56.0°,
Mostly Cloudy Williams wins N.Y. Metros
When Elmont boxer Titus Williams began boxing at age 17, he never expected to make it to a serious tournament, let alone win one. Last Friday, however, he did just that, winning the 132-pound division of the New York Metropolitan Championships with a 4-1 decision over longtime rival Marlon Brown of Rockaway Ropes.
It was one of the most exciting fights of the tournament, which was held at the Plattduetsche Park Restaurant in Franklin Square. At the end of the first round, it looked like Brown had the lead, and the crowd — which included several of Williams’s friends — roared, urging the boxers to stay focused, to avoid getting hit and to “get ’em.” From Titus’s fans came loud shouts of “Go, T.T.!” and “We love you, T.T.!”
Although he appeared hesitant and overly analytical during the first round, Williams, 22, seemed to have an epiphany midway through the second, after his coach, Joe Higgins, shared a few words with him.
“He woke up,” Higgins said. “The fight was close. He knew it.”
In the second round, Williams’s demeanor changed; he looked focused. After several holding calls on Brown by the referee — for which points aren’t deducted in amateur boxing — Williams grew extremely annoyed, he said later. When Brown was called for holding near the end of the second round, Williams used all of his strength to break free, and he shook Brown and turned slightly — an accidental move that caused Brown to slam onto the mat back-first, spinning. The cheer from the standing crowd was deafening.
The crowd roared even louder during the final seconds of the round, when Williams landed several up-jabs and power shots. Williams’s speed and accurate punching compensated for Brown’s height advantage — he is 6 feet tall and Williams is 5 feet 8. By the start of the third round, Williams’s and Brown’s scores were nearly even, but running on intuition and adrenaline bolstered by the crowd, Williams managed to deliver several power shots before the end of the final round.
