If you don’t know the name Chuck Williams, get outta town. You don’t know boxing and you don’t now who’s who in the sport. Chuck is the everywhere man. Some consider him an acquired taste. He never backs down. He never gives up. And he always come through. This is the guy you want in the fox hole next to you. So, I thnk you’ll find this interview interesting. It’s a journey I enjoyed taking and with a man I respect. And it’s a story, as Chuck says, “from the heart.”
Why Boxing:
PROBABLY GOES BACK TO AROUND 1944 WHEN I WAS IN ST. MICHAEL’S ORPHANAGE IN STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK (PRIOR TO THAT IT WAS A CHAOTIC HOME LIFE AND FOSTER HOMES) …
THIS START TO MY LIFE TURNED OUT TO BE A GOOD TRAINING GROUND FOR WHAT I WAS TO FACE IN THE FUTURE …
BECAUSE MANY YOUNG PEOPLE FACED WITH WHAT THEY SEE AS REJECTION THE CATHOLIC PRIEST, FATHER JOSEPH CONLEY (WHO GREW UP IN HELL’S KITCHEN – WHEN IT WAS THE “REAL HELL’S KITCHEN”) BELIEVED THE BEST THERAPY WAS TO KEEP US BUSY WITH SPORTS … FATHER JOE WAS VERY INVOLVED BOTH AS ACOACH AND OFFICIAL FOR MOST OF THE SPORTS WE PARTICIPATED IN …
IF WE HAD A CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER KID WE COULD NOT SETTLE IT WITH OUR FISTS OUTSIDE THE RING … WE HAD TO GO TO FATHER JOE AND TELL HIM WE HAD TO GO IN THE RING … HIS WAY FOR US TO SETTLE OUR PROBLEMS … REAL OR IMAGINED … NO HEAD GEAR, CUP OR MOUTHPIECE … JUST TWO KIDSSWINGING AT EACH OTHER WITH 1😯Z GLOVES .
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BEING IRISH I HAD A WEAK NOSE WHICH WOULD GET BLOODIED WHETHER I WON OR LOST THE CONTEST … FATHER CONLEY WAS THE REFEREE (AS MENTIONEDHE WAS A TOUGH GUY OFF THE STREETS OF NYC)
HAD A BLACK/PUERTO RICAN KID NAMED HECTOR TAYLOR BEAT ME JUST ABOUT EVERY DAY FOR A YEAR … THE REST OF THE KIDS WOULD CHANT “WILLIAMS AND TAYLOR” AS THEY WANTED TO SEE THE BLOOD … I GUESS FATHER CONLEY GOT TIRED OF SEEING ME GET MY BUTT KICKED AND ASKED ME ONE DAY … “DO YOU THINK YOU CAN BEAT HECTOR TAYLOR” … I ANSWERED “YES, FATHER” …
SO HE GAVE ME MY FIRST LESSON: HANDS UP, ELBOWS IN, CHIN DOWN AND INSTRUCTED 3 JABS (BE SURE TO STEP INTO THE JAB CREATING MORE POWER) AND A RIGHT CROSS … COULD HARDLY SLEEP THAT NIGHT VISUALIZING (3 JABS – RIGHT CROSS) … GOT IN THE RING THE NEXT DAY AND THE FIRST PUNCH BLOODIED MY NOSE … UP TO THAT TIME IN THE PAST I COULD HARDLY TOUCH HECTOR TAYLOR (HE WAS LIKE PERNELL WHITAKER – VERY QUICK AND ELUSIVE) … FINALLY, I LANDED THE FIRST JAB FOLLOWED BY TWO MORE AND THEN THE RIGHT CROSS … TAYLOR THREW OFF THE SLIP ON GLOVES AND THAT WAS THE LAST TIME HE WOULD GET IN THE RING WITH ME … THAT WAS A GOOD DAY FOR ME AND A HUGE LESSON TO NEVER GIVE UP AND EVENTUALLY YOU WILL OVERCOME! …
YEARS LATER FATHER CONLEY DID THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY FOR MY YOUNGER BROTHER ANDY AND AT THE RECEPTION AS WE WERE CHATTING HE ASKED “CHUCK, DO YOU REMEMBER HECTOR TAYLOR” AND I RESPONDED “IF I LIVE TO BE 120 YEARS OF AGE I WILL NEVER FORGET HECTOR TAYLOR” … FATHER CONLEY RESPONDED “IF YOU DID NOT PREVAIL THAT DAY, I WAS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO LET YOU IN THE RING WITH TAYLOR AGAIN” … MY RESPONSE, “WOW, THAT WAS A POTENTIAL CROSSROADS IN MY LIFE” … FATHER CONLEY … “YOU WERE A PRETTY FEISTY KID SO I WAS NOT TOO CONCERNED” …
NOT KNOWING AT THE TIME … THAT WAS A REAL CROSSROADS IN MY LIFE … A LESSON TO NEVER GIVE UP!
