Former British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight champion Derek Williams has had quite a career – and not all of it on the world stage. Famously sparring with peak Mike Tyson, “Sweet D” also sparred with Larry Holmes, Gerry Cooney, Frank Bruno and others. Trained for some time under the great Angelo Dundee, Williams had a brief amateur career and, starting his professional career, fended for himself.

Later, as he proved his worth, Williams was endorsed by several notable players. But in the beginning, only Williams and his 6-foot-10 frame, as well as his skills in boxing, punching and moving around the ring, ensured his survival.

Here, the 58-year-old, who now devotes a lot of time to motivational speaking, fondly recalls moments from his career for the benefit of ESB readers:

Q: Thank you very much for talking to Eastside Boxing. Of course I remember you from those days, as well as the fans – there were a lot of British heavyweights back then in the slow 80s and early 90s.

Derek Williams: “Yes, there were a lot of heavyweights. I talked about this yesterday. There were a lot of good heavyweights in the 1990s and I think anyone in the top 10 or top 20 can be a world champion today. I know I may be a bit biased, but that’s what I think.

Q: I agree with you. It was a great era; it was you, Lennon Lewis, Gary Mason and Bruno.

DW: “There were a few guys in England itself. You had Lennox, who was an outstanding warrior. Then there was Frank Bruno, me, Gary Mason, Horace Notice… all the guys who could handle themselves. Now I deal with boxing, I advise the boys and I have a column in Boxing News. I also write as a freelancer for other newspapers and magazines. For me, it’s about writing the truth, not just about pleasing people. And sometimes the truth hurts.”

Q: Absolutely, and as you know, there are a lot of controversial things going on right now, like failed drug tests and stuff like that. But that’s a completely different interview!

DW: “Yes. If you think about it, the problem we have with boxing is that there is no global governing body. You have different governing bodies that award world championship titles. But there is no global governing body. So people will do their thing. You know, if someone… I don’t know, like PEDS. If someone abuses this, they can be disqualified for six months and returned to boxing. Or they will go to fight in another organization and there will be no problem. We need to eliminate these things and boxing needs more order. But until then, it will remain free for everyone. If they don’t like it, they just appoint a up-to-date governing body.”

Q: You’re right. But let’s talk about your amazing career! You only fought a dozen or so amateur fights?

DW: “I had ten amateur fights. And that’s it… I came up with ten amateur fights, I never had any support behind me. I never had any huge promoter, training team or sponsor behind me. What I had was a desire. I loved seeing the elderly ones [fight] tapes – George Foreman, Muhammad Ali. I watched these guys for a long time, learning, and I inherited this belief. And that’s what I tell people: you can achieve your goal. Because to become European champion, Commonwealth champion and British champion and be among the top ten players in the world without any support from anyone, that says a lot. Because I fought at a time when you had to be able to fight to get in.

Q: Yours was also a quick progress…. You defeated Hughroy Currie and became a three-belt champion in your fifteenth fight?

DW: “It was my 14th fight.”

Q: Wow. And you’re right, fighters like Bruno and Mason had people like Terry Lawless and Mickey Duff looking out for them….

DW: “Eventually, when I became champion, I started moving up from those guys. But up to this point I was just trying to get through it. But the key, Jim, is that you have faith and training, along with a bit of luck and talent. But I tell people, I left without complaining, that there is no one behind me, no one is pushing me. To be able to mix at this level, to get out of the game, to still be able to communicate and correspond with people… I’m doing a lot of talks now, motivational talks. The thing is, I enjoyed my boxing career and tried not to get injured. Would I do anything differently? I don’t think I would. My journey was my journey. I left ok. Some of the boys I meet at fighter meetings, I also see some from my time who are neglected, hurt and unable to speak. And I feel sorry for them. Many of them were molested. People take advantage of boxers, if you didn’t know. Sometimes they are too evenly matched or fight at the last minute to save the promoter. And many of them didn’t get much money. If you don’t fight in the main event, there is no huge money. It wasn’t great. I broke this pattern by becoming a champion and being able to demand what I wanted.

Q: Nothing has been given to you, that’s for sure. Looking at your achievements, you have fought against many names. Your victory over the risky Jimmy Thunder was a good victory for you….

