKO 1 1955-07-26 United Kingdom Embassy Sportsdrome, Birmingham, West Midlands
Loss 26-5 United Kingdom Jack Gardner KO 5 1955-06-06 United Kingdom Nottingham Ice Stadium, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire BBBofC/Commonwealth Heavyweight Title Eliminators.
Win 7-4-1 France Lucien Touzard TKO 3 1955-04-18 Wales Maindy Stadium, Cardiff
Win 13-2-1 Netherlands Hennie Quentemeijer KO 2 1955-03-05 Wales Newtown, Powys
Win 12-3-1 France Roger Francis Coeuret TKO 4 1954-12-10 United Kingdom Belle Vue Zoological Gardens, Belle Vue, Manchester
Win 15-2 United Kingdom "Miracle" Jack Hobbs TKO 7 1954-09-14 United Kingdom Harringay Arena, London
Win 14-3-10 Germany Hugo Salfeld PTS 10 1954-04-04 Germany Stadion Rote Erde, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia
Win 42-4-6 Germany Gerhard Hecht KO 2 1954-01-22 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Win 4-4-1 Belgium Bernard Verdoolaeghe PTS 10 1953-11-10 United Kingdom Empress Hall, Earl's Court, London
Win 28-7 United Kingdom Fred Powell KO 2 1953-10-05 United Kingdom Granby Halls, Leicester, Leicestershire
Loss 59-11-1 United Kingdom Don Cockell PTS 15 1953-05-12 United Kingdom Harringay Arena, London BBBofC/Commonwealth Heavyweight Titles.
Win 15-11-1 Trinidad and Tobago Ansell Adams PTS 10 1953-04-13 United Kingdom Granby Halls, Leicester, Leicestershire
Loss 25-1-4 Germany Heinz Neuhaus KO 9 1953-02-15 Germany Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia
Win 23-2-4 Luxembourg Werner Wiegand KO 5 1952-12-10 United Kingdom Harringay Arena, London
Win 20-2 South Africa John Duncan Arthur TKO 7 1952-10-13 United Kingdom Granby Halls, Leicester, Leicestershire Commonwealth Heavyweight Title.
Win 13-13-7 United States Jimmy Rouse TKO 7 1952-07-22 United States Meadowbrook Bowl, Newark, New Jersey
Win 22-4 United Kingdom Jack Gardner PTS 15 1952-03-11 United Kingdom Empress Hall, Earl's Court, London BBBofC/Commonwealth Heavyweight Titles.
Win 46-15 Cuba Omelio Agramonte PTS 10 1951-12-04 United Kingdom Harringay Arena, London
Draw 21-0-3 Germany Heinz Neuhaus PTS 10 1951-10-14 Germany Stadion Rote Erde, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia
Win 28-8-1 Austria Jo Weidin TKO 6 1951-06-05 United Kingdom White City Stadium, London
Win 17-3 United States Aaron Wilson PTS 8 1951-03-27 United Kingdom Empress Hall, Earl's Court, London
Win 29-5-4 United Kingdom Reg Andrews KO 2 1951-03-19 United Kingdom Granby Halls, Leicester, Leicestershire
Loss 42-21-5 United States Bill Weinberg TKO 6 1950-12-12 United Kingdom Harringay Arena, London
Win 19-2 United States George Kaplan TKO 7 1950-11-14 United Kingdom Earls Court Arena, London
Loss 19-2 United Kingdom Jack Gardner PTS 12 1950-07-17 United Kingdom Granby Halls, Leicester, Leicestershire
Loss 72-11-2 United States Pat Comiskey TKO 6 1950-06-06 United Kingdom White City Stadium, London
Win 23-11 Canada Vern Escoe PTS 10 1950-02-28 United Kingdom Harringay Arena, London
Win 18-8 Jamaica Lloyd Barnett PTS 10 1950-02-20 United Kingdom Embassy Sportsdrome, Birmingham, West Midlands
Win 18-10 Belgium Piet Wilde KO 4 1950-01-24 United Kingdom Empress Hall, Earl's Court, London
Win 19-8-1 France Stephane Olek PTS 8 1949-09-06 United Kingdom Harringay Arena, London
Win 17-8 Belgium Piet Wilde PTS 10 1949-08-17 Wales Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Porthcawl
Win 11-4 Northern Ireland Paddy Slavin TKO 3 1949-06-20 United Kingdom St Andrew's, Birmingham, West Midlands
Win 10-5-1 Sweden Nils Andersson PTS 8 1949-06-02 United Kingdom White City Stadium, London
Win 23-8-4 Scotland Ken Shaw TKO 8 1949-04-19 United Kingdom Royal Albert Hall, London
Win 14-6-2 South Africa Nick Wolmarans TKO 4 1949-01-29 South Africa Wembley Stadium, Johannesburg, Gauteng
Win 3-3-1 South Africa Billy Wood KO 4 1948-12-16 South Africa City Hall, Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal
Win 10-6 South Africa Fred Vorster PTS 8 1948-11-06 South Africa Wembley Stadium, Johannesburg, Gauteng
