Paul Williams is DEAD!

He found himself welterweight champion by his mid-twenties. Young enough to have a fruitful reign if he could avoid any missteps, and with a style that set him apart. As of the new year- the dawn of 2008 barely past- Paul Williams was sitting in a good place. He was massive for a welterweight- almost 6'2- and had a high-output style; usually throwing over a hundred punches a round. A bullet ripped his boxing status apart, though- killing him on impact. The name of the bullet? Carlos Quintana, a tough boxer with a solid win against Joel Julio and a brutal beating at the hands of one of the division's best; Miguel Cotto. What happened? How was Paul Williams- a man HBO was touting as the division's most feared assassinated by an underdog challenger? Critics and detractors of the Punisher on this forum are tapping their feet with a grin and saying, "I told you so..." by the dozens. Why did they tell us so? Let's examine: Paul Williams did not look like a champion. When the bell rang, many would have hoped- and the betting odds would have demanded- Paul Williams remind us why he held the title. Instead he looked like, as many have observed- quite green. In fact, the champion looked more like a prospect than his welterweight brother Andre Berto, who fought earlier in the night. Williams lost the first two rounds against Quintana clearly. Surprisingly to some, while not to others, he was beat to the punch and showed a massive hole in his defense as the challenger smacked him with left hands without answer repeatedly. You can't be an undefeated, most feared in the division champion, with glaring flaws in defense. Or can you? Prior to tonight many, myself included, thought his offense could be his best defense. Where'd that go? Well- that's the most clear result of tonight's loss for Paul Williams. What was the main reason Paul Williams was so highly regarded despite his amateurish tendencies? His height. 6'2 is a mammoth size for a welterweight; it gives him a reach that, coupled with his high output, makes him seem tough to beat on paper. Problem? Williams did not fight tall. I could hear ESPN2's Teddy Atlas screaming at Williams like he was a prospect, not a champion, in my head- fight tall! Paul seemed completely incapable of using a jab and keeping Quintana at range. What is the point of being over six feet tall if you don't seem able to use the height? Well, the point is it turned out to be a weakness. Quintana was able to get past Paul's reach and rendered Williams incapable of getting extension on his punches, making his longer arms an awkward disadvantage for much of the fight. So, was he exposed? The word is thrown around so often in boxing but one has to wonder, if a tall, rangy welterweight with a massive size advantage proves that he's incapable of using his height against someone not considered elite, and becomes an easy target- what is he? Well, not championship material it would seem. So, for a champion to prove he has the flaws Paul Williams exhibited it is, regrettably, an exposure of sorts. Can the Punisher bounce back? Where does he go from here? If tonight's loss is a boxing death of sorts, can he be resurrected? Well- that is going to be met with a hail of uncertainty; especially when he was as criticized by some as loved by others. Glaring holes in defense rarely disappear and Quintana blasted Paul with lefts all night; as did an aged Sharmbe Mitchell before falling. Also, if having the skill- or luck- to become welterweight champion doesn't come with the ability to use his height advantage, when will he do so reliably? If it's not end of the road it's definitely close to it. With the surely mounting criticism he'll endure after this loss, and the flaws Quintana highlighted- though many were already known- Paul Williams is in serious trouble. If after 34 professional fights Paul Williams can't do the simple things like fighting tall and showing good defense his odds of regaining his crown seem slim. In many ways Paul Williams is dead. At least as we knew him. One way or the other he needs to be.