By Dave Sholler
WASHINGTON, D.C. – WBO welterweight champion Paul Williams is one of the most imposing fighters in the sport today. Standing 6’2 and boasting an 81-inch reach, the Aiken, SC native is a difficult matchup for even the most seasoned boxer. If size and range weren’t enough to instill fear in the opposition, the 27-year-old is known for his relentless approach, often throwing over one hundred punches a round.
Undoubtedly, the southpaw Williams (34-1, 25 KOs) is one of the most talented athletes in the sweet science today. However, with talent has come fear. But not fear from Williams. Rather, it’s become a case of opponents fearing Williams. This fear has made the lives of Williams’ management team extremely complicated as of late. In a division loaded with talent, “The Punisher” can’t seem to find a big fight.
“People see Paul as a threat,” longtime manager and trainer George Peterson said. “He is a very hard guy to dissect. He’s a big fella. He’s left-handed. He’s courageous and has the heart of a lion. When you put all of it together, he’s a hard guy to beat.”
Even though he has been mentioned as a potential opponent for middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and former junior middleweight king Oscar De La Hoya, the soft-spoken Williams has struggled to land a marquee fight.
Earlier this summer, Team Williams was unable to agree to terms with Pavlik’s representatives on an October bout after lengthy negotiations. After it was determined that the two sides couldn’t compromise on a deal, Pavlik selected former light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins as his opponent.
Then, in mid-August, Williams’ name surfaced as a potential December opponent for De La Hoya, but “The Golden Boy” ultimately opted for 135-pound champion Manny Pacquiao. Unable to land a fight with either one of the sport’s hottest names, Williams has been forced to look at less lucrative bouts. In the end, it has been a frustrating time for members of the Williams’ camp.
“Our objective is to clean out the 147-pound division,” Peterson said. “But Paul knew that the Oscar fight wouldn’t come off. We knew that Oscar was just saving face because he was criticized for picking a smaller opponent. He was just trying to save face by throwing out the name of the largest opponent in the welterweight division.
“With those fights gone, we’d love a rematch with (Antonio) Margarito,” Peterson added, mentioning that a unification bout with the newly crowned WBA champion would surely draw interest from fans. “We’ve wanted that fight since Paul beat him last July. Paul will fight anyone, anywhere, anytime. We’ve always said that.”
Given that Pavlik and De La Hoya are off the board and that Margarito is close to agreeing to fight IBF champion Joshua Clottey in November, Williams will turn his attention to a tune-up fight as well as a mandatory defense of his WBO title.
The Aiken-bred fighter will battle Andy Kolle at 160 pounds on Sept. 25 at the Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, CA. After fighting what Peterson called a “stay-busy fight” later this month, Williams will defend his 147-pound title against mandatory challenge Michael Jennings of Great Britain on November 29. Should Williams win both fights, Peterson said that Team Williams will press hard for a fight with one of the division’s other titleholders.
“Paul wants his name mentioned with the greatest of all-time,” Peterson said. “But how can he be when no one wants to fight this guy? For all of the other champions in the division, it’s not fair to call yourself a champion and then refuse to fight this guy. It’s just not fair.”
