Nov. 30, 1964 - Cleveland Williams (pictured in 1962), the world’s No. 2 heavyweight boxing challenger, received a critical bullet wound in the stomach late last night in a scuffle with Texas state highway patrolmen.
Houston City-County Hospital attendants said Williams was in very critical condition after 5½ hours of surgery that involved removal of a small section of intestine.
The surgeons said, however, the wound should not end Williams’ boxing career even though additional surgery will be needed later.
“He will live to fight again,” said Dr. D.L. Bricker. “I’ve never seen a man with such a constitution. He lost enough blood to kill a half-dozen men.”
Dr. R. L. Angel, chief of surgery, said the bullet struck Williams in the left side and moved across the body just above the hip.
Only last week, the World Boxing Association scheduled for early next year a world heavyweight title match between Williams and Ernie Terrell of Chicago. The WBA does not recognize the title claimed by Muhammad Ali nor the No. 1 challenger status claimed by former champion Sonny Liston.
The 215-pound Williams, 31, was struck by a bullet from the .357 Magnum pistol carried by patrolman Dale Witten, 36.
Witten, a 155-pounder, said the scuffle developed as he was taking Williams to jail at Tomball, northwest of Houston, after arresting the boxer on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Witten said Williams and a friend, Ned Warner Jr., 33, were arrested after his patrol car was nearly forced off a state highway near Tomball by a speeding automobile driven by the boxer.
The patrolman said he placed Williams in the front seat of the patrol car and Warner in the rear and began the short trip to Tomball, only to see Williams trying to open the car door.
Witten quoted Williams as saying: “I can’t afford to go to jail. I’d rather jump and break my neck.” “I stopped the car and turned on the dome light,” Witten said. “Williams drew back his fist and hit me on the face. I don’t know how many times he hit me. I tried to get my pistol, but he grabbed it with both hands, and it went off.”
Terrell said today he was sorry Williams was “in such bad shape.”
“But I’m sorry for me, too,” he said. “Things have been going good for me, except in the financial department. I’ve had four fights this year, and two of them were for charity. And I wanted to fight Williams for a personal reason. He beat me, and then I beat him. But I’ve improved since then. I wanted a clean-cut win over him, and I’d have gotten it, too.” On Wednesday night, Ernie, who plays guitar and sings, will appear on the Johnny Carson “Tonight” show on NBC.
“I figured I’d sing rock ’n’ roll,” he said, “but now maybe I’ll sing the blues — for Williams and me.”
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