Quick Facts
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Michael Anthony Williams (born June 16, 1962) is an American actor and former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 2000. In the 1990 film Rocky V, he played the role of boxer Union Cane.
Boxing career
Known as "Mercury", Williams turned professional in 1984 and was considered a rising prospect after winning his first 13 fights, including a win over James Tillis. In 1987, he stepped up and lost a split decision to the former champion Tim Witherspoon. The following year, he lost by TKO to Buster Douglas. In the 1990s, he lost to other notable heavyweights Alex Garcia and Corrie Sanders and retired in 2000 after a TKO loss to Lawrence Clay Bey, having won 22 and lost 6 with 14 KO.
Acting career
Williams portrayed the fictional heavyweight champion of the world Union Cane in Rocky V. In the movie, he was soundly defeated in one round by Tommy Gunn. Williams also played background characters in various other films, such as A Soldier's Story, Full Metal Jacket, Another 48 Hrs., Ali, Losing Isaiah, Soldier Boyz, The Boys Club, The Replacements, A Sense of Entitlement and The Brave One. He also appeared in some TV shows, such as Homicide: Life on the Street and The F.B.I. Files.
Professional boxing record
| 28 fights | 22 wins | 6 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 14 | 4 |
| By decision | 8 | 2 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | Loss | 22–6 | Lawrence Clay-Bey | TKO | 6 (10), 0:35 | Sep 17, 2000 | Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 27 | Loss | 22–5 | Albert Stewart | SD | 8 | Sep 7, 1999 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 26 | Win | 22–4 | Gary Butler | TKO | 4 (6) | Dec 9, 1995 | Moody Gardens, Galveston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 25 | Loss | 21–4 | Corrie Sanders | KO | 1 (10), 2:58 | Mar 19, 1994 | Carousel Casino, Hammanskraal, South Africa | |
| 24 | Win | 21–3 | Rick Hoard | KO | 2 | Aug 5, 1993 | Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S. | |
| 23 | Loss | 20–3 | Alex García | TKO | 5 (12), 2:14 | Feb 16, 1993 | McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado, U.S. | For NABF heavyweight title |
| 22 | Win | 20–2 | Jimmy Bills | UD | 8 | Dec 16, 1992 | Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 19–2 | Elvin Evans | UD | 6 | Nov 3, 1992 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 18–2 | Juan Ramon Perez | UD | 4 | Feb 25, 1992 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 19 | Win | 17–2 | Russell Rierson | KO | 2 | Nov 19, 1991 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 18 | Loss | 16–2 | Buster Douglas | TKO | 7 | Jun 27, 1988 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 17 | Win | 16–1 | Dorcey Gaymon | TKO | 2 (10), 1:10 | Mar 4, 1988 | Bingo Wonderland, Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 16 | Win | 15–1 | Art Terry | UD | 10 | Feb 3, 1988 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 14–1 | Leon Dixon | TKO | 2 (10), 2:53 | Jan 6, 1988 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 14 | Loss | 13–1 | Tim Witherspoon | SD | 10 | Oct 14, 1987 | Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Rufus Hadley | PTS | 10 | May 22, 1987 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Ken Elliott | TKO | 3 (10), 1:06 | Apr 9, 1987 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Billy Joe Thomas | TKO | 7 (10), 1:26 | Feb 12, 1987 | Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | James Tillis | TKO | 8 (10), 2:48 | Jan 8, 1987 | Marriott Brookhollow, Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Robert Obey | KO | 4 | Dec 14, 1986 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Tommy Taylor | TKO | 5 (6), 1:28 | Oct 17, 1986 | Sahara Hotel and Casino, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Terry Armstrong | PTS | 6 | Jul 5, 1986 | Conroe, Texas, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | John Barbier | KO | 2 | May 2, 1986 | Conroe, Texas, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Carl Dorsey | TKO | 3 | Feb 12, 1986 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Ronald Turner | UD | 4 | Aug 23, 1985 | Atlantis Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Lorenzo Boyd | KO | 3 (6) | Mar 18, 1985 | Hyatt Regency, Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Guy Ramsey | UD | 4 | Mar 8, 1985 | Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Walter Morris | KO | 3 | Sep 13, 1984 | The Summit, Houston, Texas, U.S. |