Thoughts on Paul Williams..long rant of sorts

The shocking and really devestating news about Paul really put a damper on my weekend. Im a huge fan; the first time I met him was at a BP gas station downtown on Broad street in Augusta. He's really humble, cool guy, down to earth. We talked about who he was going to fight (this was before the Winky Wright scrap, also mentioned Sergei Dzizruik as a possible too), he signed like 10 damn autographs for me and my friends, who are fans too.. Never complained one time. Gracious, and genuinely enjoying meeting a fan. I swear me and my friends had him outside talking for a good 20 minutes lol. Never complained, never tried to slide off and say he had to go. He genuinely liked his fans and enjoyed being in the moment. I came back to this board yesterday, just looking thru some old posts. Some of the comments I read when Paul lost to Martinez were disgusting. Posting pics of him on the ground with his eyes open, posters saying, "has he woken up yet?" and "other bull**** comments like that really were uncalled for. Even on the new P-Will threads since the accident, some posters actually said," I hate Paul, but i hate to see this happen". There has to be a REAL reason as to why you hate someone. This board erupted when he got KO'd. People were actually cheering his being hurt at the time. Allan Greene got KO'd too and the fanfare, the teasing, the taunts, the pictures were no where NEAR as abundant as they were with Paul. Some posters on here were still making light of Paul's ko 10+months after it happened. Disliking a boxer is perfectly ok, I dislike alot of boxers too; and i truly dislike a few boxers that alot of you adore. I think a few are grossly overrated as well. But I dont hate them for being overrated. If one of the boxers i disliked were in an accident like Paul, id never mention that i dislike/hate them before I offer sympathies. For people to hate P-Will, for no other reason than how he fights, is stupid. Ive never seen a boxer that gets so much unneccessary, unwarranted direct and indirect hate that Paul, regardless if you think he is overrated or not. With all that being said, i hope for a speedy recovery and a great life, after surgery. He was truly an exciting fighter to watch!

Comments (20)

Lifelong Punisher fan here. I know why boxingscene hated him & while most will claim that's not why, they know deep down it was. This forum along with many others were mostly based on 2 fanbases, Floyd & Pacman's. When you have a welterweight like the Punisher lurking about, fully capable of beating both (and their fans knew it) they had to hate him. He was the anti star. He'd fight anyone, threw tons of punches & was a nightmare to fight. So instead of these guys calling out their fighter, or putting them on blast, they simply hated Paul, it was easier to do. That's why all those fans hated him & when Martinez ko'd him, they all loved Martinez. But as soon as he called them out, his own hate began. I shed a few tears for the Punisher because he finally got his ppv date & I know he would have ran ginger out of that ring on fight night. Most will act like what he did wasn't a big deal. But there are not more than a handful of fighters that traverse 3 weight classes to fight because not many wanted to fight him. It's a shame that superstar status has ruined the sport 7 so-called boxing fans embrace the very thing that's ruining boxing & don't even realize it. The proof is right there. Look at Floyd & Pacman who still sit atop the pfp list when (Pacman) especially hasn't done a thing in over 2 years to deserve his spot. Now Ward & Martinez get hated on & have their accomplishments downplayed to justify it. I hope that god grants the Punisher this 1 miracle, because if ever there was a fighter that deserved it, its him. Couldn't have outlined their reason (excuse to hate) any better. Paul is what I want from a fighter... Forget about him being humble, he wanted to fight... everyone... and make great fights. P-Will had the fan boys feeling threatened and it manifested in the form of hate. That's the worst thing about it. These assh0les are so far up their favorite fighters' ass that they can't appreciate, laud, and respect Paul for what he'd been doing for the sport. The sport of boxing is better for Paul having been in it.

14y ago

ringer

I was seriously looking forward to the Canelo fight, as well. Paul really could've given him fits, IMO. Christ, it's weird even talking about Williams' fighting ability in the past tense. Life really is a crap shoot.

14y ago

Pretty_Boy_Greg

Arena District... Ill keep that in mind. We're going to that Michael Jackson Cirque show... then we're gettin outta there around 10:30 and runnin down the street Buffalo Wild wings to catch the Pacquio fight... then after that we we're gonna try to find somewhere to go. Thanks man. I did the same thing for valentines day with my wife, we went to bw3 and then watch circue du soleil at vale city arena...lol arena district is reall close to there

14y ago

Pretty_Boy_Greg

I didn't see any "I hate Paul, but....". What I did see was a bit of "I was never really a fan, but...." BIG difference. And there's nothing wrong with someone prefacing their sympathies for Williams by clarifying that they were never a fan of his. Infact, I think that's far more admirable than everybody claiming they're always loved and supported him like they're doing now. The same way they did with Gatti when he died. Or Corrales. Or Forrest. Or Tapia. And so on, and so forth. hey i respect anyone who didnt root for him and if someone says they hated him thats their motive and they are just friggin ignorant and mornonic. i was so damn anxious to see him spank canelo but unfortunately that wont happen now.... time to start drinking again :)

