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Sosa vs. Williams: “Aqui, Jungle”
By
Ted
Sares
Charles “Prince” Williams fought three grueling bouts in an 11-month
span between July 1994 and June 1995. A TD (draw) with tough-as-teak
Merqui “El Corombo” Sosa was book-ended by malefic KO losses to
James Toney and then to Sosa in a rematch. However, it was the
remarkable draw that stands out in the memory of most boxing fans.
The fight was held at Ballys Park Place Hotel Casino in Atlantic
City. At stake was the vacant NABF light heavyweight title. Sosa was
24-4-1 at the time while The Prince was 36-6-3 coming in. Both guys
had fought at the top level of their division and were primed for
war. Indeed, Sosa lost a razor thin SD to James Toney, and had a
point not been deducted in the tenth round, he would have prevailed.
He also held a UD over rugged Glen Johnson. Williams had TKO wins
over Bobby Czyz, a prime Frankie Swindell, and James Kinchen, among
others.
What ensued is still being talked about in boxing circles as the two
combatants, both old school types, engaged in one of the most savage
fights ever. The exchanges of body and head shots had the crowd
gasping in amazement. First one shot would hit flush and spray sweat
all over the ring; then, one in return would do the same. There were
few clinches for Referee Ron Lipton to worry about as he kept a
close eye on the hellacious mayhem being waged. Like the Morrison-Hipp
or Pemberton-Sheika wars, this one was making everyone uneasy, if
not queasy. Neither guy was about to quit though in my opinion Sosa
was getting the better of it. Sosa suffered a fractured cheekbone
while The Prince sustained a nasty orbital eye cut.
Finally, after seven rounds of give-and-take mind numbing
punishment, the ringside doctor (and Lipton) had seen enough. To
save both fighters for another day; the fight was stopped. Clearly,
neither warrior could continue the mutual bloodletting (though Sosa
complained bitterly, albeit wrongly that he was still ready to go).
It was a rare “double knockout,” which officially was ruled a
technical draw.
The Rematch
Five months later at the Convention Center in Philadelphia, Sosa
took matters into his own hands and found redemption. In a phone
booth type battle, Sosa and Williams stood in front of each other
and traded an untold number of power shots. Each fighter was hurt in
the ebb and flow action until Sosa caught Williams and put together
sharp combinations that ended matters in the tenth. While Prince
Charles never went down, he absorbed the final series of punches in
a corner, dangerously out on his feet. The referee then waved it
off. Later, Williams left the ring on a stretcher. He would never be
the same fighter and would retire after one more fight in 1996,
which he won. Sosa would go 9-5 until he retired in 2000, also with
a win to cap off a fine ring career.
Both men were exciting to watch and each is a class act
extraordinaire.
Ron Lipton
Speaking of class acts, Ron Lipton was one hard hitter himself. He
was called by World Boxing Magazine in its Sept 73 issue one of the
hardest hitting fighters to compete in amateur compettion. He is an
ex-cop, one of the best pro trainers and cornermen in the business,
former international pro referee, long published boxing writer,
boxing historian, and current boxing instructor for the last seven
years at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY.
I always viewed Lipton as a top notch referee who was in better
shape than the fighters and still is, was always in the background
and unobtrusive, and was more than strong enough to handle any
clinches swiftly to allow the fight to flow. His kowledge of the
rules is well-documented as is his passion for the sport of boxing.
Lipton’s friendship with Emile Griffith, Mohammed Ali, Rubin
“Hurricane” Carter, and many other high profile boxing personalities
add grist to the mill for a great story. But I suspect the most
compelling story is why Ron Lipton has not refereed in quite some
time, and therein may rest a story that simply demands to be told.