Tank Williams Speaks! Calls Out Top Heavyweights, Seeks Holyfield Real Deal Rematch
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
In a Real Combat Media interview exclusive, veteran Bahamas heavyweight Sherman ‘The Caribbean ‘Tank’ Williams of the Bahamas, now living in Florida, is calling out all of the top heavyweights in the division, and is seeking a ‘real deal’ rematch with Evander Holyfield.
Williams, age 45, 40-15-2, with 22 knockouts, Vero Beach, Florida, by way of Freeport, Bahamas, is coming off a second round stoppage win over Epifanio Mendoza at A Social Affair and Convention Center in Freeport on May 26, 2018. Williams has been stopped only once in 57 fights during his 21 year career, and has fought decisions frequently in his favored opposition hometowns around the world. While Williams still gets many inquiries, more often than not, fighters back out when they hear his name mentioned.
Of greatest interest to Williams would be a rematch of what he calls his World Boxing Federation World Heavyweight title three round no contest farce with Evander ‘Real Deal’ Holyfield, what Williams describes as a raw deal. Williams landed a legitimate overhand right hand punch which cut Holyfield above the left eye. Holyfield and his corner then claimed to referee Dave Johnson that Holyfield was unable to see from an accidental headbutt on January 2, 2011, at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. No headbutt was evident during the bout, yet the Holyfield corner was able to convince the referee of it on their own to get the no contest, which Williams likened to the November 20, 2014 disqualification of undefeated Gerald Nobles against Nicolai Valuev in the fourth round in Kempten, Germany, a bout in which Nobles, then 24-0, was deducted a point and disqualified for low blows which are not evident at any time in the bout. Holyfield, now 55 years old, last fought in May 2011, when he stopped Brian Nielsen in the tenth round in Copenhagen, Denmark. Holyfield was 47 years old at the time, and has been retired for seven years from fighting, working instead as a promoter.”
Robert Brizel: “First of all, congratulations on your comeback win last week over Epifanio Mendoza.”
Sherman Williams: “Thank you.”
Robert Brizel: “Let me begin by asking you if you want to call out Evander Holyfield. I saw your fight with Holyfield on YouTube. All I saw was one good punch thrown by you on Holyfield, and a lot of bull talked in Holyfield corner. The ‘Real Deal’ is doing promotions in Atlantic City. You want a rematch. Why? Holyfield did say in the post fight interview he would give you a rematch. Would you call him out for a rematch?”
Sherman Williams: “Yeah! I wanted to fight him (again) years ago. I’m open to a rematch with Holyfield. Ten rounds, 12 rounds, of course, we can make it (a rematch) for all the marbles.”
Robert Brizel: “I saw you hit Holyfield with an overhand right. Holyfield claimed afterwards in the corner after round two blood was coming into his left eye from a cut over it caused by an accidental headbutt. Was there any headbutt?”
Sherman Williams: There was no headbutt. The bout is all over YouTube. From the first bell, he was in trouble. I caught him (Holyfield) multiple times. I caught him with a right cross to the body. I hit him straight across the head. I was gonna stop him. He knew he was in trouble once I hit him with the overhand right. The overhand right was a perfect Jersey Joe (Walcott) punch. It’s a punch if you land it multiple times, your opponent will be in trouble. Tommy Brooks in his corner was trying to outsmart the referee. I have never seen a referee take directions from a corner. They (Holyfield’s corner) told the referee to call the fight, and he called it (initially) a majority draw. The one ringside doctor present was more interested in taking a photo with Evander Holyfield.”
Robert Brizel: “If it goes to the cards, it would be a technical draw or technical win, but it depends on the rules of the particular state (and the number of rounds required to be completed before the referee goes to the judges’ scorecards).”
Robert Brizel: “You are saying it should have been a second-round TKO win for you, and Holyfield used his celebrity status to get a No Contest? What Holyfield calls the real deal you call a raw deal?”
Sherman Williams: “It was a bad deal. Holyfield is a bum! I’ll beat him seven days out of the week. Holyfield said in the corner he did not want to come out for the next round, They (the Holyfield corner) were looking to get out of the fight (with me) because they had a date (coming up afterwards) with Brian Nielsen in Copenhagen. I told the West Virginia Boxing commission if Holyfield could not see, he should not have been allowed to fight for another 90 days and go to Copenhagen. My late manager, Si Stern, made an appeal which meant nowhere. My opinion is the West Virginia Boxing Commission was incompetent, and I never care to fight in West Virginia again. It was a lot like Gerald Nobles heavyweight disqualification loss to Nicolai Valuev in Germany. Nobles did nothing wrong, but they disqualified him for low blows anyway and stole the fight from him.”
