Paul Williams' Identity Crisis

by Paul Magno

"I don't see anything special in Paul Williams; He is very beatable." --BoriBlaze1, veteran member of The BTBC Fan Forum.

Lost in the spectacle of Kermit Cintron's Superfly Snuka ring dive act was the fact that, up to the frustrating end of their bout Saturday, boxing's #3 pound for pound fighter had looked quite unspectacular over three rounds. As a matter of fact, he was looking downright pedestrian.

This is no new trend for Paul "The Punisher" Williams.

In his last bout against Sergio Martinez, Williams also looked less than spectacular in the same manner that we saw him show up for his first fight with Carlos Quintana, which he ended up losing.

Some may use the explanation that Williams' lackluster performances were due to the high level of opposition he fought or the styles of his most difficult opponents, but Williams' fluctuations go beyond simple match-up issues.

Throughout his career, Williams has struggled with the balance between being a world class fighter and a world class attraction. As a result, he's become an in-ring schizophrenic, becoming less and less of what made him special in an effort to attract the attention and paydays he lusts for.

The smooth-moving punch machine with the tricky head movement from his earlier days has been replaced by a lunging, laboring, flat-footed glove-pusher.

Granted, even a diminished Williams with an identity crisis is good enough to be classified among the sport's elite, evidenced by the fact that a sloppy version of himself was good enough to beat a prime, motivated Sergio Martinez (even if you thought Martinez won, nobody can deny that it was a very close encounter).

What Paul Williams needs to understand is that fans are fickle and that chasing after their approval at the expense of his own identity will only result in frustration. Even if he were able to somehow persuade them to turn him into a major draw, they'd be gone the moment he loses...that's the nature of the beast in boxing.

Instead, Williams needs to be who he is, fight how he must and let the fans decide on their own whether to love him or not. As long as he keeps winning in the manner that he should, the buzz will grow and the paydays will gradually line themselves up.

Otherwise, Williams will get beat and will find himself forgotten by all those fans he tried so hard to win over.

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A Drama Queen, A Tornado and A Japanese Cock Fight: The Weekend Hangover

Carson, California- And the Drama Queen  lifetime achievement award goes to...Kermit Cintron! (Cintron cries, runs up the stairs, trips, and falls off stage)

In the latest Kermit Cintron (32-3-1, 28 KOs) drama, three cautious, uneventful rounds with Paul Williams (39-1, 27 KOs) were followed by a fight-ending collision in the fourth which saw Cintron fly from the ring, bounce off the table and land on the arena floor. After a couple of minutes of Cintron semi-writhing on the cold floor, he was carted off on a stretcher and taken to the hospital as a precaution.

The frustrating thing is that the fight was just starting to pick up when it came crashing to an abrupt halt. Per California commission rules, the fight was judged based on the three complete rounds and the partial fourth.

Williams came away with the mega-frustrating split decision.

Predictably, Cintron issued a statement about being outraged, petitioning the commission for a reversal of the decision and threatening to walk away from the sport for good if his demands aren't met...blah, blah, blah...Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Kermit...

Aguascalientes, Mexico- 16 months after the Plaster Gate controversy, Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) made his comeback in front of more than 17,000 partisan fans in La Plaza de Toros Monumental.

Margarito's opponent, Roberto Garcia (28-3, 21 KOs), was so obviously mismatched that most of the interesting moments of the bout came from Margarito, himself, as he mugged to the camera, windmilled punches and mimicked being a bull fighter in the face of a painfully slow and stiff Garcia.

Margarito scored a flash knockdown in the first and Garcia suffered couple of point deductions for headbutting in the eighth and a low blow in the tenth, but that was the only real noteworthy happenings in Margarito's easy Unanimous Decision victory.

After the fight, Margarito indicated that a bout with Manny Pacquiao was just about a sure thing.

On the undercard, Jorge Solis (39-2-2, 28 KOs) dominated Mario Santiago (21-3-1, 14 KOs) via wide UD. The first two rounds looked promising, with both fighters landing significant shots. Eventually, though, Solis settled into a groove and dominated from the outside with long, straight right hands against the southpaw, Santiago.

Also, Urbano Antillon (27-1, 20 KOs) won a tougher than expected UD over Rene Gonzalez (27-1-1, 21 KOs). The scores were wide and it was scored a near shutout, but Gonzalez did have his moments.

Osaka, Japan- Mexican, Hugo Cazares (31-6-2, 22 KOs) went into enemy territory and avenged a prior loss by taking the WBA Super Flyweight title from Nobuo Nashiro (13-2-1, 8 KOs). In what could only be described as an early morning cock fight, the action was fierce and back and forth with Cazares doing enough to take the unanimous decision.

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Two Years of Injury, Defeat and Mismanagement: Can Kelly Pavlik Get Back on Track?

by Paul Magno

Two years ago, every informed finger was pointing directly at Kelly Pavlik as a "for sure" superstar of the future and, possibly, as the face of the sport as guys like Oscar De la Hoya faded from the scene.

You couldn't ask for a better back story or more impressive rise to glory.

Two big wins over a pound-for-pound Jermain Taylor, a destruction of the still well-regarded Edison Miranda as well as victories over fringe challengers like Bronco McKart, Jose Luis Zertuche and Fulgencio Zuniga; It all pointed to a legit pound for pound placement with a definite eye aimed at upward movement.

There seemed to be no limit to how big Pavlik could grow. A blue collar, pickup-driving Mid-west middleweight champ with an exciting style and, seemingly, not an ounce of pretense to him. Lord, this kid was destined to be a money machine!

But then Pavlik (or his people) veered off Top Rank's carefully prepared course and stalled in the proverbial roadside ditch.

A one-sided schooling to Bernard Hopkins at 170 lbs, injury, inactivity, listless performances and one public relations disaster after another have characterized the last two years of "The Ghost's" career.

Now, Pavlik's last real chance to get off the side of the road and back onto the path of glory will be coming this Saturday in Atlantic City against Argentine world jr. middleweight champ, Sergio Martinez.

