Ali entered boxing undefeated at 26-0 with 21 knockouts and was defending the heavyweight title he won from Sonny Liston in 1964. When he was only 24 years old, he had already lost to Liston twice, Floyd Patterson twice, Henry Cooper and European champion Karl Mildenberger. His confidence and unique “stick-and-move” style made him a 5-to-1 favorite.
Williams, on the other hand, posted a formidable record of 69-5-1 with 55 strikeouts. Long considered one of the world’s most dangerous boxers, the 33-year-old had overcome extraordinary odds just to get his first shot at a world title. Two years earlier, he had been shot during an encounter with the Texas Highway Patrol. The bullet caused catastrophic internal injuries, resulting in a kidney being removed and permanent muscle damage to the hip and leg. Despite his impressive comeback to win four fights in a row, many questioned whether he could ever be the heavyweight champion he once was.
Ali mixed in quick combinations while forcing Williams to follow him for most of the opening round. The challenger struggled to get into the striking zone and was unsuccessful as Ali set the tone early on.
Williams tried to change tactics by crossing the ring and forcing Ali into the corners. For a moment he looked successful, but Ali escaped repeatedly with quick work before firing sharp counters.
Midway through the round, Ali landed a crushing right hand that dropped Williams for the first time. Williams stood up bravely, only to collapse after another quick combination. Moments later, Ali landed a five-punch combination that sent Williams crashing to the canvas for the third time.
There was no three-knockout rule in championship fights, and the bell rang before referee Harry Kessler finished counting. Williams staggered back to his badly injured corner, his hope hanging by a thread.
Knowing he had to change the fight, Williams came out throwing some nasty punches. Ali calmly dodged almost everything before exploding with another series of lightning-fast combinations.
A left hook dropped Williams for the fourth time. Although the fighter once again defeated the figure, he was no longer able to successfully defend himself. Ali poured in another ax until referee Harry Kessler stepped in and stopped the fight at 1:08 of the third round.
The official result was a technical knockout, giving Ali his seventh successful defense of the heavyweight championship.
The fight has since become synonymous with Ali at his athletic peak. His speed, movement, hand speed, and precision produced a performance that many historians consider the best of his career and one of the greatest ever by a heavyweight champion.
Although Williams showed great courage by repeatedly stepping up to the canvas, the results of the 1964 shootout had robbed him of the explosiveness that had once made him one of boxing’s most feared competitors. He retired soon after the defeat before making a brief comeback a few years later.
Ali’s victory further cemented his position as the sport’s premier heavyweight. However, less than a year later, his boxing career would be interrupted when he was stripped of his title after refusing to be drafted into the US Army due to his opposition to the Vietnam War.
His exile lasted more than three years, making Cleveland Williams’ victory one of the last glimpses of the first version of Muhammad Ali, a champion who combines speed, intelligence and athleticism that many historians believe has never been surpassed in the heavyweight division.
