Brunch Boxing Remembers: Holman Williams
- Matthew Brown
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
02/09/2026
Holman Williams was one of the finest pure boxers of his era, a master technician who built a reputation on skill, intelligence, and precision. Fighting from 1932 to 1948, Williams became a leading contender in the welterweight and middleweight divisions but never received the world title opportunity his talent deserved.
His legacy stands as a testament to brilliance that could not be denied, even if it was too often avoided.
Born in Pensacola, Florida, Williams began boxing as an amateur in 1928 as a bantamweight. He compiled a strong 38 bout amateur career before turning professional in 1932 as a featherweight. Over time he moved through the lightweight ranks and into the welterweight and middleweight divisions, where he would earn recognition as one of the most clever and elusive fighters of the 1930s and 1940s.
Williams retired with a record of 146 wins, 31 losses, 11 draws, 36 knockouts, and 1 no contest. Though not known as a heavy puncher, he controlled fights with timing, defense, and ring awareness. His ability to outthink opponents made him a difficult assignment for anyone.
He was a central figure in the feared Murderers’ Row, a group of highly skilled Black fighters who were systematically denied world title shots. As a world welterweight and middleweight contender, Williams fought the best available competition. His résumé includes bouts against Charley Burley, Cocoa Kid, Eddie Booker, Bob Satterfield, Archie Moore, Marcel Cerdan, and Jake LaMotta. Few fighters of any era faced such a deep roster of elite opponents without the reward of a recognized world championship.
When the World Colored Middleweight Championship was revived in the early 1940s, Williams met Charley Burley for the title on August 14, 1942. Burley stopped him in the ninth round, marking the first time Williams had been halted in his career. Williams avenged the defeat in their rematch on October 16, 1942, winning a decision to claim the title. His reign was brief. On January 15, 1943, he lost the championship to the Cocoa Kid by decision over twelve rounds.
Despite the absence of a world title, Williams earned deep respect within boxing circles. The legendary trainer Eddie Futch, who shared the same stable, once said he would rather watch Holman Williams shadowbox than watch most fighters actually step into the ring and compete. That praise spoke volumes about Williams’s craft.
Holman Williams was a great middleweight who defined an era through technique and quiet excellence. Long overlooked by mainstream recognition, he was finally inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008.
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