By Mark Vester
Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, finds it disgusting how WBO welterweight champion Paul Williams is being overlooked as a possible opponent to WBA champion Antonio Margarito. Since Margarito stopped Miguel Cotto on July 26, he's been calling for a fight with Oscar De La Hoya. Margarito's camp find it absurd that De La Hoya is moving forward with a potential bout with lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao, who would have to move up in weight to 147-pounds to make the fight.
Schaefer doesn't deny that a Cotto win against Margarito would have made him a strong contender to fight De La Hoya on December 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He feels that Margarito should stop calling for De la Hoya and focus on his unfinished business with Williams, who beat him with a close decision in 2007.
"We have made it clear [to Top Rank] that we think Margarito has some unfinished business," Schaefer told Sports Illustrated. "Frankly, I find it disgusting how people are overlooking Paul Williams. Oscar wanted to fight Cotto because he was undefeated. But Williams beat Margarito."
"Just because Margarito beat Cotto, why does that make him the best welterweight? Why isn't it Paul Williams? He had that first round knockout of [Carlos] Quintana [in June] and he already beat Margarito. So I think it is very disrespectful of Williams. Those two [Margarito and Williams] should fight again."
Schaefer does forget that prior to the Cotto-Margarito bout, De La Hoya did tells reporters that a fight against the "winner" of Cotto-Margarito would be a "great way to end his career."
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