Paul Williams next opponent? Not Phillips!

As reported by Dan Rafael of ESPN.com While Dan Goossen struggles to find an opponent for welterweight titlist Paul Williams to face on Nov. 29 (HBO), one fighter it won't be is junior middleweight belt holder Verno Phillips, who had been the main focus. Phillips promoter Artie Pelullo and Goossen reached a deal and HBO approved the title bout, but issues with Williams having not applied to be ranked by the IBF (which recognizes Phillips' title) and Phillips about to enter a mandatory period next week without having secured an exception, killed it. Now, the focus is on Williams defending his belt against Delvin Rodriguez (23-2-1, 14 KOs), who was offered the fight this week and withdrew from a Friday bout in the Dominican Republic because his team didn't want to take any chances. It would be Rodriguez's first fight July, when he scored an 11th-round knockout win against Oscar Diaz, who suffered a severe brain injury and spent two months in a coma.