Real name John Gutenko Wins by KO 57 Died October 18, 1963 Total fights 210 Wins 156 Role Boxer | Nationality Danish Name Kid Williams Martial art Boxing Rated at Bantamweight Losses 26 Height 1.55 m Stance Orthodox stance | |
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Born December 5, 1893Copenhagen, Denmark ( 1893-12-05 ) | ||
John Gutenko (December 5, 1893 – October 18, 1963) better known as Kid Williams, was a Danish boxer who held the Bantamweight World Championship during his career. Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Williams as the #2 ranked bantamweight of all time while The Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer placed him at #3. Williams was inducted into the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame in 1970 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996.
Biography
Williams was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He traveled with his parents to the United States in 1904 where they ended up in Baltimore, Maryland. He made his professional debut in 1910 and went unbeaten until running into knockout artist George Chaney who knocked him out.
Williams got a title shot in 1914 against Johnny Coulon whom he knocked out in three rounds. He fought against many champions but defended just twice, fighting boxers like Pete Herman, Johnny Kilbane and Memphis Pal Moore. Upon losing the title in 1917 to Herman, he fought pugilists like Joe Dundee, Joe Lynch, Francisco Guilledo also known as Pancho Villa, and Frankie Genaro before retiring in 1929.
Kid Williams died in Baltimore, Maryland in 1963.