By Dave Sholler

According to some intellectuals, strategy is a choice that affects outcomes. In the sport of boxing, many rely on a precise strategy to defeat a particular opponent. Some focus on an opponent’s lack of mobility. Others hone in on a foe’s failure to fend off a body attack. WBO welterweight champion Paul Williams is one of those fighters who understands the need to develop a thorough game plan. However, unlike a number of his colleagues in the Sweet Science, Williams makes sure he has backup plots should his initial line of attack falter. To the southpaw nicknamed “The Punisher,” coming into a bout with just one approach would be a fatal flaw.

“A lot of fighters have plans A, B, and C when they come into a fight,” the 26-year-old from South Carolina said.  “I’ve got plans A through Z.

“I prepare for everything. Just looking at tapes can give you a false reading (of your opponent). Training the way I do has helped me to adapt.”

This sense of preparation began in Williams’ early years in the sport, when his manager and mentor George Peterson paired him against fighters of all shapes and sizes. In the building block stages of his career, Williams would spar with a wide range of fighters, from gigantic heavyweights to slick middleweights and hardnosed welterweights. With each bout, the lanky southpaw developed new skills that complemented his already growing tool belt. And with each scrap, Williams learned that having a diverse group of training partners could only help him in his quest to become a champion.

“When I first started, Mr. Peterson had me sparring against champions,” the humble Williams chuckled, adding that he wouldn’t be a champion today without his longtime manager/trainer. “Anyone who came in the gym I fought and got to see different looks. Most guys wouldn’t have known how to deal with it, but I’ve learned to adapt to different styles.

“Now when I get in the ring, I don’t see advantages (over my opponents). I know that a fight can end with one punch and that you have to be prepared to fight all styles.”

Williams’ seemingly broad understanding of the nuts and bolts of boxing will be tested in his first title defense against underrated Carlos Quintana (24-1, 19 KOs) on February 9. Even though many have already written off Quintana, Williams is giving the 31-year-old Puerto Rican plenty of respect. The champion made it clear that he is not overlooking Quintana, a fighter Williams said will be prepared to trade punches.

“He’s a good fighter and he’ll try to adjust to what I do,” Williams said of Quintana, whose lone loss came at the hands of WBA champ Miguel Cotto. “I’m training (for Quintana) like I always train and trying to get in the best possible shape.”

Short in his analysis of Quintana, Williams purely hopes the fight will serve as a gateway to bouts against other welterweight champions. After a proposed unification bout with IBF champion Kermit Cintron fell through due to an injury Cintron suffered against Jesse Feliciano, Williams is still set on becoming the undisputed 147-pound champion of the world. In light of WBC titleholder Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s supposed retirement, Williams said he’d like to start his quest for title merger by taking on Cotto, the WBA king.

“It’s Cotto or Mayweather,” Williams said regarding whom he prefers to fight should he defeat Quintana, adding that he still considers Mayweather a potential opponent despite Money’s claim of retirement. “They are the top dogs in my weight class.

“Cotto and I would be an action-packed fight. He’s (Cotto) proved that he comes to fight. It would be good for both of us because we could prove who is the best welterweight out there. Cotto is my main focus after Quintana.”

While Williams’ size and technique pose an interesting challenge for Cotto, the chances of Williams landing a fight with the power punching Puerto Rican seem dim at the moment. As rumors circulate that Cotto may take on Alfonso Gomez and then Antonio Margarito to kick off 2008, Williams is still optimistic that he’ll get a chance to fight the WBA belt holder in the near future. After all, if Cotto wants to be considered the best welterweight in the world, he too, must fight the division’s best.

“After I get in with Cotto and Mayweather, I’ll have the opportunity to say that I’m the best in the weight class,” Williams said in his usual quiet, yet confident tone. “I really think that all of them (the other champions) should put the belts up and fight and then you can tell me who the best welterweight out there is.”

Even though Williams’ preceding suggestion would seem to make the most sense, he is cognizant of the fact that he will have to be extremely aggressive in landing fights with other champions. Simply put, he is aware that his reputation as a tough, skillful fighter will scare off others looking for an easy defense. However, for those clinging to reports that he will leave the 147-pound division, Williams reiterated that he would not jump to a higher weight class until he has captured the unified welterweight crown.  So for those that will try to avoid him until he moves up in weight, Williams offered a very clear, direct statement.

“A lot of guys think I’m killing myself to make weight,” Williams said. “It’s not hard for me to get to 147. It’s all about discipline. I eat three times a day and eat the right things. It’s not eating the foods that taste good; it’s eating the food that’s good for you. You talk to anybody about how I train and they’ll tell you I train hard. They’ll tell you I have no problems making 147.

“Right now, we are concentrating on 147,” Williams said.  “54 (super welterweight) and 60 (middleweight) have crossed our minds for down the road. But only after I get Cotto’s and Mayweather’s belts will we look at 154.”

Dave Sholler is a boxing analyst for sports radio stations nationwide. Reach Sholler at shollerholla4@hotmail.com.