A loss for Pavlik ends the wild ride and permanently sends him back to the full-time job of being Youngstown, Ohio's resident big fish in a small pond. But, in Team Pavlik's typical short-sighted fashion, even a win for Pavlik is not likely to regain his status of twenty four months earlier.

Aside from being a strong, quick-footed, southpaw, Sergio Martinez is also the fans' second choice of opponent for Pavlik with Paul Williams , who just beat Martinez in a thrilling war, being the consensus preferred opponent.

So, essentially, Team Pavlik has made it so that a win for Kelly in his biggest fight since the Hopkins debacle, will still be coming against the guy who just lost to the fighter that Pavlik is accused of ducking.

Martinez has a nightmare style for Pavlik that will force him to revisit the same technical flaws that cost him against Hopkins...Aside from that, Pavlik has to impress and convince the masses that this is the same Kelly Pavlik of old, fully recovered from a bad turn of recent events and a potentially career-ending hand injury.

This will be a real test of whether Pavlik truly wants to be at the top of the sport again and, as has been the case ever since he reached the spotlight, he'll have to do it all with his own team seemingly stepping on his feet every step of the way.

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Dafs' Pound-4-Pound Update (Part 2)

We now enter the creme de la creme, the best crop of fighters in the sport. Part 1 included fighters from #25 to #11, ranging from fighters on the rise, on the way down, and some who managed to keep their places. The top 10 is dominated by American fighters, but will an American top the rankings? It's time to find out.

#10 Bernard Hopkins (USA) (51-5-1, 32 KO) [Light Heavyweight]

Three of the best: Ronald Wright UD-12; Kelly Pavlik UD-12; Roy Jones Jr. UD-12;
Last Ranking: #6

Hopkins continues to free-fall after a dull fight against Jones who's not even fringe top 10 at light heavyweight. Hopkins just about holds on to #10 place because of a victory over Pavlik, but if Bute and Pavlik are successful on April 17, expect another drop for The Executioner.

#9 Timothy Bradley (USA) (25-0, 11 KO) [Junior Welterweight]

Three of the best: Junior Witter SD-12; Kendall Holt UD-12; Lamont Peterson UD-12;
Last Ranking: #10

Bradley is tentatively scheduled to face Luis Carlos Abregu on his HBO debut, but according to industry sources they're attempting to match him with Marcos Maidana. Either fight is tough for Bradley, and he rises once more due to a drop.

#8 Hozumi Hasegawa (JAP) (28-2, 12 KO) [Bantamweight]

Three of the best: Simone Maludrottu UD-12; Alejandro Valdez TKO-2; Vusi Malinga TKO-1;
Last Ranking: #9

In the biggest bantamweight match-up on the table, Hasegawa will face Fernando Montiel on April 30 in a unification fight of sorts. A big win could propell him up the rankings once more.

#7 Wladimir Klitschko (UKR) (54-3, 48 KO) [Heavyweight]

Three of the best: Tony Thompson TKO-11; Ruslan Chagaev RTD-9; Eddie Chambers KO-12;
Last Ranking: #8

Wladimir had already passed Hopkins with his dramatic last gasp knockout over Eddie Chambers as he continues to dominate the heavyweight division with his brother (ranked #20). Could David Haye be next?

#6 Paul Williams (USA) (38-1, 27 KO) [Junior Middleweight]

Three of the best: Antonio Margarito UD-12; Carlos Quintana KO-1; Sergio Martinez MD-12;
Last Ranking: #6

'The most feared man in boxing' faces Kermit Cintron next up back at junior middleweight in what promises to be another war. Williams will already be looking ahead, chasing the winner of Pavlik-Martinez further down the line in 2010.

#5 Juan Manuel Marquez (MEX) (50-5-1, 37 KO) [Lightweight]

Three of the best: Marco Antonio Barrera UD-12; Joel Casamayor TKO-11; Juan Diaz TKO-9;
Last Ranking: #5

There's still plenty of life in Marquez despite being dominated from pillar to post by Floyd Mayweather in September. A rematch with Diaz looks like his next step in a fight that promises fireworks. Marquez is being closed down, so he needs to be active to keep his place.

#4 Chad Dawson (USA) (29-0, 17 KO) [Light Heavyweight]

Three of the best: Tomasz Adamek UD-12; Antonio Tarver UD-12; Glen Johnson UD-12;
Last Ranking: #4

The undefeated light heavyweight will be gunning for the lineal championship against Jean Pascal in August when they meet up in Montreal. Dawson has a bright future ahead of him but relies on competition to maintain his high ranking.

#3 Shane Mosley (USA) (46-5, 39 KO) [Welterweight]

Three of the best: Luis Collazo UD-12; Ricardo Mayorga KO-12; Antonio Margarito TKO-9;
Last Ranking: #3

Mosley faces Floyd Mayweather in a fight that should 'Sugar Shane' win, could see him topping the rankings by the next update. His inactivity though doesn't help his cause if he loses on May 1.

#2 Floyd Mayweather Jr. (USA) (40-0, 25 KO) [Welterweight]

Three of the best: Oscar De La Hoya SD-12; Ricky Hatton TKO-10; Juan Manuel Marquez UD-12;
Last Ranking: #2

Mayweather is trying to re-capture the pound-4-pound crown he 'vacated' when he retired. He could do so with a victory over Shane Mosley on May 1, but it should be a tricky fight for Money May.

#1 Manny Pacquiao (PHI) (51-3-2, 38 KO) [Welterweight]

Three of the best: Juan Manuel Marquez SD-12; Ricky Hatton KO-2; Miguel Cotto TKO-12;
Last Ranking: #1

Still reigning at the top is Manny Pacquiao, who dominated Joshua Clottey over twelve one-sided rounds at the Cowboys Stadium. A super-fight with Mayweather has to be next, or I and many others will cry.

