SEBASTIAN, Fla. — A former heavyweight boxing champion who once gave Evander Holyfield more than he could handle is heading to the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame.
Sherman "Tank" Williams, who grew up in the Bahamas, discovered boxing as a kid alongside swimming, fishing and rugby.
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"On the islands, we did a lot of things, we did a lot of swimming, fishing, I played rugby, but boxing just became a natural knack," Williams said.
Williams competed as an amateur in the Bahamas and reached the Olympic trials as a 1996 alternate before turning pro.
"I started off as an amateur in the Bahamas, and made it up through the ranks, Olympic trials as a 1996 alternate," Williams said.
After the 1996 Olympics, Williams moved from the Bahamas to the United States, where he built a 25-year professional boxing career, winning both the WBA and WBC heavyweight championships. But Williams considers one moment above all others his greatest career achievement — the night he stepped into the ring with Evander Holyfield.
"I was in the ring with Evander 'Real Deal' Hollyfield," Williams said.
Williams did more than just share the ring with the Hall of Famer. He won a no-contest after a cut over Holyfield's eye stopped the fight.
"He came in to get another notch under his belt, but I saw it as a great opportunity to introduce myself to the world. I was able to give him more than he could handle," Williams said.
Williams retired from boxing in 2019 with a 42-15 record. Seeking a new direction, he pursued a career in hospital security.
"I've always been interested in security, and hospital security was a niche," Williams said.
He applied for a security captain position at Orlando Health in Sebastian, where security manager Vontavious Thomas took notice.
"As we were conducting interviews and looking at applications, I was very interested to see what kind of expertise he would bring to our team," Thomas said.
Williams said the mindset he developed in boxing translates directly to his work in the hospital.
"In the hospital, anything can happen as well. So situational awareness is being ready to react on a dime. In the ER, you can go from 0 to 60 just like that," Williams said.
Thomas said Williams' reputation may seem intimidating at first, but his colleagues quickly learn otherwise.
"So sometimes it may seem intimidating, but once you get to know him, he's just a big teddy bear most of the time," Thomas said.
Now, Williams is headed to the 2026 Florida Boxing Hall of Fame — an honor the kid from the Bahamas never saw coming.
