CINTRON BOUT “NOT GOOD” FOR WILLIAMS EITHER
New York, NY– The bizarre incident which took place this weekend in a jr. middleweight (154 lb.) bout featuring Paul “The Punisher” Williams and Kermit “The Killer” Cintron certainly didn’t do much to promote the future or potential of either fighter. It may have done more than disappoint fans, but also may have further exposed Williams. Paul didn’t look good in this bout despite it lasting less than four rounds and ending in a split technical decision in his favor. Although a less-than-game Cintron appeared to have leaped out of the ring in an effort to escape Williams’ onslaught, one can argue that Williams was actually losing the bout when it abruptly ended. At least one of the three judges saw it that way. We can speculate what the outcome might have been if the fight were allowed to continue, but it certainly wasn’t written in stone that Williams would have won, cleanly. Not taking anything away from Williams heart, but I wonder how good Paul Williams really is? Is he a threat because of his ring prowess or could it be his physical attributes that make him dangerous. Being a 6’1” awkward lefty has its advantages but it doesn’t make Williams a great fighter.
ELONGATED FIGHTER CALLS OUT PAC & FLOYD
Even after a disastrous performance (given the fight sucked) against Cintron, Williams voiced that he would like to next land bouts with current welterweight and top ‘pound for pound’ candidates Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2 38 KOs) and Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0 25 KOs). But should boxing fans really expect this to happen? Should we even accept this? Manny is only 5’6” and Floyd is only two inches taller than Manny. For a guy over 6 feet tall, who has been campaigning at jr. middleweight and middleweight (160) to call out smaller fighters (even the best), it seems that it’s Paul’s way of saying, “I desperately need to get paid.” Given Williams’ flaws, these fights might be competitive but I expect Roy Jones to win another heavyweight title before those proposed bouts take place. It’s just hard to find the logic in those fights being made from any angle.
LONG WAY TO GREATNESS FOR PAUL?
Although Williams has beaten some quality opponents, he hasn’t necessarily done so in a fashion that has landed him high on most pound for pound lists. But his quality of opponents appear to have been tough and he’s shown that he can come back from adversity. Williams has avenged his only loss, knocking out Carlos Quintana in the first round. But was a faded Ronald “Winky” Wright or an aged Verno Phillips (Phillips’ last bout) really enough to add to the legacy or anyone, let alone Paul Williams? Truthfully, Williams’ biggest wins came against Sergio Martinez and Antonio Margarito. But Williams barely got by Margarito. And remember a much smaller man named Shane Mosley beat Margarito with ease. It’s also interesting to note that Margarito believed he bested Williams and asked for a rematch that never surfaced. Additionally, many contested his recent win against Martinez in which Williams was hurt early, after catching Martinez off balance in the same round. A rematch here has also been discussed.
THE VERDICT AS I SEE IT
Paul Williams is a good boxer. He is a solid test for any boxer looking to prove his worth but is surely not elite. He’s awkward, rangy and tall. All of those attributes make him naturally difficult to beat. But his ring generalship is lacking as well as his defense. Williams is easy to hit, as evidenced in him being once out boxed by Quintana and dropped on more than one occasion by men of lesser stature. His flaws are just enough to make him a reasonable opponent in lower divisions but his skills can only propel him so far in the higher divisions. I have to give it up to Paul for picking fights that seem tough, but so far he’s only done enough to stay in the mix and has not defined himself as a great fighter or a star. I get the feeling that a Williams’ loss can happen anytime he steps in the ring and that’s not an attribute of a great fighter. That’s why Paul Williams just might be overrated. But hey, it doesn’t mean he isn’t fun to watch.
Jarrad Woods