UP: Timothy Bradley #10 to #9; Hozumi Hasegawa #9 to #8; Wladimir Klitschko #8 to #7;

DOWN: Bernard Hopkins #7 to #10;

Nationalities: 1. USA-9; 2. Puerto Rico-3; =3. Philippines, Ukraine, Great Britain-2; =6. Mexico, Japan, Romania, Thailand, Argentina, Panama, Indonesia-1;

Divisions: =1. Welterweight, Heavyweight, Super Middleweight, Featherweight-3; =5. Light Heavyweight, Junior Middleweight, Junior Welterweight, Middleweight-2; =9. Lightweight, Bantamweight, Junior Flyweight, Junior Bantamweight, Flyweight-1;

Scheduled P-4-P Fights

(#2) Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley (#3) - May 1
(#4) Chad Dawson vs. Jean Pascal (NR) - August 14
(#5) Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz (NR) - July 10
(#6) Paul Williams vs. Kermit Cintron (NR) - May 8
(#8) Hozumi Hasegawa vs. Fernando Montiel (NR) - April 30
(#9) Timothy Bradley vs. Luis Carlos Abregu (NR) - June 19
(#11) Lucian Bute vs. Edison Miranda (NR) - April 17
(#12) Ivan Calderon vs. Johnriel Casimero (NR) - June 12
(#13) Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler (NR) - April 17
(#14) Kelly Pavlik vs. Sergio Martinez (#18) - April 17
(#17) Andre Ward vs. Allan Green (NR) - June 16
(#19) Miguel Cotto vs. Yuri Foreman (NR) - July 12
(#20) Vitali Klitschko vs. Albert Sosnowski (NR) - May 29
(#22) Celestino Caballero vs. Daud Yordan (NR) - April 10
(#23) Chris John vs. Fernando David Saucedo (NR) - May 22
(#24) Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Bernabe Concepcion (NR) - July 10

As you can see, it's a very busy period in the boxing calender with 18 out of the top 25 with scheduled fights. The next update will hopefully be after the Mayweather-Mosley fight.

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2009 Middleweight Report

by Dafs117

With Arthur Abraham exiting the division, it was hard to see how lineal middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik would find a credible opponent to share the same ring at 160 pounds. Especially after the grand plans of Top Rank were quickly scrapped and re-mapped following Bernard Hopkins’ magical performance. But he wasn’t dethroned, or stripped of his titles, he is still the champion of the world. But his plans have still changed dramatically.

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Why The Hell Is This Guy Not a Draw?

by Paul Magno

Paul Williams is the type of boxer that fans are always begging for; A tough, highly-skilled fighter who will fight anyone, anywhere and will always put in an honest, exciting effort regardless of the opponent.

There's not an ounce of dog in "The Punisher" and nobody can ever accuse him of playing it safe with his opponent selection. Williams is just a soft-spoken punching machine who will fight any opponent in any division.

He should be selling out every seat wherever he fights. He is precisely what every hardcore boxing fan wishes for when they go up and down the rankings and complain about the sad state of the sport today.

Yet, Paul Williams is not a draw; He doesn't bring big numbers to HBO and he doesn't put asses in seats...and that's a real shame and a damn fine mystery to explore.

After all, its not like he's without his connections. He has Al Haymon representing him and Haymon has a direct line to HBO and, seemingly, carte blanche to air what he pleases on HBO World Championship Boxing and Boxing After Dark. The same pit bull pushing Floyd Mayweather into eight-figure paydays is behind Paul Williams, yet Williams has a hard time even filling the first dozen rows of his fights or attracting a rating higher than a 2.0.

Looking over his recent resume, his only less-than-scintillating performance was against Winky Wright and the lack of intrigue in that one had nothing at all to do with Paul Williams' effort as he hurled punches in bunches at a defense-minded Wright.

And if there was need for further proof of Williams' entertainment value, Saturday's war with Sergio Martinez should've erased all doubt as to his ability to thrill even the most casual of fan.

In a candidate for Fight of the Year, Williams and Sergio Martinez went at it with a ferocity that bordered on frenzy at times, but despite the buzz that surrounds a quality fight, this one will ultimately result in a sigh of disbelief and a shrugging of the shoulders as we read the Nielsen television ratings report. This gorgeously chaotic war will undoubtedly draw lower ratings than next week's peck and paw rematch of Juan Diaz and Paulie Malignaggi.

So, why can't a fighter, proven to be entertaining and a representative of all things boxing fans claim to want, attract the proper amount of attention?

Some will point to the big fighters' unwillingness to fight Williams and the resulting necessity to fight trickier, lesser-known opponents in order to make a living. That could be a solid reason, but it's not like Williams has been fighting The Contender alumni at club shows in Minnesota. Williams has fought guys like Margarito, Quintana, Phillips, Wright and Martinez on the nation's premier boxing network. Lesser fighters have achieved greater glory with weaker opposition.

A darker reason for Williams' inability to draw relative to his ability is racial in nature. I've said it a couple of times on our forum (www.thebtbc.com), but I feel that if Williams were Latino, he'd be a major star right now. The shadow of race and nationality is still a factor in the sport, more so than some would like to believe. Mexicans tend to throw their support behind Mexican fighters, Puerto Ricans support Puerto Rican fighters, African Americans support African American fighters, etc. As a result, Williams is only getting full support from a fraction of the available fan base and simply being ignored by the more vocal and fanatical Latino community.

The most pessimistic of the reasons behind Williams' lack of star power is perhaps the most bitter pill to swallow. Maybe the fans, despite their cries to the contrary, simply don't care about entertaining, brave warriors who step softly into battle. Maybe they simply like who they like, based on personality or background, and couldn't care less about anything else.

Whatever the reason, Williams is a special kind of fighter and he deserves to be seen by a much wider audience. Hopefully the buzz around the Martinez bout will fix that. If not, take all fight fans' whines about wanting a re-emergence of old-school fighters with a huge grain of salt...they're not telling the truth.

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Williams Edges Martinez in Thriller

In a thrilling back and forth war at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Paul "The Punisher" Williams (38-1, 27 KOs), beat fellow southpaw, Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez via Majority Decision.