You have a special feeling for youngsters. What’s behind that?
I SEE YOUNG CHILDREN AS “PURE” … UNTIL THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFE CHANGES THEM FOR GOOD OR DAMAGED BY WHAT THEY GO THROUGH … SOME HANDLE ADVERSITY BETTER THAN OTHERS …
CHILDREN GROWING UP IN LESS THAN IDEAL CIRCUMSTANCES JUST WANT SOME RECOGNITION AND KINDNESS TO VALIDATE NO MATTER WHAT HAS HAPPENED OR HAPPENS TO THEM THEY HAVE VALUE …
I‘M SURE YOU SEE THAT IN THE EVENTS YOU PUT ON FOR CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE AND ORPHANAGES … CHILDREN GROWING UP THIS WAY ARE LIKE ANIMALS IN THE JUNGLE WHO ARE WOUNDED AND NEED NURTURING AND CARE TO BECOME HEALTHY … (DON’T KNOW WHERE THAT COMES FROM BUT THINK IT MAKES SENSE) … IT IS THE SAME WITH CHILDREN … NURTURE THEM WITH POSITIVE ROLE MODELS AND THEY WILL USUALLY TURN OUT OK …
How would you change/revise the sport?
IT HAS TO START WITH THE AMATEUR PROGRAM WHICH IS IN THE WORST CONDITION EVER … EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A FORMER USA BOXING PRESIDENT FROM OREGON WHO IS IN PRISON FOR PEDOPHILIA (THEY ESTIMATE HE MAY HAVE ASSAULTED OVER 1000 BOYS YES, ONE THOUSAND+) DURING HIS MANY YEARS INVOLVED WITH CHILDREN IN HIS HOME STATE OF OREGON AND ON A NATIONAL LEVEL WITH HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH AMATEUR BOXING …
AND MOST RECENTLY THE USA BOXING PRESIDENT WAS REMOVED FROM OFFICE 6 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE LONDON OLYMPICS FOR ALL THE DAMAGE EMBARRASSMENT HE CAUSED THE USA BOXING PROGRAM …
WE MUST RESTORE THE AMATEUR PROGRAM TO THE GLORY YEARS OF 1976 AND 1984 …
THE ANSWER IS NOT FOR THE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE AMATEUR PROGRAMS EXCEPT TO SUPPORT THEM AND NOT FOR THE AMATEURS (AIBA) TO BECOME INVOLVED IN PROFESSIONAL BOXING … EACH SHOULD STAY IN THEIR OWN AREA … MY OPINION ON THIS MAY NOT BE POPULAR WITH SOME BUT IT IS WHAT IS IN MY HEART AND I HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE WITH AMATEUR AND PRO THAN MOST (IN THE AMATEURS I COMPETED, COACHED AND OFFICIATED) … PRO AS OFFICIAL AND SUPERVISOR …
AIBA SHOULD BE ABOLISHED OR AT LEAST USA BOXING SHOULD RESIGN FROM AIBA AND GO INDEPENDENT …
What do you do for enjoyment when away from boxing?
