By Cliff Rold (Photo by Bryan Crowe/FightWireImages)
Don’t be fooled by the chatter after the final bell. He may be willing to return to the division right now but for all intents and purposes, Paul Williams (36-1, 27 KO) the Welterweight is probably no more. Over eight punishing rounds, Williams bulled over one of the most consistent tests in the Jr. Middleweight division over the last two decades. In doing so, he found a new home and lined up a title shot.
At 6’1, it’s not surprising he’d move on anyways. Thomas Hearns couldn’t make the division limit past the age of 23 with the same height and the 27-year old Williams of Augusta, Georgia and Aiken, South Carolina will be better served beyond 147 lbs. going forward.
Better served physically anyways.
After all, the dollars remain above and below him. A stoppage win over Verno Phillips (42-11-1, 21 KO), even a 39-year old Phillips, is a feather in any fighters cap. Feathers don’t pay rent though. Williams is a superstar talent waiting for superstardom to come his way. The performance on Saturday will probably act as at least temporary rationale for others to defer on granting such an opportunity.
Let’s go to the report card.
Speed - Pre-Fight Grades: Williams A-; Phillips B/Post-Fight: A; B
Power - Pre-Fight Grades: Williams B+; Phillips B-/Post-Fight: Same
Defense - Pre-Fight Grades: Phillips B+; Williams B/Post-Fight: B; B
Intangibles - Pre-Fight Grades: Williams & Phillips A/Post-Fight: Same
The first thing can be said of the fight on Saturday is it was entertaining and often competitive. Phillips may even have won the second round, drawing Williams into the trenches and trading with the younger man to the approval of the crowd.
Youth ultimately prevailed but it was another in a series of fights for Williams which will further his development. Phrased differently, the intangibles beneath his physical size and athletic gifts are developing rapidly.
Of the many lessons Williams picked up, he learned he could fight cut against a world class opponent. In fact, he fought like he didn’t need to learn; like it was no big deal. Some fighters panic at the sight of blood. Williams shrugged and fought harder. Add it to another thing learned about Williams in 2008: he responds to setbacks with a vengeance.
After his first defeat, in February to Carlos Quintana by decision, Williams bounced back by becoming more assertive in his offense. Quintana didn’t make it a full three minutes in the rematch. Now he bleeds; Verno Phillips is stopped for the first time in twenty years. There are special qualities to Williams. Against Phillips he again showed world class speed but by throwing just slightly less than what he was throwing a year ago, he’s putting more mustard on his shots.
Where Williams continues to show vulnerability is in his defense. He gets hit and often when he shouldn’t. A southpaw, he leaves his left hand so low that it just begs for counter hooks and the overhand right from orthodox fighters. So far, his chin has held up but it’s only a matter of time until the wrong power shot finds the mark. Phillips got his attention with some blind pot shots but has never been a one-punch killer so the test that will come the day Williams has to come off the floor waits for another day.
The question turns to what lies ahead for Williams on those other days.
Obviously, he wants a chance to repeat his 2007 win against Welterweight Antonio Margarito but it’s just not going to happen right now and certainly not at Welterweight. Margarito has Shane Mosley in January and with a win should be headed towards a Miguel Cotto rematch. By the time Williams-Margarito II could happen, Williams could be so entrenched at 154 lbs. that the rematch would have to occur there.
To build towards what could be a real superfight, Williams can go about the task of belt collecting at Jr. Middleweight in the meantime. Had Phillips not vacated his IBF strap to take the Williams fight, the first bauble would already be in tow. Instead, Williams now sits as a mandatory to WBO beltholder Sergiy Dzinziruk (36-0, 22 KO). Dzinziruk has stated a willingness to make it happen, even on American turf, but also stated in the press he’d like to first do a unification battle with the current WBA titlist he won his own strap from, Daniel Santos (32-3-1, 23 KO). Whether Williams gets a shot before or after unification, he’d be favored to win.
The best option for Williams at 154 might be the least likely. Vernon Forrest (41-3, 29 KO) possesses the WBC belt in class, is the former Welterweight Champion of the World, and the most known commodity in the States. There is a pair of obstacles obstructing the path. He shares an advisor in Al Haymon (obstacle one) and Forrest has a mandatory due (obstacle two) versus the tough Sergio Martinez (44-1-1, 24 KO). Williams-Forrest would be an immediate breakthrough chance for Williams or, after other belts are captured, the best dollar unification bout.
Williams can be expected to also continue teasing at the fringes of the Middleweight division as well, but it’s a dangerous proposition for now. His willingness to take shots on the road to victory could play into the hands of World Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KO) and would play into the hands of the lethal IBF titlist Arthur Abraham (28-0, 23 KO). However, Williams would match up nicely and produce a hell of a fight with WBA titlist Felix Sturm (31-2-1, 13 KO) is the fight became available.
None of the above is the sure road to best dollars a Margarito rematch would present, but it’s not a bad set of options either. Williams is marked as one of Boxing’s few young must-see fighters and it will be fun finding out who he’ll be seen against next.
Bonus Grading
As a brief addendum, the HBO card on Saturday began with Heavyweights in action. While it was a fun fight, it was also the latest example of why the Heavyweight division is so lacking in America. Chris Arreola (26-0, 23 KO) is America’s best Heavyweight? The Eastern European/Russian contingent can feel secure in their dominance a bit longer then.
Boxing fans should be beyond bored at this point with heavyweights who don’t bother to show up in shape at the championship level. Arreola is just working his way into serious top ten contention and in his last two fights couldn’t be bothered to come in under 250 lbs. Seriously, he had jiggling rolls on his side and had to come off the floor to beat a guy with a bad chin. Had Travis Walker (28-2-1, 22 KO) possessed any beard at all, America just wouldn’t have a Heavyweight hopeful of note right now.
Fans pay more through pay-per-view fees and premium cable subscriptions to watch Boxing than almost any other U.S. sports fans. No one can question Arreola’s guts or moxy; he proves them by stepping in the ring and fighting hard from bell to bell. There are lots of fighters who can say the same for themselves who aren’t getting the cherry spotlight afforded by HBO. Paying fans should be able to see true professionalism along with fighting spirit and Arreola didn’t show it Saturday nor has he shown it consistently in the last couple of years. He was 229 when he devastated undefeated Damian Wills in 2006; 239 when he banged up undefeated Chazz Witherspoon this past June. 254 for his next HBO appearance?
Arreola is exciting, has a hard left hook, and makes a great interview. He’s not bad T.V. The same could once be said of another fighter whose skin rolled along with his hooks, but does Boxing really need a modern day Tony Galento? They may not always be exciting, but fighters like current heavyweight titlists Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko and Nicolay Valuev always show up not just ready to fight but in shape to do so. If Arreola wants to be taken seriously as a threat to those men, and he could be, he’d do well to make the sacrifices they do before round one.
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