The fight started with Williams being slightly more aggressive than usual and forcing Martinez into a knockdown which instant replay showed to be more off-balance slip. Martinez answered back by stunning Williams at the end of the round and knocking him down and up against the ropes.

Martinez employed a strategy of constant movement, taking advantage of Williams' aggression with strong right hooks and well-timed lefts as the lanky southpaw from Augusta, GA lunged forward.

Williams, for his part, was firing away, getting caught with big shots, but still throwing his own responses.

Despite some tense moments in the first four sets and a couple of cuts around his left eye, Williams started finding his rhythm in the middle rounds and the rest of the fight consisted of Williams advancing and Martinez in strategic retreat, looking to counter.

Both fighters landed crowd-stirring bombs throughout the final few rounds and as the final bell rang the result was anything but a foregone conclusion...well, one person surely had his mind made up.

Judge Pierre Benoist scored the fight 119-110 in one of the most curious scores of the year. Thank God the other two judges were actually watching the fight: Lynne Carter and Julie Lederman got it right with 115-113 and 114-114 respectively. The BTBC scored the fight 115-113 in favor of Williams.

On the televised undercard, Chris Arreola (28-1, 25 KOs) beat Brian Minto (34-3, 21 KOs) via TKO 4 in a predictable, but entertaining slugfest.

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Where does Bute go next?

by dafs 117

IBF Super Middleweight Champion Lucian Bute silenced his critics and shocked the world by stopping rugged Librado Andrade last Saturday night in a rematch of their topsy-turvy first contest.

Firstly, we estimate that Bute’s goal is to get pound-4-pound status or to set himself up to fight the winner of the Super 6 Boxing Classic. We then looked at who’s called out Bute, who’s in the Super 6 and who Bute needs to get his pound-4-pound ranking.

Headhunters:

Allan Green: The American has never quite lived up to his knockout of the year winner in 2007 when he smashed previously unbeaten Jaidon Codrington to sleep in sixteen seconds. Since then, the only world class performance has been his dismantling of never great Carlos De Leon Jr. With Green being nurtured nicely by Showtime, it came as a shock to everyone that he wasn’t included in the Super 6 Boxing Classic. But maybe he wasn’t ready, or even good enough for that matter, as Ward and Dirrell have more than held their own against the big boys. Could this be Green’s turn? Could he upset the odds and take Bute’s belt as extra luggage? It would set Bute in a nice position if he beats Green, who has looked poor in his recent 10 round bout. Possibly, a wise move.

Allan Green: CHALLENGE

Kelly Pavlik: The reigning undisputed middleweight champion has done nothing much since dropping a lop-sided defeat to old Bernard Hopkins. With a stoppage win over Marco Antonio Rubio and another one over Miguel Espino coming up, Pavlik might need a gut check to get back on track. And who better than Lucian Bute to give Pavlik the motivation and the wake-up call that he desperately craves. With the Williams negotiation stalling, and a reoccurring staph infection resulting in pull-out clauses, both Americans are likely to avoid each other next year. Just imagine how nasty the negotiations between Bute and Pavlik would be! Bute would want it in Canada, Pavlik would want it in Atlantic City. Both would demand over half the cut and we could be left with Pavlik-Espino II. Pavlik is vulnerable at the moment and a perfect catch for Team Bute.

Kelly Pavlik: CHALLENGE

Adrian Diaconu: An all-action Romanian who is loved by his adopted nation of Canada. Sounds familiar!? Yes, Bute and Diaconu sell stadiums in Canada and would serve up a treat for the Canadians. Diaconu was outpointed against Jean Pascal earlier this year in a great bout, but his reputation wasn’t damaged by the defeat. It most probably grew as the hooks were slugged in. The only thing is that his “0” has gone. But it was only a matter of time if he wanted to be taken seriously at world level. Bute and Diaconu would be a marketing success in Canada, and the fight would be something the public would relish. However, with Diaconu’s title now with Pascal, a Canadian, it might turn Bute’s head toward ‘The Mongoose’. Looks a decent fight at light heavyweight.

Adrian Diaconu: AVOID

Jean Pascal: As stated above, Pascal has a title. He’s Canadian. He sells stadiums. He’s exciting and he talks. Marketing heaven for Bute, but a much tougher fight than Diaconu, but with more reward at the end. If Froch can outbox Pascal, I would imagine that Bute can do the same thing. Now position yourself in the Super 6 Boxing Classic winner’s shoes; your invincible and there’s a two-weight undefeated world champion and a one handed middleweight champion to add to your record. So Pascal would enhance Bute’s reputation, but what are the chances that Pascal uses his brain in the fight and gives Bute a skill set contest. It will be an even tougher fight for Bute, with Pascal a quick and powerful fighter but not the most agile. A great fight for the fans.

Jean Pascal: CHALLENGE

Paul Williams: Paul Williams is a great fighter, maybe a bigger Manny Pacquiao, but he’s had a hard time recently because of the danger he possesses to the front-men of the Welterweights and Middleweights. Taking that Williams defeats Martinez this Saturday, and Pavlik avoiding Williams at any cost, a fight with Bute might be Williams’ only reliable option. But the chances of him winning are small, as Williams’ skills are greater than Bute. Everything Bute does, Williams does better. Nobody knows how good Williams will be at 168 pounds, so if he loses an asset, Bute might capitalize and punish the ‘Punisher’. If Bute does emerge victorious over Williams, his reputation would be huge inside the underground of boxing. He would be considered as the best non-welterweight on the planet. I’m getting ahead of myself here, but the reward is massive. Be careful what you wish for, Bute.

Paul Williams: AVOID

The Boxing Tribune Pathway Too Success: Firstly, avoid anything to do with the Super 6 Boxing Classic as a late replacement. It would mess up Bute’s freedom and plans, and the chances of him qualifying would be very little anyway as the other fighters would already have points on the table. So to enhance Bute’s bank account, a fight with Jean Pascal would be a good start to 2010. If Bute was very successful, a move back south to fight Kelly Pavlik in a winnable bout with a victory ensuring Bute a P-4-P spot, and finally, to wait for the Super 6 winner, another easy seven figure salary by out-boxing Adrian Diaconu in Canada.