Win 17-9-3 United Kingdom Jock Frederick Taylor PTS 6 1948-09-21 United Kingdom Harringay Arena, London
Win 22-13-7 United Kingdom Reg Spring TKO 6 1948-09-02 United Kingdom Exeter Civic Hall, Exeter, Devon
Win 32-4-1 United Kingdom Don Cockell TKO 2 1948-07-27 United Kingdom Embassy Rink, Birmingham, West Midlands
Win 7-12 Canada Gene "KO" Fowler KO 3 1948-06-22 United Kingdom St James Park, Exeter, Devon
Loss 28-4-1 United Kingdom Don Cockell PTS 8 1948-05-18 United Kingdom Highfield Road, Coventry, West Midlands
Win 6-0 Scotland Bobby Ogg PTS 6 1948-04-20 United Kingdom Harringay Arena, London
Win 1-0 United Kingdom Sid Falconer RTD 3 1948-03-11 United Kingdom Smethwick, Sandwell, West Midlands
Win 1-0 Wales Billy Phillips TKO 3 1948-02-17 United Kingdom Harringay Arena, London
Win 21-3 United Kingdom Allan Cooke TKO 1 1948-02-12 United Kingdom Hull Arena, Hull, Yorkshire
Win 12-12-3 Northern Ireland Matt Locke KO 1 1948-01-26 United Kingdom Coventry Drill Hall, Coventry, West Midlands
Win 13-13-1 Wales Des Jones PTS 8 1948-01-15 United Kingdom Rink Market, Smethwick, Sandwell, West Midlands
Loss 14-10-6 United Kingdom Reg Spring PTS 8 1947-12-02 United Kingdom Co-op Hall, Rugby, Warwickshire
Win 4-1 Wales Doug Richards PTS 8 1947-11-24 United Kingdom Cheltenham Town Hall, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Win 7-7 United Kingdom George Barratt TKO 3 1947-11-10 United Kingdom Coventry, West Midlands
Win 9-7-1 United Kingdom Jimmy Carroll KO 5 1947-11-03 United Kingdom Granby Halls, Leicester, Leicestershire
Win 27-27-7 Wales Trevor Burt KO 2 1947-09-16 United Kingdom Battery Drill Hall, Rugby, Warwickshire
Win 7-6 United Kingdom Jimmy Carroll TKO 5 1947-08-12 United Kingdom Wembley Town Hall, London
Win -- United Kingdom Bernard O'Neill TKO 2 1947-07-07 United Kingdom Wembley Town Hall, London
Draw 26-7-5 Wales Johnny Houlston PTS 8 1947-06-16 Wales Corporation Bus Depot, Newport
Win 41-59-5 Republic of Ireland Paddy Roche TKO 7 1947-04-03 United Kingdom Leamington, Warwickshire
Win 2-1 Republic of Ireland Jock Kerry TKO 5 1947-03-24 United Kingdom Birmingham, West Midlands
Win 2-2 United Kingdom Wally With PTS 8 1947-03-19 United Kingdom Caledonian Road Baths, London
Win 2-3 United Kingdom Art Owen TKO 6 1947-02-24 United Kingdom Kettering, Northamptonshire
Win 19-42-6 United Kingdom Ted Barter KO 3 1947-02-10 United Kingdom Oxford Town Hall, Oxford, Oxfordshire
Win 2-2-2 United Kingdom Tommy Bostock TKO 4 1946-12-09 United Kingdom Assembly Rooms, Market Harborough, Leicestershire
Win 0-1 United Kingdom Joe Burt PTS 8 1946-11-04 United Kingdom Birmingham, West Midlands
Draw 12-3-4 United Kingdom Jim Greaves PTS 8 1946-10-21 United Kingdom Granby Halls, Leicester, Leicestershire
Win 7-2-1 United Kingdom Jim Hollis PTS 6 1946-09-24 United Kingdom Embassy Rink, Birmingham, West Midlands
Win 12-17-2 United Kingdom Harry O'Grady KO 4 1946-06-04 United Kingdom Battery Drill Hall, Rugby, Warwickshire
Win -- United Kingdom Joe Williams PTS 8 1946-04-15 United Kingdom Birmingham, West Midlands
Win 5-4 United Kingdom "Seaman" Tom Smith TKO 5 1946-04-01 United Kingdom Birmingham, West Midlands
Win -- Michael Guerin KO 1 1946-02-26 United Kingdom Co-op Hall, Rugby, Warwickshire Guerin knocked out at 1:40 of the first round.
Win 2-3 United Kingdom "Seaman" Tom Smith PTS 6 1946-02-15 United Kingdom Crossington Street Baths, Leicester, Leicestershire
Win 1-0 United Kingdom Billy Rhodes PTS 6 1946-02-12 United Kingdom Crossington Street Baths, Leicester, Leicestershire

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Johnny Williams". Welsh Boxers. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Ex-British champion Williams dies". BBC. 6 February 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d "Obituaries: Johnny Williams". The Telegraph. 5 February 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Uk: Boxing: Gardner V Williams: 1955". British Pathé. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
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