Fred Williamson

Frederick Robert Williamson (born 5 March 1938 in Gary, Indiana, USA), also known as The Hammer, is an American actor and former professional American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s.Williamson is perhaps best known for his film career, starring as Tommy Gibbs in the crime drama film Black Caesar (1973) and its sequel Hell Up in Harlem (1973). Williamson also had other notable roles in other 1970s blaxploitation films such as Hammer (1972), That Man Bolt (1973) and Three the Hard Way (1974). Other films include The Inglorious Bastards (1978), 1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982), The New Barbarians (1983), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (1998) and Starsky & Hutch (2004).

I purchased the signed From Dusk till Dawn 8x10 from one of the Showmasters Facebook sales in March 2021. I met Fred in person at Weird Worcester in June 2025. At this convention he signed the New Barbarians Blu-ray sleeve for me.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

The New Barbarians Blu-ray sleeve,
also signed by director Enzo G. Castellari

Frank Bruno

Franklin Roy Bruno, MBE (born 16 November 1961 in Wandsworth, London, England) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1996. He had a highly publicised and eventful career, both in and out of the ring. The pinnacle of Bruno's boxing career was winning the WBC heavyweight title from Oliver McCall at a packed Wembley Stadium in 1995, in what was his fourth world championship challenge. Bruno faced multiple top-rated heavyweights throughout his career, including two fights against Mike Tyson in 1989 and 1996, and a domestic clash against Lennox Lewis in 1993.

I met Frank Bruno for the first time at the Entertainment Media Show in London in October 2012 for a photo shoot together with Mike Tyson. I met him again, this time for a signed photo, at Film & Comic Con Newcastle in March 2014.

Links:

Wikipedia

BoxRec

Official website

Roberto Durán

Roberto Durán Samaniego (born 16 June 1951 in El Chorrillo, Panama) is a Panamanian former professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 2001. He held world championships in four weight classes: lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight, as well as reigns as the undisputed and lineal lightweight champion and the lineal welterweight champion.

He also appeared as as Rocky's sparring partner in Rocky II (1979), as drug lord Jesus Maroto in an episode of Miami Vice (1986) and as Roberto in Harlem Nights (1989).

I met Roberto at the Entertainment Media Show in London in October 2011.

Links:
BoxRec
Wikipedia
IMDb

Antonio Tarver

Antonio Deon Tarver (born 21 November 1968 in Orlando, Florida, USA) is an American former professional boxer, boxing commentator and actor. In boxing he competed from 1997 to 2015, and held multiple light heavyweight world championships, including the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF and Ring magazine titles, as well the IBO light heavyweight and cruiserweight titles.

As an amateur, Tarver represented the United States at the 1996 Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the light heavyweight division; he eventually lost to Vassiliy Jirov from Kazakhstan, whom he had previously defeated at the 1995 World Championships to win gold. Tarver also triumphed at the 1995 Pan American Games and 1995 U.S. National Championships, winning gold in both. He remains the only boxer in history to have won gold at the Pan Am Games, World Championships and U.S. Nationals all in the same year.

Outside of boxing, Tarver starred as Mason "The Line" Dixon, the heavyweight champion in the 2006 film Rocky Balboa.

I obtained Antonio Tarver's autograph through a signing he did at Bilotta Gallery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on 29 October 2017. There was an option to pre-order these and the personalised autograph was then sent to me by mail.

Links:
BoxRec
Wikipedia
IMDb

Randy Couture

Randall Duane Couture (born 22 June 1963 in Everett, Washington, USA) is an American actor, former U.S. Army sergeant, retired mixed martial artist and former collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestler. During his tenures in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), he became a three-time UFC Heavyweight Champion, two-time UFC Light heavyweight Champion, an interim UFC Light heavyweight Champion and the UFC 13 Heavyweight Tournament winner. He is the first of six fighters to hold two UFC championship titles in two different divisions (along with B.J. Penn, Conor McGregor, Georges St-Pierre, Daniel Cormier, and Amanda Nunes).

