Michael "Mike" Williams (born June 16, 1962) appears as heavyweight boxing contender Union Cane in Rocky V. He is also a retired real life boxer, his professional career lasted from 1984-1994. His professional record is 25-3 (20 KO). He was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Amateur career[]
Known as "Mercury," Michael Williams began boxing in 1981. He was became the 1984 National Golden Gloves Super heavyweight champion.
Professional career[]
After Williams turned pro in 1984 he was considered a rising prospect. He won his first 17 fights, including wins over James Tillis and Tim Witherspoon. In 1988, he stepped up and lost to future world champion James "Buster" Douglas, and he lost again for the NABF title against Alex García. In 1993, Mike Williams defeated Tommy Morrison, the WBO heavyweight champion. The fight was called Tommy Gunn vs Union Cane for real. After defending his title once against Michael Bentt, Williams lost his WBO title to Herbie Hide. He retired aged 33 in 1995.
Acting Career[]
Williams also played background character 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[]
| Professional record summary | ||
| 29 fights | 25 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 20 | 3 |
| By decision | 5 | 0 |
| No. | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 25-3 | "Scary" Gary Butler | TKO | 3 (10) | 1995/12/09 | |
| Loss | 24-3 | Herbie Hide | KO | 7 (12) | 1994/03/19 | Lost WBO Heavyweight title |
| Win | 24-2 | Michael Bentt | RTD | 4 (12) | 1993/10/29 | Retained WBO Heavyweight title |
| Win | 23-2 | Tommy Morrison | SD | 12 | 1993/08/30 | Won WBO Heavyweight title |
| Win | 22-2 | Rick Hord | TKO | 2 (10) | 1993/02/16 | |
| Loss | 21-2 | Alex García | TKO | 5 (12) | 1993/01/01 | For NABF heavyweight title |
| Win | 21-1 | Jimmy "Million Dollar" Bills | TKO | 9 (10) | 1992/12/16 | |
| Win | 20-1 | Elvin Evans | KO | 6 (8) | 1992/11/03 | |
| Win | 19-1 | Juan Ramon Perez | TKO | 5 (6) | 1992/02/25 | |
| Win | 18-1 | Russell Rierson | KO | 2 (6) | 1991/11/19 | |
| Loss | 17-1 | James "Buster" Douglas | TKO | 7 (10) | 1988/06/27 | |
| Win | 17-0 | Dorcey Gaymon | TKO | 2 (10) | 1988/05/10 | |
| Win | 16-0 | Art Terry | UD | 10 | 1988/02/03 | |
| Win | 15-0 | Leon Dixon | TKO | 2 (10) | 1988/01/06 | |
| Win | 14-0 | "Terrible" Tim Witherspoon | SD | 10 | 1987/10/14 | |
| Win | 13-0 | Rufus "Hurricane" Hadley | UD | 10 | 1987/05/22 | |
| Win | 12-0 | Ken Elliott | TKO | 3 (10) | 1987/04/09 | |
| Win | 11-0 | Billy Joe Thomas | TKO | 7 (10) | 1987/02/12 | |
| Win | 10-0 | "Quick" James Tillis | TKO | 8 (10) | 1987/01/08 | |
| Win | 9-0 | Robert Obey | KO | 4 (6) | 1986/12/14 | |
| Win | 8-0 | Tommy "Gun" Taylor | TKO | 5 (6) | 1986/10/17 | |
| Win | 7-0 | Terry "Strong Arm" Armstrong | PTS | 6 | 1986/07/05 | |
| Win | 6-0 | John "Rebel" Barbier | KO | 2 (6) | 1986/05/02 | |
| Win | 5-0 | Carl "Sailor" Dorsey | TKO | 3 (6) | 1986/02/12 | |
| Win | 4-0 | Ronald "Ike" Turner | RTD | 3 (4) | 1985/08/23 | |
| Win | 3-0 | Lorenzo Boyd | KO | 3 (6) | 1985/03/18 | |
| Win | 2-0 | Guy Ramsey | TKO | 4 (4) | 1985/01/08 | |
| Win | 1-0 | Walter Ed Morris | KO | 3 (4) | 1984/09/13 | Professional debut |
Trivia[]
- Named The Ring Magazine Prospect of the Year in 1986.
- According to Bill Cayton, Williams once knocked down Mike Tyson in sparring.