Robert Brizel: “You’ve been in the ring with Joseph Parker before (October 2015, lost in ten rounds, in Auckland, New Zealand. One judge had the bout 97-94 for Parker, while the other two judges scored the bout strangely 100-90 for Parker).”
Sherman Williams: “Yeah, I would love an opportunity (for) a crack at Joseph Parker again. It was the first time he went the distance (when I fought Parker), and it was one of his toughest fights. I’m calling out (now) all of the top ten heavyweights.”
Robert Brizel: “You’ve fought Manuel Charr for ten rounds. Would you fight charr again, Tomasz Adamek, or Alexander Povetkin?”
Sherman Williams: “I would love to fight Alexander Povetkin. I would love to fight Tomasz Adamek. Of the group of guys (great heavyweights) who came up, I’m the last of the Mohegans. Cedric Kushner and a lot of these guys (the noteworthy promoters) They take the easy route (for their fighters). I am ready, willing and able to fight Tomasz Adamek, Alexander Povetkin, Kubrat Pulev. I am ready to fight any one of the top Polish heavyweights. Bring it on!”
Robert Brizel: “You have gone the distance with Robert Helenius, Parker, Charr, Gerlad Washington, Chauncy Welliver, Harold Sconiers, Ruslan Chagaev, Gerald Washington, Jameel McCline, Al Cole, Taurus Sykes, Gabe Brown, Tommy Martin, Lenzie Morgan, Tye Fields, Gilbert Martinez, Christian Hammer and others. It looks like (your record) you have been robbed (of the decision) by everybody you have fought.”
Sherman Williams: “I fought everyone that was relevant. If you get a copy of those fights (and view them, you will come to the conclusion that), a lot of those fights could have been scored the other way. My fight with Ruslan Chagaev, they gave to the decision to Chagaev in Germany, but I won (the bout) clearly. My fight with Joseph Parker in New Zealand, we could make a case (that I won the decision) for that. I deserved the Martin decision in Canada. You get a lot of B.S. decisions. I’m a tough guy.”
Robert Brizel: You and Jerry Butler are the strongest heavyweight fighters ever to come out of the Bahamas. However, Jerry has lost nine of his last ten bouts.”
Sherman Williams: “Jerry just gave an opportunity to an up and coming fighter (5-0 Florida heavyweight Amron Sands), and lost the four-round bout in the Bahamas. I don’t think Jerry takes his training seriously.”
Robert Brizel: “What about Amir Mansour and Travis Kauffman?”
Sherman Williams: “Travis Kauffman (his people) asked for the fight (with me). I never heard back from the matchmaker or the promoter. There’s (also) a guy in Canada named Shane Cameron. They (his people) called me to fight him in British Commonwealth title Heavyweight eliminator. They never called me back. Dillian Whyte offered to fight me. I accepted. He never called back. It’s the story of my life. A lot of these guys, they don’t want a real fight. I was offered Charles Martin for his comeback fight. They never called back. They (all) know Sherman Williams is for real, and once I step into the ring, I’m bringing the fight. On any given night, I can knock any one of these guys out!”
Robert Brizel: “Sherman, you’ve gone the distance 44 times in bouts you’ve won, lost or drawn, which is fairly incredible. Have you really lost any of these decisions?”
Sherman Williams: Four of the decisions I lost I think were justified, I didn’t do as well as I should have. All of the other decisions I fought in other fighter’s backyards. I deserved to win over Ruslan Chagaev. My decision with Joseph Parker could have gone either way. I had Parker hurt multiple times.”
Robert Brizel: “Your final word on why you want a rematch with Evander Holyfield, who’s 55 years old now, and why it is so important to you.”
Sherman Williams: “My thing is Holyfield quit in the ring with me, and used his celebrity power to get a no decision. He got stopped that night, and he needs to remember that the rest of his days. He’s promoting now, I’d like to fight him on his show, or fight him! It doesn’t matter (where). Holyfield lost (to me), and got away with robbery!”
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