The Paul Williams vs Sergio Martinez II Round Table

WAR Martinez, break Paul the Punkinator down

yep its a ***** tactic by the most feared man on the planet but Martinez will be victorious. :fingersx:

Who are you picking to win? Lee Payton: I've been looking very hard for an edge in this fight and the more I think about it, the more questions pop up. I think Martinez is a slightly better fighter, but he's 36 now and the rumors about his weight issues are a bit worrisome. He also seemed exhausted by the end of the last fight. That said, I thought if anyone showed any tactical control, it was Sergio, so I'll take him by a close decision. Mark Lyons: I've been battling this one around a lot. There was a lot of outrage over the first decision, more so over the one despicable card than the actual winner. In a match up that looks like it would always be tight it's easy to see a make up decision of sorts. But I'm going to go with Williams to dominate late and snag another close decision with a small possibility of a late TKO. Andrew Fruman: I'm picking Martinez by decision in another FOTY type scrap. I thought he landed the cleaner, more damaging shots last time and I think he'll do it again. Dave Oakes: It’s a 50-50 fight but I’m leaning towards Martinez due to his better ring craft and experience. Williams will make it an entertaining and hard fought fight though. Jason Karp: Despite scoring the first fight for Martinez, I cannot shake the impression that, of the two, it was Sergio who was the one tip-toeing on the edge of disaster. I just wonder if having to make 158 will be the tiny difference that pushes the champion over that edge. Furthermore, Martinez's tendency to duck under Paul's punches leaves him vulnerable to back-of-the-head shots, something Williams has made a habit of, if not intentionally. Williams by late stoppage. Michael Nelson: I think Williams will be more cautious which will play into Martinez' hands. The fight will swing wildly throughout, but in the end, I see Martinez pulling out a tight decision. Andrew Harrison: I'm in a fog with this one, it's the most evenly poised battle I can remember for an age (kudos to the pair of them for being willing to do it all over again). If I was looking to gamble, I'd probably pay close heed to their condition at the weigh in, it'll be small details which separate them you feel. Head on the chopping block? Williams boxes to a well ordered decision victory. Corey Erdman: Catchweight aside, it seems that Martinez is in Williams' head. In fact, that's why the catchweight was pushed for. It was Williams with the worried look after the first bout, and Martinez smiling and shrugging, and it was the Argentine getting the majority of the praise afterward as well. If Sergio doesn't have him figured out yet, I'm thinking that he will soon. Martinez-UD 12. http://www.theboxingbulletin.com/2010/11/19/1821568/the-paul-williams-vs-sergio-martinez-ii-round-table#storyjump

:rofl: :rofl:

Do you feel there's anything different either fighter can do to give themselves an edge in the rematch? Lee Payton: What Martinez did last time worked great, but I would like to see him be a little bit more careful this time. When he's on the outside, he can't be touched. It's only when he got sucked into exchanges that he had trouble. If I was to create a plan for him it would be to stay all the way outside and pick his spots to leap in with quick punches, then get back out or hold on. But this guy is tougher and feistier than he is generally given credit for, so who knows if he can stick to a disciplined plan for 12. I'm always saying that I would love to see Paul calm down and work his jab, but I think that's all wrong for this opponent. He's not accurate enough from range to outbox a crafty fighter like Martinez. Looks like he's going to have come out guns blazing again and hope that he can either hurt the champ or wear him out with a fast pace. Mark Lyons: I think Williams, with a full camp preparing for Sergio, can make the most gains off of his last performance. He certainly isn't Mayweather in there as far as Ring IQ goes, but he does follow the plan that George sets. That's a tough thing to change after so many repetitions are put in. Some subtle differences in foot positioning as well as a determined effort early to get to the body can pay dividends late along with his superior stamina. For Sergio, I don't think he can fight any better and he might not need to. I don't see how he can box more from the outside without exchanging. Paul can hit him halfway across the ring. That's what makes the match up so great. The superior boxer is forced to go to war, no way around it. Andrew Fruman: I don't think the amount of time Williams had to prepare had much to do with what happened last time. Give him a year to prepare, it won't matter... Williams is just always going to have trouble against a fighter that can pick his spots and deliver accurate counters. He just needs to walk through it and try and wear the older man down. The Cintron fight though was a little concerning, as Williams seemed to be trying a more patient approach and didn't look comfortable. I think if he does that on Saturday, he'll play right into Martinez's hands. Plain and simple, he needs to make this a brawl from the get go. As far as Martinez goes, I agree with Mark. It's going to be very difficult to limit exchanges when Williams has the size and speed to force Martinez into action. If Williams comes at him hard, there's nowhere to go... he's just going to have fire back with hard counters. That's definitely a fight he can win, but it will be another rough grind. Dave Oakes: I feel the fight will be very similar to their first meeting. I know Martinez can’t fight any other way, and I doubt whether Williams has the nous to make the necessary adjustments. I can see Martinez having the better of the early rounds and the younger Williams finishing the stronger. Jason Karp: I'd like to see Williams force the issue on the inside this time around. The separation established by Martinez in the first encounter forced Paul to lunge with his jab, leaving it poorly disguised and easy to time, paving the way for Sergio's primary weapon, the overhand right. If closing the distance fails, by-passing the jab altogether once and a while and leaning on the lead left could also pay dividends. Sergio was circling to Paul's left all night in their first encounter, just begging to Punished. Michael Nelson: In the first bout, Martinez started consistently landing his left hand to the body around the 7th or 8th round. It momentarily changed the tide of the fight. An early investment to the body may make things easier for him Saturday night. I expect Williams to be more aware of Sergio's right hook this time around. That awareness may come with less aggression, though. Andrew Harrison: Like Mark, I don't see how "Maravilla" can best his last performance (against Williams) or add any new wrinkles to his game. At 35 he pretty much is what he is, which is one hell of a fighter. Williams can adjust though, he can box to a gameplan tailored to Martinez this time. Great fighters (and I'm suggesting Williams could well be one) tend to adjust in the rematch to a pier sixer by taking a more tactical approach, I'm thinking Holyfield over Bowe, Barrera over Morales, Pep over Saddler and Ali over Frazier Corey Erdman: Martinez employed the tried and true method of beating Williams: Getting inside his looping punches. He Carlos Quintanad him, except he's better than Carlos Quintana, and Williams was better last December than he was against Quintana. As far as adapting the gameplan though, MArtinez is the only one capable of changing his approach. As a counterpuncher, his approach *is* to react and adapt. Williams will always come forward and throw a hundred punches per round, and that won't change. It may be more effective this time, but it won't change. The best thing Williams can do however, is straighten his jab, which was the culprit of a lot of flush hooks he took to the noggin last time out. Continued......