William "Caveman" Lee facts for kids

William Lee (born September 27, 1956, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a former professional middleweight boxer. He trained at the famous Kronk Gym in Detroit.

Lee is well-known for his exciting win against John LoCicero. He also fought against the world middleweight champion Marvin Hagler in 1982, though that fight did not go his way.

Boxing Career Highlights

One of William Lee's most memorable fights was against John LoCicero in July 1981. This match was shown on ESPN. It became famous for how exciting and tough it was, especially because there was no air conditioning in the hot Detroit venue.

Long-time boxing commentator Al Bernstein described it as an amazing fight. He said that in the fifth round, both LoCicero and Lee fought incredibly hard. LoCicero was knocked down, got back up, and landed many punches on Lee. But in the end, Lee knocked LoCicero out in that same round. Bernstein even called it one of the most exciting rounds he had ever seen, comparing it to other legendary boxing moments.

Lee also had a big chance to fight for a championship. His training partner, Mickey Goodwin, was supposed to challenge Marvin Hagler for the Middleweight Championship. However, Goodwin got hurt during training. William Lee stepped in to take his place. Unfortunately, the fight against Hagler was very quick, lasting just over a minute.

The Hagler-Lee Championship Fight

On March 7, 1982, William Lee faced the undisputed world middleweight champion Marvin Hagler. This championship bout took place in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and was shown on national television.

Lee started the fight well, landing a good left hook on Hagler's face in the first 20 seconds. But Hagler quickly responded with a strong right hand. He then knocked Lee down with a powerful left-right combination. Lee fell forward onto the canvas. He managed to get up, but he was unsteady. The referee, Larry Hazzard, gave him a mandatory eight-count.

Hagler then attacked Lee without stopping, pushing him against the ropes. The referee stopped the fight as Lee was falling into the ropes again. Everyone agreed the fight needed to be stopped because Lee was clearly too wobbly to continue. The entire match lasted only 67 seconds.

Life After Boxing

After his boxing career, William Lee found a job at an auto parts yard. He was working there as of 2008.

More About William Lee

William Lee's nickname was "Caveman." He got this nickname because of the long sideburns he wore in the late 1970s.