Coach of Century (Billy Bock) spars with Athlete of Century (Ali)
Billy Bock became an
Arkansas Sports Legend. Billy boxed/sparred with Cassius Clay/Mohamed
Ali ( Nicknamed "The Greatest", widely
regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures
of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time named Athlete of Century by USA Today)
I went through Holy Redeemer Catholic grade school with Billy Bock. He was a grade behind
me and had a reputation of "pooping" in his pants. One day while in the 2nd or
3rd grade during recess, we were on the playground wrestling. He got the
better of me and sat on my head. He had done it again and it sure did stink.
You remember things like that.
Our school was one room with grades 1 through 8 and heated with a coal
stove in winter. When you wanted to go to toilet, you raised your hand and
held out one finger or two (you know what that means) and Sister would give
you permission. You had to go outside to the rear corner of building and there
was a tiny boy and girl toilet that only had a commode in it.
Around
the end of grade school Billy Bock and I joined the Clarksville Boxing
Club coached by the famous O.D. Hightower (He later moved to El Paso and
coached at YMCA which was named after him when he died).
Clarksville had one of the best boxing clubs in the state. My big brother and I had boxing gloves and boxed each
other in our
back yard on Thompson street. When Dad saw him knock me down a couple
of times, he took the gloves away from us and did not use
them again against each other.
Sometime later Billy, who lived a few blocks away, came to our home on Louise street and we used them to
box in the garage at our house . One time he had me backed up against the door. Every time he
jabbed me, the back of my head would hit the door. Got a double whammy.
Billy and I usually worked out together at
the Club in basement of the large Presbyterian church near us. I was more of his punching bag as he was very athletic. He used to criticize me for clinching or holding too
much. Did
this to keep from getting hit too much. This went on for a short time
until I developed a serious case of Acne, which lasted for about 4
years,
and had to quit. If I been able to train longer with Billy, he probably would have helped me to become a pretty good boxer.
This was the end of my sports participation for the next several
decades (Tennessee State Bicycle champion in 1988 and ran my 1st & last Marathon at age 69 in the1st Memphis/St.
Jude Marathon 2002).
Billy went on too
much greater
things. After grade school, he enrolled at the Subicaco Academy (Several
years later another kid, Billy Dave Wofford, attended the same two
schools and became a Major General and head of the Arkansas Army National Guard.
His parents were our very best friends) for the
next 4 years. In boxing and many other sports, Billy was a five-time State
Golden Gloves Champion, Mid-South
Champion, AAU Champion, He sparred with Mohamed Ali when he was Casius Clay. Billy probably taught Ali many skills since he was older and had had many Championship bouts on his resume. He was a four-year
letterman in football, basketball, baseball, track, golf and tennis and five years in boxing.
He was named Arkansas High School Coaches Association (AHSCA) Baseball Coach of the Year nine times
(1967, 1974, 1983–85, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1995) and District Coach of the Year 18 times. He was Head Coach of USA Olympic Festival in 1986 at Houston winning Gold for the South Team. was nationally
recognized as well. Collegiate Baseball and USA Today named him Coach of the Decade for the 1980s and then Coach of
the Century by Collegiate Magazine.
As a coach for 44 years. he never had a losing season. He was honored
twice by the Arkansas Legislature and twice had a "Billy Bock Day" in
Arkansas
proclaimed by then Governor Bill Clinton. Check Wikipedia for his many other awards and accomplishments.