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Magno vs. The Machine (Stage 6: Paul Williams vs. Sergio Martinez)

After a disgraceful draw in last week’s bout between Joan Guzman and Ali Funeka, the Machine’s protest of an extra KO was denied. An upset Machine is threatening legal action against Alan Davis and Benoit Roussel by taking them to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Anyway, back to the important stuff. Magno will go into the halfway point with a victory on his side, but a KO could be vitally important as the next week’s dreaded triple header comes around. Can the two challengers pick the right result for the middleweight bout between Paul Williams and Sergio Gabriel Martinez?

Paul Williams vs. Sergio Gabriel Martinez

Magno: Martinez is good and I think he'll present more of a problem, stylistically, than Kelly Pavlik, but he's not as good as some are making him out to be. He's a southpaw who aspires to a slick style that's a little beyond his physical ability. He got screwed in his bout with Kermit Cintron and looked like a real stud against Alex Bunema, but there's nobody else on his resume that would suggest that he can live up to the acclaim he's received in some circles.

Against Williams, he'll find himself in against his toughest opponent by far and, by the middle rounds, he should find himself well over his head.

Williams might take a few rounds to find Martinez, but when he does, the ending will be just a formality. I think Martinez is mobile enough to stay on his feet, but he won't be able to do enough to win many rounds at all.

Williams takes this via Unanimous Decision, with scores around 117-111.

Machine: After a torrid last week, the machine predicts an easy run out for Paul Williams on Saturday.

The greater skill set, power, tactics and opposition make Williams a firm favorite going into the fight. Both have faced Margarito, with Martinez’ only defeat coming to the hands of Margarito. Williams outpointed the Mexican in an intense fight.

Williams will spice up the early rounds moving a lot and cutting down the ring. Williams will lead the first four rounds comfortably when Martinez begins to hold. By the fifth, Williams is throwing punches at will, firing from all different angles.

Martinez drops a point in the seventh for excessive holding and is dropped in the ninth. By this time, Martinez has blood pouring from his right eye and looks a contender for the George A. Romeo Gore Award. The referee rescues a very brave Martinez in the tenth. Williams the winner by tenth round stoppage.

Current Scores: Magno 6-2 (2 KOs), Machine 5-3 (1 KOs)

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Welterweights Beware! Can the division survive the fast approaching black hole?

by dafs117

As the talent rich, money making welterweights relax before the festive vacation, none of them will predict the turmoil that could eventually see the division collapsing, as one of the main money sources in 2011.

Star after star, the galaxy of welterweights will drastically fade in 2010, with retirements, defeats and weight jumping, destroying the near perfect atmosphere within the weight class.

And when Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather finally turn towards each other, they would create the biggest buzz ever created in the modern era of the sport. The 147 pound division will be the centre of the universe as both red giants collide in a battle of the supernovas.

Win or lose, retirement beckons for both fighters. Boxing would be dealt a massive marketing blow, as two of the brightest stars quickly shoot off the scale. But what about the welterweight division? The loss of Pacquiao and Mayweather cannot be put into words as the welterweight division would lose the elite class.

Where does that leave Shane Mosley? If he loses to Andre Berto, there’s no-one to fight at 147 pounds, as Miguel Cotto wouldn’t dare cross paths with Sugar Shane again. In his hour of need, will Paul Williams be his knight in shining armor and battle him at the 147 limit? Highly unlikely.

Welterweight could lose three superstars in half a year. Three pound-4-pound ranked fighters. Three legends that have truly left their mark on the sport with outstanding, but all different legacies which stand out from the rest.

And if Miguel Cotto had anything left after last year’s loss to Antonio Margarito and his split decision victory over Joshua Clottey, Manny Pacquiao would either bring it out of him, or beat it out of him. He duly delivered, and probably smashed Cotto’s half life into smithereens. That’s another slightly more faded welterweight star, gone.

Can the icons make another impact, such as Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and Jose Luis Castillo? They might even turn to each other, in a true crossroad elimination process that would see the loser retire, for good.

With Joshua Clottey and Carlos Quintana likely to move up in weight, and once-great Zab Judah scampering down south, the depth of the division is quickly deteriorating. Names like Luis Collazo and Carlos Manuel Baldomir are simply stepping stones in the asteroid belt, waiting for a young rocket to dent.

Is the division’s superhero and savior Andre Berto? He’s hardly impressed in his recent performances against immobile Juan Urango and a post-prime Luis Collazo. Can he step up to the thrown and take over the reigns as the leader of the new welterweight revolution?

By 2011, Saul Alvarez would surely have stepped up his level of competition, and maybe young Brit Kell Brook can cause a stir among the HBO missionaries. Could Mike Jones be the next great American welterweight?

If the stars of today hang up their gloves in 2010, the welterweight division would be in a transition period. As the greedy, inflated egos of Mayweather, Pacquiao and Mosley disappear into the black hole, they would be replaced by the hungrier bright stars of tomorrow. Could the 2010 black hole be good for the division?

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Where does Williams go next?

by Dafs117

Four-weight fighter Paul Williams has been waiting for Kelly Pavlik since September. The bad news is he’s still waiting and after news broke out that Pavlik wanted to further delay his fight, Williams and his team stood firm and cancelled Kelly Pavlik off the December 5 list. In a follow up from Tomasz Adamek, we assess Paul Williams’ current options and possible paths, judging fighters he should challenge, and the fighters he should definitely avoid.

Firstly, we estimate that Williams’ goal is to get a fighter that brings him recognition, money and most importantly victory. We then looked at who’s called out Williams, who’s in a better position than Williams and who Williams needs to get his reputation up to world class.

