What Paul Williams needs to work on..

[Derranged]

He needs to work on defense, needs to use his height and reach better and needs to stiffen up that jab. His style is exciting to watch but he's got to be careful. Right?

[circleinsidebox]

yea so does antonio margarito
and look where it got him

[rizel23]

or he just needs to avoid head buts! Williams is probably one of the best fighters out there at quite a few weight divisions, the guy can do 147 if he has to, and because of his height can put on pounds without making much difference to his speed + adding power, no one is gonna wanna fight him in 2009!

[Allucard]

He needs to work on defense, needs to use his height and reach better and needs to stiffen up that jab. His style is exciting to watch but he's got to be careful. Right?

Guessed it before i read it. Absolutely right, defense and using his height. My theory is he doesn't fight tall because he sometimes shows up slow! Williams at 26 and probably resulting from fighting in my different weight classes, sometimes shows up slow, and that's why he couldn't use his reach advantage. He was smart enough though to go to the body which is a bigger target in most cases and thus not waste his punches. Last night he showed up almost as sloppy as on the first Quintana fight. Maybe he needs a better trainer. I don't like how he positions his head and that hand that's supposed to be guarding his chin is looping around. Not pretty to see. Right now i would bet on Williams to lose to someone his own height because he's too used to use his height as a defense which will fail against other reachy guys.

[Derranged]

Guessed it before i read it. Absolutely right, defense and using his height. My theory is he doesn't fight tall because he sometimes shows up slow! Williams at 26 and probably resulting from fighting in my different weight classes, sometimes shows up slow, and that's why he couldn't use his reach advantage. He was smart enough though to go to the body which is a bigger target in most cases and thus not waste his punches. Last night he showed up almost as sloppy as on the first Quintana fight. Maybe he needs a better trainer. I don't like how he positions his head and that hand that's supposed to be guarding his chin is looping around. Not pretty to see. Right now i would bet on Williams to lose to someone his own height because he's too used to use his height as a defense which will fail against other reachy guys.

Perhaps a new trainer, just not Steward, he'd try to make him a WW Wladimir Klitscho. Good post..

[djsygo]

Guessed it before i read it. Absolutely right, defense and using his height. My theory is he doesn't fight tall because he sometimes shows up slow! Williams at 26 and probably resulting from fighting in my different weight classes, sometimes shows up slow, and that's why he couldn't use his reach advantage. He was smart enough though to go to the body which is a bigger target in most cases and thus not waste his punches. Last night he showed up almost as sloppy as on the first Quintana fight. Maybe he needs a better trainer. I don't like how he positions his head and that hand that's supposed to be guarding his chin is looping around. Not pretty to see. Right now i would bet on Williams to lose to someone his own height because he's too used to use his height as a defense which will fail against other reachy guys.

yeh i think he relies too much on his natural qualities wich guarantee him to be always the bigger man in the ring

[Miburo]

I'm going to disagree with the common perception of what Williams needs to do to improve. He is a Bowe-like inside fighter at base, and those claiming he needs to reverse and turn into an outfighter based solely on his physical advantages are forgetting that his style is already largely set at this point. One should also take into account his chin, which makes a focus on defense somewhat less necessary. My advice would be for him just to put things together a bit better. If he can start transitioning between his point-scoring combination punching and sitting down on his power shots throughout the bout, staying on the outside occasionally at opportune moments to bait the opponent and lessen damage, and mixing it up on the inside when an opening presents itself (or he draws them in trying to get inside his reach), I believe he could fluster a majority of his opponents who would not only have to contend with his work rate, but respect the damage he can do as well. Opponents would be hard pressed to adapt if he utilizes both methods of fighting to their full extent, shifting between passive aggression and come-forward pressure swarming. In other words, put some work into the jab and work on strategy and timing. His inside game is already sufficient, despite the fact that he takes a fair amount of shots.

[Sweet Pea 50]

I'm going to disagree with the common perception of what Williams needs to do to improve. He is a Bowe-like inside fighter at base, and those claiming he needs to reverse and turn into an outfighter based solely on his physical advantages are forgetting that his style is already largely set at this point. One should also take into account his chin, which makes a focus on defense somewhat less necessary. My advice would be for him just to put things together a bit better. If he can start transitioning between his point-scoring combination punching and sitting down on his power shots throughout the bout, staying on the outside at opportune moments and mixing it up on the inside when an opening presents itself (or he draws them in trying to get inside his reach), I believe he could fluster a majority of his opponents who would not only have to contend with his work rate, but respect the damage he can do as well. Opponents would be hard pressed to adapt if he utilizes both methods of fighting to their full extent. In other words, put some work into the jab and work on strategy and timing. His inside game is already sufficient, despite the fact that he takes a fair amount of shots.

Great post, as usual.

[Silencers]

I'm going to disagree with the common perception of what Williams needs to do to improve. He is a Bowe-like inside fighter at base, and those claiming he needs to reverse and turn into an outfighter based solely on his physical advantages are forgetting that his style is already largely set at this point. One should also take into account his chin, which makes a focus on defense somewhat less necessary. My advice would be for him just to put things together a bit better. If he can start transitioning between his point-scoring combination punching and sitting down on his power shots throughout the bout, staying on the outside occasionally at opportune moments to bait the opponent and lessen damage, and mixing it up on the inside when an opening presents itself (or he draws them in trying to get inside his reach), I believe he could fluster a majority of his opponents who would not only have to contend with his work rate, but respect the damage he can do as well. Opponents would be hard pressed to adapt if he utilizes both methods of fighting to their full extent, shifting between passive aggression and come-forward pressure swarming. In other words, put some work into the jab and work on strategy and timing. His inside game is already sufficient, despite the fact that he takes a fair amount of shots.

I agree with this.

I think he should keep his hands higher though and to stop bending down to his opponents level on the inside but apart from that, very good post.

Edit: He also has a habit or dropping his hands when he punches, should work on that a little.

[3_Hooks]

work on offense on the outside more. not strictly fight outside, but develop more tools on the outside.

inside fighting is good.

learn to move. with most fighters, he'll hold his own inside, but the cottos and clottey's will give him trouble. for those fighters he should really work on moving and using his reach.

defense.