DW: “I remember those fights where I was an outside guy coming on stage and no one was supporting me. I went to the United States, like Mississippi, and it was amazing [Jose] Ribalta (This was during the 1993 People’s Choice Heavyweight Tournament). Let me ask you now, Jim, how come I knocked a guy down three times in a three-round fight and he won (on points)!?”

Q: It was crazy, I remember that tournament….

DW: “So I looked at it, right, I looked at the guys I beat…. When I fought Bert Cooper, Bert Cooper looked like a mess and the referee was about to stop the fight but he made the decision (laughter). So I said to myself: “OK, I’m an away fighter, I’m fighting in America.” But it happens and I don’t cry about it. Without a doubt, if you don’t have the right people looking after you, you will struggle. I think I had my breakthrough because there weren’t many heavyweights who could box and punch. If you could box as well as punch, you’d have a chance of beating huge, lumbering heavyweights, and I did.

Q: You could do both, and some would say you’re stuck between two styles, boxing and huge punching. Is it OK?

DW: “Yes, I was a little bit. I like the idea of ​​boxing as entertainment, as punching. I always wanted to put on a show.”

Q: How did you come to work with Angelo Dundee on the Lennox fight?

DW: “I was training in Up-to-date York a few years earlier and met Angelo. He liked talking to me and liked my style, so he joined us. And I liked that he was on board. He was like a psychologist.”

Q: What do you think are the best things he taught you?

DW: “He showed me you can win! He always told you to keep the right attitude, he always motivated you, that’s his key. I do it with guys now; I never tell guys they can’t do it. I always tell them they can do it if they put their mind to it. And don’t forget that his background was working with fighters like Muhammad Ali. So being in his presence, it was great to hear how to overcome obstacles and challenges.”

Q: And famously you sparred many rounds with peak Mike Tyson. And he couldn’t do anything to you!

DW: “Mike, well, Mike (laughter)…. he never liked guys who could jab and move, and that’s what I can do, I can jab and move. So Mike, he tried to trick me into injecting, but I was intelligent enough to now know to stick around and let him tag me! Mike was “Iron Mike” back then. But you know, a lot of guys get beaten in sparring. A lot of guys who got injured in boxing; this happens in sparring. Tough, difficult sparring sessions that take a lot out of you. I never thought about getting into gym wars because gym wars ruin a lot of guys. Gym Wars…..you go to Philly, you see amazing fights, gym fights, but these guys never leave the gym. When fighting at Blue Horizon or anywhere else, many of them wage too many gym wars. For me, boxing is about being able to protect yourself, moving your head and protecting your head.

Q: Did you also spar with Larry Holmes and Gerry Cooney?

DW: “Yes. As I said, I have never had an amateur career. But I went to any gym and took it upon myself to really learn the game. I read elderly Ring and KO magazines. They told stories of warriors traveling around and sparring with everyone. The great Larry Holmes, y’all, sparred with everyone else to learn the game. I tried to adapt it to my program – learning and sparring. I even went here and sparred with Bruno and traveled around. I traveled all over Up-to-date York, Philadelphia, everywhere to spar and learn. I practiced what I preached – I went out to learn and work to become a champion, and it worked. Thank you.”

Q: What did Larry Holmes think about your stabbing? He probably had the best jab in heavyweight history!

DW: “Larry Holmes, he came with me [on the ring walk]and after the fight [with Ribalta], he thought I won that fight too. I thought to myself, “wow, Larry Holmes is talking to me!” He stayed with me in the locker room afterwards, and then, thanks to his advice, I went to Philadelphia for training. He’s one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.”

Q: I have to ask you about two completely bizarre fights you had in France with Jean-Mauric Chanet. After one of these two fights, there were mass riots – was it the first or second fight?

DW: “The riot was the second fight. When you go into someone’s backyard to fight, you never know what’s going to happen there. I found out as [European] a champion, but without real protection. You know, boxing is a comical game. You have to be careful where you eat because someone might put something in your drink. You never know. So we took our own team, our own chef, our own security team to travel around, you know? I don’t want to accuse anyone, but if you remember, I killed that guy in the first minute and a half. The referee was close to stopping the fight. However, he allowed the fight to continue to give the crowd a chance to get a round. And the difference between one and two rounds [for me] it was like night and day. I just didn’t feel like fighting anymore. It was just weird. I do not know what happened.”

Fans can read Derek’s regular column on the UK Boxing News website.