Headhunters:

Sergio Gabriel Martinez: The Argentine WBC light middleweight titleholder has been a candidate from the start and is a name that many feel would prove if Williams has the bottle to cut it at the top level. Many have even gone as far and mentioned the ‘D’ word, ducking to suggest that Williams will fight an older American to avoid fighting Martinez. It would be a cracking contest, with Martinez playing the spoiler countering hard at any occasion. It would be interesting to see if Martinez does try and attack Williams’ body as he’s done with previous opponents as the rangy American could easily pick him off with that jab. It’s an interesting bout that most fans on our forum would prefer to see over any other possible opponents. If Williams wants to enhance his recognition further at light middleweight, Sergio Gabriel Martinez is certainly the guy to do it. Does Martinez bring money on to the table? Probably not enough for the Punisher’s liking and for that reason the fight is in jeopardy.

Sergio Gabriel Martinez: AVOID

Joshua Clottey: The former welterweight belt-holder thought he had won the lottery when he landed a fight with Shane Mosley on December 26. The cancellation curse struck again and Clottey was forced to search for a new opponent. Up came the chance to fight former Puerto Rican welterweight titlist Carlos Quintana at a catchweight of a 149 pounds, but the cancellation curse got the better of the fight as Pavlik pulled out of the main event. As Clottey doesn’t have an opponent and as Williams doesn’t have an opponent, surely logic and fate points them towards each other, right? The Ghanaian brings money to the table, recognition and an opponent Williams should beat at a higher weight. Clottey would demand more money than the rest of Williams’ opponents. It would be a more gripping contest with Clottey absorbing punches on his guard and probably easily getting out-pointed by the mystery of Paul Williams. Probably has the skill set to put up a fight against Williams, but as we saw against Cotto, not that adrenaline rush to throw punches at will in the dying stages of a very close fight. This makes too much sense for the fight to happen.

Clottey recently turned down a 650K payday to fight Williams in December. Williams should offer more money to Clottey and beat him. He's there for the taking for Williams.

Joshua Clottey: CHALLENGE

Kermit Cintron: After a ridiculous draw against Sergio Martinez, Cintron turned the tables with an impressive points victory over the monster Alfredo Angulo. In his homecoming last week, Cintron stopped Juliano Ramos in 5 to send his home-crowd into raptures. After more than a little tussle in the post fight press conference with WBA light middleweight champion and fellow countryman Daniel Santos, that fight will surely happen in 2010. That means that Cintron would probably fight once more in 2009, could that be against Paul Williams? Another former welterweight titlist, Cintron has suffered with a bad guy reputation that has hindered his fanbase considerably. So he’s in good shape after a win at the weekend. He can go and rest with his family for two weeks and then train hard for a major payday. However, Cintron might bring money, recognition and more than a beatable opponent if he is put under pressure, but the Puerto Rican star might have a few tricks up his sleeve to defeat the American. He might fight for half the fight, but Cintron does possess serious knockout power in both hands, an ability to move around the ring and uses enough lateral movement to confuse the Punisher. A fight I would certainly want to see.

Kermit Cintron: AVOID

Sebastian Sylvester: Who’s Sebastian Sylvester I hear you ask. He’s the IBF middleweight champion that’s the most wanted fighter in the world right now. Over half the division have spotted Sylvester as the major weak link in the division’s titlist and are all queuing up desperate for an opportunity against the German. What makes Paul Williams so special in front of Anthony Mundine, Daniel Geale and Matthew Macklin? He brings more money than all three of them put together. What would Williams do with Sylvester? Take his title, use it in the future as an advantage in any purse bidding. Ok, you couldn’t fill a phone booth with the number of Americans who would recognize Sylvester if he walked down the street, even though he looks like something from ET. That means the fight would have to take place in Germany to make any money. Williams would stop Sylvester inside 6 despite the bias officials. Sylvester’s team wouldn’t fight Williams if he could carry a crowbar in the ring and Williams would have to throw gallons of milk up and down in the minute interval between rounds. But they must realise he’s just another useless asset to their promotional company.

Sebastian Sylvester: CHALLENGE

Sergiy Dzinzurik: This fight was supposed to happen in September, but a certain Kelly Pavlik got their first. Following his promotional company’s failure to land him this fight, Dzinzurik quit his suit and left in his bid to land his major fight. He must have felt like a donkey when Pavlik pulled out the first time and he was leading the race with Sergio Gabriel Martinez to replace the Ghost. Anyway 3 months down the line and it’s the situation. In need of a smaller challenger that will put up a fight for eight rounds and then crumble under his hard work and lose the last four rounds. Dzinzurik doesn’t crumble. That’s why he’s unbeaten. Don’t underestimate him because you can’t pronounce his name and wouldn’t know him if you married his daughter. He can fight. He has a poor risk/reward ratio, similar to Adamek-Cunningham II situation. Williams would get little credit for defeating the tough Ukrainian.

Sergiy Dzinzurik: AVOID

The Boxing Tribune Pathway Too Success: If you want to make yourself a world class name in the sport, Williams would fight Joshua Clottey, probably the highest ranked fighter in contention. A Williams’ win would set up numerous fights from junior middleweight to super middleweight. With Jermain Taylor rumoured to be pulling out of the Showtime Super 6 Boxing Classic, could Paul Williams be his replacement?

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Pavlik vs. Williams: TKO'd By "Staph Infection"

The oft-postponed Kelly Pavlik-Paul Williams Middleweight title bout on December 5th is now officially off...probably for good.

The official story is that Pavlik's staph infection in a finger on his left hand continues to be an issue and is stopping him from being able to train properly.

With Pavlik out, Top Rank is also likely to pull Joshua Clottey from the HBO undercard bout where he was set to face Carlos Quintana.

Unless an unlikely Williams-Clottey bout can be pieced together on short notice, HBO will have to scramble for a suitable opponent for Williams and a solid preliminary bout.

When Pavlik finally does return, he will find himself with literally nobody to fight in his division and will be treated as a toxic property by most management teams for his recent problems.