I know him best as Toll Road in The Expendables film series (2012-16). I obtained Randy's autograph through the mail.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia
Official website

Tony Burton

Anthony Mabron "Tony" Burton (born 23 March 1937 in Flint, Michigan, USA; died 25 February 2016 in Menifee, California, USA) was an American actor, boxer, and football player. I knew him for his role as Tony "Duke" Evers in the first six Rocky films (1976-2006).

He also had parts in a number of other notable films including John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980), Stir Crazy (1980), The Toy (1982), Armed and Dangerous (1986), House Party 2 (1991), Spielberg's Hook (1991) and the Stallone film Shade (2003).

Mr Burton passed away at the age of 78 from complications of pneumonia. Only one or two months prior I had purchased his autograph from The Philadelphia Connection Store.

Link:
IMDb
Wikipedia
BoxRec

Tony Danza

Tony Danza (born Antonio Salvatore Iadanza on 21 April 1951 in Brooklyn, New York, USA) is an American actor and former professional boxer. I know him for starring in the television series Taxi (1978-83) as Tony Banta and Who's the Boss? (1984-92) as Tony Micelli. He also starred as the Tony Micelli-esque Tony Simpson in the film She's Out of Control (1989).

I obtained Tony's autograph through the mail.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

BoxRec

Steve Collins

Stephen Collins (born 21 July 1964 in Cabra, Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish former professional boxer who competed from 1986 to 1997. Known as "The Celtic Warrior", Collins is the most successful Irish boxer in professional boxing history, having held the WBO middleweight and super-middleweight titles.

I met Steve at Collectormania 25 in Birmingham in June 2018.

Links:

BoxRec

Wikipedia

Phil Taylor

Philip Douglas Taylor (born 13 August 1960 in Bursem, Stoke-on-Trent, England) is an English retired professional darts player, nicknamed The Power. He is widely regarded as the greatest darts player of all time, having won 218 professional tournaments, including 85 major titles and a record 16 World Championships.He won eight consecutive World Championships from 1995 to 2002 and reached 14 consecutive finals from 1994 to 2007 (both records). I met Phil at Collectormania 25 in Birmingham in June 2018.

Links:
Wikipedia
Dartsdatabase
Official website

Ken Buchanan

Ken Buchanan MBE (born 28 June 1945 in Edinburgh, Scotland; died 1 April 2023) was a Scottish professional boxer and undisputed world lightweight champion.

I met Ken at Collectormania 25 in Birmingham in June 2018.

Links:
BoxRec
Wikipedia

James "Buster" Douglas

James "Buster" Douglas (born 7 April 1960 in Columbus, Ohio, USA) is a retired professional boxer who competed from 1981 to 1990, and 1996 to 1999. He is best known for his stunning upset of Mike Tyson in Tokyo on 11th February 1990 to win the undisputed heavyweight title.

I met James at Collectormania 25 in Birmingham in June 2018.

Links:
BoxRec
Wikipedia

Alan Minter

Alan Minter (born 17 August 1951 in Penge, Bromley, London, England; died 9 September 2020 in Guildford, Surrey, England) was a British professional boxer who competed from 1972 to 1981. He held the undisputed middleweight title in 1980, having previously held the British middleweight from 1975 to 1976 and the European middleweight title twice between 1977 and 1979. As an amateur, Minter won a bronze medal in the light-middleweight division at the 1972 Summer Olympics.

I met Alan at Collectormania 25 in Birmingham in June 2018.

Links:
BoxRec
Wikipedia

Daniel Dubois

Daniel Dubois (born 6 September 1997 in Greenwich, London, England) is a promising young British professional boxer, who competes in the heavyweight division.

I met Daniel at Collectormania 25 in Birmingham in June 2018.

Links:
BoxRec
Wikipedia