Holman Williams-Young Gene Buffalo III

http://www.thesweetscience.com/news/articles-frontpage/13741-15-secondstoledo

No film of Holman Williams of Murderers' Row was thought to exist. Until now.

"Murderers' Row" was a particularly ferocious set of eight black fighters active in the 1940s. They were avoided by the welterweight and middleweight champions of that era and none of them got a world title shot; and so they fought each other. Charley Burley, Holman Williams, Lloyd Marshall, Cocoa Kid, Eddie Booker, Bert Lytell, Jack Chase, and Aaron "Tiger" Wade had a 62 fight tournament in tank towns for short money. None of them emerged unscathed.

They have been shrouded in mystery due in part to the sad fact that there isn't much film of them.

Holman Williams was the best technician among them and has a strong argument as being the best technician who ever lived. Film of him just turned up, thanks to JJ Johnston and Doug Cavanaugh. This is 15 seconds from his third fight against Young Gene Buffalo in Detroit on March 21, 1941.

~ Springs Toledo

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• boxing
• Holman Williams
• Murderers' Row
• Young Gene Buffalo
• Douglas Cavanaugh
• J.J. Johnston
• Springs Toledo

[mikeycapp1]

Hello Scalinatella1970,

I was certain that the Holman Williams fight was listed in Boxrec.com and I was quite shocked when it wasn't there. Let me do some research to see if this was a figment of my imagination or did I make some fruedian slip along the way. I Checked my Spaulding and Everlast Record books but most of my editions are mid 1920's into the mid 1930's before Ernie was fighting. I will do my best to try and wipe the egg off of my face!! MIkey Capp

[scalinatella1970]

@mikeycapp1 Don't feel too bad -boxrec is incomplete and there are mistakes on those records just like there are every other. So, the mistake may not be yours! Either way, thanks for remembering the great ones of tougher yesterdays.

[mikeycapp1]

Hello, Thank you for the excellent article regarding Black Murderers Row and of course the glimpse of Holman Williams on film. Holman Williams fought a late old friend of mine Ernie Forte who was a Welterweight whom fought out of Providence R.I. Regards Mikey Capp

[scalinatella1970]

@mikeycapp1 Sure thing, thank you for reading it. Do you know the date or place that Forte fought Williams?

[mcdun1]

Always nice when film is discovered of the all time greats.

[MrBurley46]

@mikeycapp1 According to the 1948 ring Record Book Ernie Forte lost on points to Holman Williams on 21 November 1941. However, the same edition has Holman beating Howell King, also in New Orleans, on the same date.....

Some more digging I think!!!

[vanillasky1912]

This find gives hope of getting that Harry Greb film...plzzzz one day

[GOPA90]

YES!!! Thank you!

[saber1078]

wow can only wish there was more ..thank you

[coxscorner]

Thanks for that. Had not seen that before. Nice.