I ENJOY READING, WALKING, LIFTING WEIGHTS AND HELPING THOSE LESS FORTUNATE … EXAMPLES:
I VOLUNTEERED WITH THE RED CROSS AND TRAVELED TO LOUISIANA TO HELP THOSE WHO LOST EVERYTHING AFTER KATRINA … I FOUND SOME OF THE BRAVEST, MOST RESILIENT PEOPLE I HAVE EVER MET DURING MY VISIT TO LOUISIANA … NOT SURPRISING MANY OF THEM FORMER US MARINES (I WAS A NAVY MEDIC DURING THE KOREAN WAR – WE SERVED THE MARINES) …
MY EXPERIENCE IN LOUISIANA GAVE ME A CHANCE TO REFLECT ON HOW FORTUNATE I HAVE BEEN AFTER SEEING MANY OF PEOPLE WHO LOST EVERYTHING (SOME MULTIPLE TIMES) AND NOT GIVE UP … THE HUMAN SPIRIT IS TRULY REMARKABLE …
VOLUNTEERED WITH THE HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ASSIST IN THE CRIME STOPPERS PROGRAM … WAS EVENTUALLY INVITED TO JOIN HPD CRIME STOPPERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS …
Why Hawaii?
AT THE TIME, I WAS TRAVELING 70% OF THE YEAR OUT OF THE US COORDINATING CONVENTIONS AROUND THE WORLD AND DECIDED PERHAPS IT WAS TIME TO “SETTLE DOWN” … HAVING NEVER BEEN MARRIED AND HONORING THOSE I SAW WITH GREAT RELATIONSHIPS I REALIZED IT IS HARD TO “HIT A MOVING TARGET”SO I DECIDED ON HAWAII HAVING VISITED AS MANY AS 10 TIMES A YEAR FOR BUSINESS AND VACATION …
MOVING TO HAWAII IN 1976 I OPENED THE HYATT REGENCY WAIKIKI (1200 ROOM HOTEL) AND CONTROLLED THE PRE-OPENING BUDGET FOR TWO YEARS WHILE IT WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION … PUT TOGETHER THE MARKETING PROGRAM WITH A TEAM … AFTER THE OPENING I LEFT TO START MY OWN FIRM (COORDINATING CONVENTIONS, CORPORATE MEETINGS) AND RETIRED SOME 25 YEARS AGO …
A story to share?
WOW! THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STORIES – YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR MY BOOK WHICH IS SWIRLING AROUND IN MY HEAD AND HEART … THE TITLE: “A TEAR IN MY HEART – A TRIUMPH OF THE SPIRIT” … ONE OF THESE DAYS, HOPEFULLY IN THE NOT TO DISTANT FUTURE, I WILL START WRITING … A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE SUGGESTED “I HAVE A STORY”
Your heroes and inspirations?
FATHER CONLEY AND MY STEP MOTHER JOSEPHINE (SHE MARRIED MY GENETIC FATHER AND INSISTED THE FIVE OF US, MY BROTHER AND THREE SISTERS “COME HOME”) – THEY ARE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR MUCH OF MY INTEGRITY, WORK ETHIC AND THE ATTITUDE OF NEVER QUIT AND “STRIVE TO DO THE JOB BETTER THAN ANYONE” … I DO MY BEST TO ADHERE TO THESE VALUABLE PRINCIPALS …
A moment you’re most proud of?
I ALWAYS TRY AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT EVEN WHEN OTHERS MAY NOT AGREE … IN NUMEROUS SITUATIONS OVER THE YEARS I COULD HAVE BENEFITED HAD INOT STOOD BY MY PRINCIPLES AND INTEGRITY … I’M GLAD I WAS GIVEN THE STRENGTH TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND NOT JUST GO ALONG WITH THE CROWD … NOT ALWAYS THE MOST POPULAR POSITION TO TAKE BUT I’M GLAD THAT IS WHO I AM …
How would you like to be remembered?
CHUCK WILLIAMS ALWAYS KEPT HIS WORD … IF HE SAID HE WOULD DO SOMETHING HE DID IT WITH INTEGRITY AND A SENSE OF FAIRNESS ... ALWAYS STAND UP FOR THE UNDERDOG AND CONFRONT THE BULLY!
WHEN I PUT MY HEAD ON THE PILLOW AT NIGHT I HOPE I PUT A SMILE ON AT LEAST ONE PERSON AND WHEN I AWAKE I THANK THE LORD FOR ANOTHER DAY …
WE SHOULD ALWAYS REMEMBER … AS BAD AS THINGS MAY SEEM TO US FROM TIME TO TIME THERE IS SOMEONE BEING FACED WITH A GREATER CHALLENGE …