by T.K. Stewart
WBO Welterweight titlist Paul "The Punisher" Williams, 34-1 (25)KO, is looking for someone, anyone, that is willing to fight him. Williams' obvious preference is a rematch with WBA titlist Antonio Margarito whom he beat last summer by unanimous decision. But so far, tall Paul, who stands 6'1" with an 82' reach, hasn't been able to get Margarito's attention. Instead Margarito keeps calling out Oscar De La Hoya's name. But Williams says that's not a match that the people or real boxing fans want to see.
"It's not a good fight," said Williams. "I mean, everybody knows De La Hoya, you know what I'm sayin'? He puts on a good fight, but he fades in the late rounds, he starts fadin'." With me, there's going to be action the whole twelve rounds, the whole three minutes."
Williams looked devastating in knocking out Carlos Quintana in less than three minutes back in June to avenge his only loss and regain the WBO belt. But since then he has been trying to get a marquee opponent to accept his challenge but nobody seems to have the courage to step up. Williams' frustration is palpable.
"Margarito should fight me," he says. "We're offering him $4 million. Fighting me don't sound like a bad deal. I'd love to fight him again and everybody already knows that. But if Margarito doesn't wanna' fight I'm not sitting around waiting for him. I can fight somebody else at 154, 160 even 168."
When asked what would happen if Margarito eventually decided to fight him, Williams obviously believes he will win again. He is very confident and the thought of facing Margarito, who put on an exquisite performance against Miguel Cotto a couple weeks ago, doesn't seem to faze him in the least.
"I know how to beat him," said Williams of the 'Tijuana Tornado'. "When you know how to beat somebody you know how to fight somebody." Williams also said he wouldn't do much differently if the rematch were to happen. "I know how to fight him," he said. "Me? I'd fight him the same way. If he changes something up, I'll change something up."
Williams took an additional slap at Margarito by going so far as to say that he wasn't even the toughest fight of his career. Williams said that honor is reseved for Argentina's Walter Matthysse, whom he knocked out in ten rounds back in 2006.
"Even though I made it look easy, that was my hardest fight," said Williams.
E-mail: tkstewartboxing@gmail.com
