the hospital. After his partial recovery Williams was fined $50 and briefly jailed after pleading no contest to charges arising from the incident. (Patrolman Witten visited Williams to wish him luck the day before his 1966 fight with Muhammad Ali, with both men saying they had "no hard feelings" toward the other). Recovery and return to boxing The injury, surgeries and subsequent convalescence caused Williams to lose over 60 pounds, and over 17 months of his career. He regained his weight and strength by tossing 80-pound bales of hay daily on a cattle ranch till he had regained his fighting weight and physique. On February 8, 1966, Williams received a standing ovation from the Houston crowd as he returned to the ring, and knocked out Ben Black in the first round. Williams competed for the heavyweight championship against Muhammad Ali on November 14, 1966, but was badly outclassed, and was knocked down twice in the third round ending the match. Williams retired from boxing after the 1966 Championship defeat, but later made a comeback. Although able to defeat journeymen fighters, he suffered several knockout losses before retiring permanently in 1972. Later life The Ring in the 1980s reported he worked as a forklift truck driver in his later years. Death On September 3, 1999, Williams was knocked down by a car in a hit and run accident while walking across a street in Houston, Texas; he died of his injuries at Ben Taub Hospital on September 10, 1999, at the age of 66. Williams was buried in Paradise North Cemetery in Houston. Tributes He ended his career with a record of 80 wins (60 KOs), 13 losses and 1 draw. George Foreman interviewed in retirement described Williams as possessing one of the three hardest punches he had experienced professionally, also stating that he and Williams had been sparring partners in their early careers. George Chuvalo also said Williams was one of the hardest punchers he had faced in his own professional career. Williams, aged 38, lost by decision to veteran Chuvalo over 10 rounds at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, in November 1971. Sonny Liston stated Williams was the hardest puncher he'd ever been in the ring with. In 2003 Williams was ranked 49th in The Rings list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. Professional boxing record References ALI's DOZEN, ESPN Home Entertainment/Genius Entertainment, 2007. External links Brief Lives