The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SHERMAN “The Tank” Williams didn’t mind going to the other side of the world to win three championship titles.

“It feels great. It feels great. I came back with three titles,” said Williams on his return to his residence in Florida over the weekend.

Last week in Macau, China, Williams went into Chauncy “Hillyard Hammer” Welliver’s backyard and pounded the defending champion for 12 rounds to secure the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Asia Pacific and China Zone and IPPBO Hong Kong Regional heavyweight titles.

The performance should finally move the Grand Bahamian native into the top 10 ranking in the WBO for the first time in his career, a feat that Williams feels will only move him closer to achieving his goal of fighting for a world title.

“Could you imagine a black Bahamian boy from Grand Bahama as the national champion for China?” Williams asked. “I think it’s an amazing feeling. I felt good that night, surrounded by thousands of Chinese. After I won the titles, I was in the ring for about a hour and-a-half taking pictures with every cameraman, the minister of sports, the minister of tourism. Everybody wanted to take pictures. So I really felt great.”

This victory was so sweet that Williams said it gave him an opportunity to prove all of his doubters wrong.

“After the fight against Holyfield, some people felt it was a fluke, but I went in there against a much younger guy who is only 20 years old with 50 wins under his belt and I just beat him from pillar to post, Williams said.

“I hit him with an overhead right, which I call the conch punch, he took off running. When I hit him with that shot, I hit him with a left hook and I realised that he didn’t want to be in the ring with me. So I pressed him and for the next four rounds I controlled the fight, hurting him with the same punch,” said Williams.

With Welliver standing about six-feet, three-inches, Williams said he was the prefect target to go to work down low in the mid-section and he had him grunting all night from the body punches.

“He didn’t know how to get out of the ring from the overhead right,” Williams said. “I was just excited to keep the pressure on him.”

Thanking God for granting him the ability to fight, Williams said he had some back injuries during his training session, but he was restored and he was in good health by the time he stepped into the ring to get the job done against Welliver.

“I’m definitely on par to capture my dream of being the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world,” Williams said.

“The three main title holders are all Europeans, so that means that I will have to fight them somewhere in Russia or in Germany. So at this point, I’m just praying and hoping that someone will give me an opportunity the same way Chauncy Welliver gave me a chance. He underestimated me because of my inactivity, my back injury and because I was 39 years old and I was on my way down.”

Williams, however, said he felt as if he had turned the hand of the clock back as he fought like he was 21 years old.

“I took care of myself. I don’t take anything for granted. I’m a student of the game and I come to fight,” he said. “Welliver never touched me to the face one time with one glove. So I can’t wait for the fight to be shown here in the United States next week.”

Hopefully, when he returns to the Bahamas in another week after getting some rest and relaxation, Williams said he will bring a tape of the fight that it can be broadcasted on national television for everyone to see.

“After the 12th round when I hit him with an overhead right, he wanted to lay down,” Williams said. “When they made the announcement, they made it first in mandarin, but they were all standing on my side and in the back of me. The confetti fell, the Bahamian flag fell from the roof and they played the national anthem. That was the greatest feeling that I ever had since I’ve been in any ring as a professional or amateur.”

Williams, who was accompanied by his manager Si Stern, said as the WBO champion of the entire Chinese region, he would like to see the Bahamas Government cash in on the publicity that he has generated because he has already been asked to come back to fight again in August or September.

“This was all God the way this whole thing happened,” Williams said. “This is nothing short of a miracle.”

Williams, who hadn’t fought since he was involved in a highly-controversial “no contest” with Evander Holyfield, won for the first time since December 12, 2008, against Andrew Greeley, and this latest fight was only Sherman’s third fight since then.

Welliver had been riding an 18-fight win streak, dating back nearly three years, until he ran into Williams, who weighed in at his lightest in a dozen years, 242 pounds. Welliver was rated No. 5 by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and No. 8 by the WBO