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Quintana vs. Clottey on Pavlik-Williams Card, 12/5

HBO broadcasters have unanimously agreed that the co-feature bout between Paul Williams – Kelly Pavlik on December the 5th in Atlantic City, should be Joshua Clottey vs. Carlos Quintana. With rumours of a Juan Diaz – Paulie Malignaggi rematch, and speculation that Timothy Bradley and Lamont Peterson will be fighting for Bradley’s WBO belt, they have finally decided to host a contest between two former welterweight belt-holders, Ghanaian Joshua Clottey and Puerto Rican southpaw Carlos Quintana at a catchweight of 149 lbs. Both struggled to hit the big time in the inflated ego division and will compete in a 10 round fight on the live broadcast.

Quintana, 32, was the first to defeat Colombian icon Joel Julio, and is the only guy to have beaten Paul Williams in the professional ranks, before suffering a devastating first round knockout defeat in their second contest. He has also been stopped by Miguel Cotto in 5 rounds. Clottey, also 32, has dropped competitive and controversial decisions to Antonio Margarito and more recently Miguel Cotto. He won the vacant IBF welterweight title against Zab Judah last year, before vacating the belt to fight for a bigger pay-check, Miguel Cotto. The ‘Grand Master’ who fights out of Bronx, New York, thought he had a big money fight on December 26 against Shane Mosley, but when HBO pulled the plug, he found a spot as the chief support for the middleweight contest.

Both fighters are still regarded as world-class technicians, despite recent setbacks and difficult defeats. The winner of the bout will probably move on to bigger and better things, Andre Berto perhaps, while the loser is likely to permanently move up to junior middleweight. Whatever happens, it’s still another great fight coming our way in December.

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Paul Williams...Still the Champ Nobody Wants.

by Simon Garner

In the Summer 2007, Paul Williams took on Antonio Margarito at the Home Depot Centre in Carson California for the WBO Welterweight championship. It was Williams’ first shot at a world title belt. He defeated the now disgraced Mexican 147-pounder by unanimous decision and established himself as one of the top guys in the division.

However, a points loss to Carlos Quintana followed by a vindictive 1st round knock-out in the rematch, left “The Punisher” with somewhat of a conundrum. No one wanted to fight him. He wasn’t a big enough name to bring in the big bucks. But at the same time, he was too risky a fight for a made fighter to take.

Since then he has been forced to move up the divisions to look for meaningful fights. First, with a one-round demolition of Andy Kolle, followed by an 8th round stoppage of Verno Phillips to claim the interim WBO Light-Middleweight title belt and a wide 12 round decision over former champion, Winky Wright.

Williams was then set up to fight Kelly Pavlik later this year, however, due to whatever reason, that bout has now been cancelled (official story from Camp Pavlik was that it was due to a knuckle injury, but it is well known that Pavlik recently checked into rehab due to alcohol dependency).

Therefore, Paul Williams has been left high and dry without anyone to fight…sound familiar?

He has two choices in my eyes. Hang around and wait for a big money fight, or cut his losses and fight a smaller name for less money, hoping that a household name is available in February/March.

Lets now look at some potential fights for “The Punisher”:

Welterweight:

For starters, I don’t think Williams can make welterweight easily. The last time he fought there was over a year ago. Now I’m not saying he’s an Eric Morales or a Ricky Hatton, but I imagine his body will have adapted to the higher weight – but hey, I could be wrong. And according to George Peterson, Williams’ trainer, he is currently around 150lb.
So, who’s available:

· Shane Mosley – seems like the obvious candidate. He’s a big name, if not a big money name, and is free either in the short term or later next year. He’s fought at 147lb and 154lb so could be flexible on that issue. The only problem for Williams is the obvious one – he might get beat! Mosley has been one of the most consistent performers over the last 10 years at least and has beaten some big names. If Carlos Quintana can outbox Williams, Mosley sure as hell can.
· Andre Berto/ Joshua Clottey – both up and coming names in the 147lb division and are available in October. However, they are not big names and their camps, especially in the case of Berto, are unlikely to risk their fighter against a man like Williams.

Light-Middleweight:

· Kermit Cintron – I think this would be a fairly easy fight for Williams and he’s a fairly big name fighter. Williams is currently the WBO Interim champ and Cintron is the no.1 contender so this could easily be billed as a title eliminator.
· Sergiy Dzinziruk – current WBO 154lb champ and free in October. Negotiations stalled between the two parties but given the cancellation of the Pavlik-Williams fight, a fight can now be made.
· Sergio Mora - ………anyway……….

Middleweight:

· Felix Sturm – current WBA Champ, but fought as recently as July. Any fight would probably take place later on in the year but due to Sturm’s reluctance to fight outside of his native Germany, it is unlikely this fight could be made unless the money was right.

Above Middleweight:

· Bernard Hopkins – a fight that has already been discussed heavily on the BTBC Forum. The news coming out of the Williams camp though is that the fight would have to be at 165lb for them to even consider fighting, so then it would depend on Hopkins. I imagine Bernard would sooner wait on the winner of Dawson-Johnson II or Thomas Adamek.

I believe that if Williams is to go above 160, he should only do it to fight Hopkins. The reasoning being, that if he beats Hopkins – there is no one left to fight at the weight because they are all tied up with the “Super Six” tournament.

Conclusion:

In my opinion, Paul Williams’ best option would be to go down to 147lb and get in amongst it. If he beats say…Shane Mosley, he’ll turn heads and could end up fighting one of the box office names like Pretty Boy Floyd.

A more realistic option maybe to go to 154lb, fight Dzinziruk and maybe unify the belts. By staying at this weight he leaves himself the option of taking fights at a lower weight or at 160lb later next year if Pavlik has picked himself up off the bar floor.

Taking a fight with Hopkins is always risky as “The Ghost” showed. I believe Williams would win due to the shear volume of punches he throws against an aging warrior like “The Executioner.” However, his biggest problem would be how he deals with his weight after the bout.

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USA! USA! America's 10 Best Boxers!

We've already explored the topic of Britain's and Puerto Rico's best. In the works are features on the best Filipino and Mexican fighters.