14y ago

killerbunny

a lot of people were trying to say that he could be the next tommy hearns when he was coming up the ranks.... i remember the HBO staff was saying it during the matthysee fight True..I remember it too...:boxing:

14y ago

Pretty_Boy_Greg

My "grow up" was directed at the TS, not you, Bushbaby. Hence why it came AFTER my paraphrasing of his intent with this thread. Regardless, I'm done, too. That's cold, but we've all been there. Well, all of us who've watched boxing with our wives/girlfriends, anyway. An ex of mine gave me sh*t forever about Cotto beating on Judah, but in 2008 I finally got my revenge, thanks to a man named Margarito. ;) :haha: hahaha, isnt it great!! I cant wait for someone to revenge pwill and take sergio out... I really felt for zab in that fight, if only he had a little bit more in the gas tank i think he could of won... a couple times i thought for sure Zab was gonna take him out... my wife rooted for victor ortiz (same damn reasons) last year in the mayweather fight and i laughed in her face all night long after floyd gave him the two piece special. :boxing:

14y ago

THE_REED

cool if you guys are lookin for some nice places to have drinks in the evening hit up the arena district in downtown. Easton (its a giant outdoor mall) is really nice too. Arena District... Ill keep that in mind. We're going to that Michael Jackson Cirque show... then we're gettin outta there around 10:30 and runnin down the street Buffalo Wild wings to catch the Pacquio fight... then after that we we're gonna try to find somewhere to go. Thanks man.

14y ago

ringer

Im not holier than thou, nor am i trying to make anyone feel like s**t. Some posters, like I said in my original post, started off their sympathies with "I hate Paul, but...". Thats the real argument. As far as everything you just supposedly analyzed about my post, Ill let you keep it.. I didn't see any "I hate Paul, but....". What I did see was a bit of "I was never really a fan, but...." BIG difference. And there's nothing wrong with someone prefacing their sympathies for Williams by clarifying that they were never a fan of his. Infact, I think that's far more admirable than everybody claiming they're always loved and supported him like they're doing now. The same way they did with Gatti when he died. Or Corrales. Or Forrest. Or Tapia. And so on, and so forth.

14y ago

Pretty_Boy_Greg

I see you from Columbus.... Im going there weekend after next... for the weekend with my girl. cool if you guys are lookin for some nice places to have drinks in the evening hit up the arena district in downtown. Easton (its a giant outdoor mall) is really nice too.

14y ago

size15shoe

Fighters who get knocked out that badly are always either made fun of or never allowed to forget it. That's the nature of the game, especially when the fighter in question is a guy who SO many people on this board pumped up as being "the next Tommy Hearns" for as long as they did Williams. People get sick of hype, and they respond to it negatively, that's life. What was the point of this thread, exactly? To try to get people who made fun of him for being knocked out to feel like sh*t now that he's paralyzed? That's really silly, IMO. As for Paul, I'm sure you can find some posts from me jabbing him over that KO as well, as I said, that's the nature of the game. However, I seriously doubt that anything any user here said about him in 2010 after the KO has any bearing on their sympathy for the man for his current situation. This whole thread basically just seems like an excuse for TS and other Williams fans to play the role of "holier than thou". Im not holier than thou, nor am i trying to make anyone feel like s**t. Some posters, like I said in my original post, started off their sympathies with "I hate Paul, but...". Thats the real argument. As far as everything you just supposedly analyzed about my post, Ill let you keep it..

14y ago

Pretty_Boy_Greg

I could find you literally dozens pre-Margarito, but unfortunately, the search feature on this website was recently scaled back DRAMATICALLY, and you only get 4 pages of results now. You werent even here when those comparisons were flying around : You joined in 2008, these comparisons were swirling around here from 2006-2008. EARLY 2008 that is, as in February when he was taken to school by Quintana, then the hype died a quick death. Until he avenged the loss, that is. Then it was on like crazy (though the comparisons to Hearns didn't return) until Martinez detonated him in their rematch. You'd seriously have to be living under a rock not to have noticed the insane amount of hype this guy had around here for the past few years, with his best wins being Margarito, an old Winky Wright, and a decision over Martinez that many though he shouldn't have gotten. Regardless, this is all off topic. I honestly feel terrible for the man and his family because of his accident, but this thread just seems childish to me, hence my responses. "Oh, you guys laughed at him when he got KO'd, and I didn't. Therefore I care more about him than you do." Grow up. :rolleyes: i couldnt agree more with everything you said here, i could give two Shhitz less if someone made fun of him being knocked out. i bet you right now paul could give a *****t either about what they think. All boxers know the consequences and whos to say paul wasnt itching to fight sergio again so he could return the favor.... yes we all moan complain to each other on here a lot but bottom line is, we are all like one big family (fans, fighters, trainers, reporters) I guarantee you that if I met a manny fan in a bar we would be best friends by the end of the night even though Im a floyd fan... we all have such great passion for this sport. Why do you think 99% of all fighters are so close to their fans and spend the time they do hanging with the fans... we r just one big family and sometimes we just like to b_i_t_c_h at each other.. :boxing:

14y ago

size15shoe

No disrespect to P.Will. But seriously? You're crying about someone mocking him when he got KO'ed? Were we supposed to see the future and be like "oh sh1t he's gonna be in a bike wreck don't make fun of him"? You need some thicker skin my friend. As a Lara fan, I started disliking him even more after the robbery even tho he had nothing to do with it but that's not saying that I feel for what happened. Im not devastated by it but it's pretty sad to hear what happened. I ride a bike just like him so I guess you can say we're connected in that sort of way. You come on here and cry about some past things that were said about him it's stupid. I bet you those people including myself are not saying anything bad about the man right now. To clarify, I think that making fun of someone who obviously was hurt at the time was uncalled for. Same for Jermain Taylor. And Ricky Hatton. There is a difference between enjoying a great KO and public belittling of someone who is hurt. Thats the difference. My posting this was in response to people stating "I hate Paul" before they offer their sympathies as well.. That part, Im assuming, got lost within the context of what all i posted.

14y ago

Bushbaby

14y ago

_JSFD26_

14y ago

DLT

That's alot of unnecessary typing for a simple question. A simple the search engine does not go that far back would do. However The Punisher beat a Margarito that ran Floyd from his own damn interview, (fact btw). Those fighters you mentioned after had the balls to fight him. 3 weight classes, hardly any answers. You can't fight people that won't fight you. it's not like fighters were beating down the door trying to fight him. But like I said at the beginning all that wasn't necessary. I wasn't trying to go to war. Don't worry thpough, my main guy Punisher isn't gonna get our tribute turned into a flame out because you wanna go overboard. I'm done with you. ran Floyd away? People overhype stuff like that. Its the same kinda comments that people made about Mosley when he got in the ring with Floyd after the JMM fight. RJ beat Hopkins and was looking the same way when X use to approach him after the Tito fight. That stuff means nothing. You see the real when a fight gets signed. Even before they got into the ring, you could see that Floyd had no fear of Mosley. When the fight got signed he was totally different then he was in that post fight interview. He was clowning Mosley & basically treating him like any other fighter he faced. He had no fear. I think he wouldve done the same thing to Margarito. These guys dont fear eachother.

14y ago

El_Angel

Agreed, I won't lie he was never one of my favorite fighters and I never rooted for him to win, but he brought his all everytime in the squared circle. I hope he recovers and lives a long and healthy life.

14y ago

ringer

My "grow up" was directed at the TS, not you, Bushbaby. Hence why it came AFTER my paraphrasing of his intent with this thread. Regardless, I'm done, too. ill be honest i avoided NSB for a couple weeks cuz i didnt wanna hear it... my wife to this day makes fun of me about the look of shock i had on my face when he got knocked out... she knows nothing about boxing and rooted for sergio because she thought he was hot.... I guess I have two reasons to hate sergio, he laid out my boy and my wife would prolly lay him out....hahahahahah That's cold, but we've all been there. Well, all of us who've watched boxing with our wives/girlfriends, anyway. An ex of mine gave me sh*t forever about Cotto beating on Judah, but in 2008 I finally got my revenge, thanks to a man named Margarito. ;)

14y ago

THE_REED

I see you from Columbus.... Im going there weekend after next... for the weekend with my girl.

14y ago

THE_REED

ill be honest i avoided NSB for a couple weeks cuz i didnt wanna hear it... my wife to this day makes fun of me about the look of shock i had on my face when he got knocked out... she knows nothing about boxing and rooted for sergio because she thought he was hot.... I guess I have two reasons to hate sergio, he laid out my boy and my wife would prolly lay him out....hahahahahah :lol1: :lol1: :lol1:

14y ago

Bushbaby

I could find you literally dozens pre-Margarito, but unfortunately, the search feature on this website was recently scaled back DRAMATICALLY, and you only get 4 pages of results now. You werent even here when those comparisons were flying around : You joined in 2008, these comparisons were swirling around here from 2006-2008. EARLY 2008 that is, as in February when he was taken to school by Quintana, then the hype died a quick death. Until he avenged the loss, that is. Then it was on like crazy (though the comparisons to Hearns didn't return) until Martinez detonated him in their rematch. You'd seriously have to be living under a rock not to have noticed the insane amount of hype this guy had around here for the past few years, with his best wins being Margarito, an old Winky Wright, and a decision over Martinez that many though he shouldn't have gotten. Regardless, this is all off topic. I honestly feel terrible for the man and his family because of his accident, but this thread just seems childish to me, hence my responses. "Oh, you guys laughed at him when he got KO'd, and I didn't. Therefore I care more about him than you do." Grow up. :rolleyes: That's alot of unnecessary typing for a simple question. A simple the search engine does not go that far back would do. However The Punisher beat a Margarito that ran Floyd from his own damn interview, (fact btw). Those fighters you mentioned after had the balls to fight him. 3 weight classes, hardly any answers. You can't fight people that won't fight you. it's not like fighters were beating down the door trying to fight him. But like I said at the beginning all that wasn't necessary. I wasn't trying to go to war. Don't worry thpough, my main guy Punisher isn't gonna get our tribute turned into a flame out because you wanna go overboard. I'm done with you.

14y ago