However, on this July 4th, it's only fitting to write about America's best active fighters.

So, grill another burger and open another cold one while we delve into the topic of who, exactly, are America's Finest:

10) Steve Cunningham- This former Cruiserweight champ with quick hands and sharp reflexes would still be sporting the bragging rights of being "The World's Best Cruiser" if not for, literally, four or five punches from Tomasz Adamek last year. Cunningham is working his way back to a rematch and wants nothing more than to avenge this tough loss.

9) Andre Berto- The reigning WBC Welterweight titlist gets little respect in the media, but he was good enough to beat a very tough Luis Collazo as well as a large handful of tough contenders ranging from Jr. Welter slugger, Juan Urango, to tough ex-champ, Cosme Rivera.

8) Nate Campbell- The Galaxxy Warrior shocked the world last year by beating up and out-classing the highly-regarded Juan Diaz. He followed that up with a gutsy win over the awkward and talented, Ali Funeka. At 37 years of age, there aren't too many more fights in Campbell's reserves, but he'll have the chance at another career-defining bout against Timothy Bradley in August.

7) Kelly Pavlik- While still no.1 at Middleweight, Pavlik's star has fallen considerably following his embarrassing loss to Bernard Hopkins and the recent postponement of his fight with Sergio Mora. However, Pavlik is still the iron-fisted slugger who beat Jermain Taylor and Edison Miranda into submission and turned the tough Marco Antonio Rubio into a a mid-fight pacifist.

6) Timothy Bradley- Bradley is the man at Jr. Welterweight, whether Ring Magazine says so or not. He went over to the UK to take the title from the awkward Junior Witter, completely dismantled veteran Edner Cherry, and beat fellow 140 lb. champ, Kendall Holt, in a thriller. Now, on August 1st, he takes on former unified Lightweight champ, Nate Campbell, in another tough and dangerous fight to add to the case for making him no. 1 at 140.

5) Chad Dawson- Forget the fact that he had a couple of dull fights with Antonio Tarver and consider the fact that he just beat Tarver twice...decisively. In addition to the Tarver fights, Dawson also holds exciting wins over Eric Harding, Tomasz Adamek, and Glen Johnson. The rematch of the controversial Johnson fight has been signed to once and for all prove that Dawson indeed deserved the nod.

4) Bernard Hopkins- Coming off his schooling of Kelly Pavlik, B-Hop is looking for just the right fight with which to close out a spectacular career. Whoever he fights last needs to be aware that they are fighting one of the smartest, toughest men in the game and that they are in for a very long night. If Hopkins doesn't make it into the Hall of Fame as soon as he's eligible, they should just close the place down.

3) Shane Mosley- With wins over Antonio Margarito, Ricardo Mayorga and Luis Collazo as well as a close contest with Miguel Cotto, Mosley has re-established his claim as one of the few active fighters who could be tagged with the "Legend" label. He has been in hot pursuit of a bout with Manny Pacquiao, but that looks unlikely to happen.

2) Paul Williams- Williams has been given the nickname of "The Most Feared Man in Boxing" and it's hard to dispute. Most of the big names from 147 up to 160 simply refuse to even mention his name. Being an unusually tall and freakishly active southpaw has a lot to do with it...victories over Antonio Margarito and easy wins over tough veterans like Carlos Quintana, Verno Phillips and Winky Wright may also be a big factor in the fact that Williams' phone isn't ringing off the hook with fight offers.

1) Floyd Mayweather Jr.- Mayweather gets the top spot before he even officially makes his return from a 20 month "retirement." Mayweather may be the most gifted fighter of this generation and is doubly-blessed with one of the sharpest boxing minds in the sport. While getting gang-hated for having the nerve to talk about business decisions in boxing interviews, few can doubt that Mayweather is one awesome fighter.

Five to Watch

* Andre Ward- Olympic Gold Medalist who just outclassed Edison Miranda. He just may be the next big, American star.

* Andre Dirrell- In the same Super Middleweight division as Ward, Dirrell has a better resume at this point and has all the tools to beat anyone in and around the division.

* Rocky Juarez- No longer a prospect, but definitely someone with the skill and one-punch power to shock the world. He's blamed his recent tentative performances on an eye injury...He's a hundred percent healthy now...

* Chris Arreola- Arreola has two things lacking in the current crop of American Heavyweights: Massive power in either fist and the will to push ahead when things get rough.

* Daniel Jacobs- Still a baby in the sport, but few prospects have displayed the maturity and technique that Jacobs has shown so far against limited opposition.

So, there you have it! Cheer up America and light another bottle rocket. The world may be producing some great talents these days, but The USA is still capable of holding its own...

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(Updated Throughout the Day)

Joshua Clottey Targets Paul Williams, Wants Him Next
Mayweather-Marquez May Get Pushed To September 19
Adamek issues hit list!
Cotto-Clottey: The Ringside Post-Fight Report Card
Dettloff: Morel's return
Pacquiao Orders Arum To Make Cotto Bout, Nov. 14
Cunningham vs. Braithwaite, IBF Eliminator on 7/11
Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Juan Mauel Marquez is Off!
Ray Mercer Knocks Tim Sylvia Out in Nine Seconds
Clottey's No Closer

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The BTBC Boxing News of the Day (6/9/09)

(Updated Throughout The Day)

Interview w/ Mayweather Sr - On his Son, Mosley, Pacman &...
Boxing Finally Gets Healthy Again
The Spoiler
Pavlik vs Sturm in October is Possible, Says Dunkin
Paul Williams on Mosley, Pacman, Floyd, Hopkins, Calzaghe...
"Bones" Adams Returns
Is Mayweather Really Too Big For Marquez?
USA Boxing Swings Back With Changes
Donnie Nietes Faces Manuel Vargas on 7/18 in Mexico
John Ruiz Determined To Fight The Good Fight
Calderon-Mayol: 14 Pounds From a Doubleheader
Danny Perez: "Every Fight Is My Last Chance"

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