Interview with Dan Goosen

EastSideBoxing.com

GL: Can you give us some thoughts on Wright-Williams and tell us why you think your guy is going to win?

DG: Like Arreola, Paul's on his way to making history. He won't be the first to have achieved it, but it hasn't been done for over a half century. Henry Armstrong defied the odds and all logic simultaneously fighting in a multitude of weight divisions. Williams, out of necessity, is doing the same. After regaining his Welterweight World Championship in June of 2008, he couldn't find any other welterweights willing to step in with him and went up to Middleweight to get a fight. In the fight after middleweight, Paul went down to Jr. Middleweight and won another World Championship after unsuccessfully seeking to defend his Welterweight Championship against a worthy challenger. Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosely, Michael Jennings, you name them they waffled. Now he's going back up in weight to challenge what is sure to be his biggest prize yet in the middleweight division, Winky Wright. Wright has beaten Shane Mosely twice, Felix Trinidad, toe-to-toe with Jermain Taylor and Bernard Hopkins and Paul now has the opportunity to capitalize on what is sure to be a hard-fought Punisher style victory. This is the fight that puts Paul's name at the top of the pound-for-pound list.

GL: Do you think the winner of this fight deserves to fight Pavlik next and what do you think of Pavlik's recent opponents?

DG: First the question is backwards. Does Pavlik deserve a shot against Williams with a victory over Wright? Paul has said recently that he would like to reclaim his Welterweight Championship. Who would take up that challenge? Shane Mosely? Miguel Cotto? You would have to ask those guys, but I don't figure they would rush to sign on the dotted line. There are no more excuses for another world champion not to step into the ring with Paul Williams, or should I say acceptable excuses. Can you imagine Paul beating Winky at middleweight and ready to fight for the championship he was forced to give up at 147-pounds? That would be history! Then at 154-pounds we have another champion in the WBO that is willing to fight Paul and quite frankly that alone qualifies him to be a real possibility in Sergiy Dzinziruk. Now we come to the middleweight division and you have Kelly Pavlik, the man that had a Williams fight but let the money interfere with better sense and proceeded to lose to a man that should be working his corner rather than beating him inside the ring in Hopkins. If Pavlik continues to challenge fighters such as he did last month, he will not have earned his right to get into the ring with Paul. Now if going between welterweight and middleweight didn't impress anyone, which would be virtually impossible to fathom, the fight that I heard George Peterson and Paul tell some media at our LA press conference on who they would want next with a victory over Wright was, get this, Bernard Hopkins. Is that big enough for you Greg? I would like to hear from all of your readers on their thoughts on Paul against Winky on April 11 and of course some of the names that I just mentioned here.

Paul Williams Willing To Return To Welter

By Mark Vester - BoxingScene.com

WBO interim-junior middleweight champion Paul Williams has fought above the welterweight limit for nearly a year. After knocking out Carlos Quintana last June at 147, he jump two weight classes in September to stop Andy Kolle at the middleweight limit of 160-pounds. Two months later he went down to 154 and stopped Verno Phillips for the interim title. On April 11 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Williams jumps back to 160 to face Winky Wright.

If Williams beats Wright in April, there are many who don't see him returning to the welterweight division. Williams, speaking with BoxingScene.com's Luis Sandoval, says that he is willing to drop back to 147 for the right fight. He would love to get in the ring with Shane Mosley, Joshua Clottey or Miguel Cotto.

"Basically I'm in every weight class [but] nothing under 147. If I can get a big fight at 147, I would definitley come back to 147," Williams said.

Experts are split on whether or not Williams can beat the bigger and more experienced Wright. Williams plans to make a statement in April by not allowing Wright to get off and keeping at a high level for all twelve rounds.

"Every time I get in the ring I want to make a statement. My fans know that every time I get in the ring I'm coming to fight. It don't matter who the guy is or what the guy has been doing, or how big the guy is or how bad the guy is. I want to prove that I'm the best and to prove that you're the best - you have to get in there and beat the best. That's how I look at it," Williams said.

"Winky has been doing some good stuff and all that. I respect the man for what he's done in his career but now its my time. If I keep punching I'll keep him in his shell. I won't let him get off. I'm going to come out with a win but it's going to be something very exciting for them to see."

Winky Wright Looking To Dominate

By Mark Vester - BoxingScene.com

Following the lead of Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins, another veteran of the game, Winky Wright, wants to dominate his younger opponent. Hopkins dominated Kelly Pavlik last October. Mosley dominated Antonio Margarito in January, and Wright wants to put on a dominating, career-defining performance against Paul Williams on April 11 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

“I think I'm going to need it. He's a young hungry fighter who thinks the world is scared of him, but I'm going to show him that I'm the man and I have to put a stamp on that on April 11. I'm going to give him some things to think about in the ring and we're going to have to adjust and just dominate the fight. I'm going to win, definitely,” Wright tells BoxingScene.com’s Luis Sandoval.

Williams has jumped around in three divisions, 147, 154 and 160 - knocking out most of his opponents. Wright tells BoxingScene that he hopes Williams comes to the ring with the mindset of trading punches because there could be an opportunity to win with a knockout.

“I see that he likes to trade and I could stop him. Like I said, I see that he likes to trade and if he comes to trade - he could get stopped,” Wright said.

For years, Wright has been accused of being very difficult when it came to negotiating a fight and the financial numbers. Wright denies those claims.

“I never turned down any fight. People use money to get out of fighting me. They know that if they offer me well below my worth then I'm not going to take the fight. That's all they doing. They price themselves out of the fight. Even when I offer them a good price, then they want this or they want that. They price themselves out of the fight without saying they don't want to fight. They do it that way,” Wright said.

“After I win this fight, I want to fight the best. If Pavlik or whoever. I want the best fighter. I want the fans to say 'I want to see Winky Wright fight this guy' and that's who I want to fight."

Vivek Wallace Weighs In on Kirkland/Williams

Barry Stevens (Miami Lakes, FL): James Kirkland proved a lot in his fight against Julio. How do you think he would fare against someone like Paul Williams at 154?

Vivek W. (Examiner): I thought Kirkland performed in a way that instantly gave him a certain level of credibility against ANY opponent on the 154lb level, despite the fact that it's still very early in his career. Coming into the fight it was his chin that most questioned, yet when it was all said and done, there was no room left to second guess him whatsoever. He took the biggest bombs from one of the divisions biggest punchers and basically laid the blueprint to defeat any heavy fisted foe; which is keep them off balance and going backwards. I think his determination and his power, coupled with his endurance and grit makes him a tough fight for Williams. Paul Williams has looked great at '54, but I have yet to see him against a heavy fisted fighter who has more in his arsenal than looping shots (i.e. Margarito). Hopefully this is a fight that can be made early in 2010 to officially answer this question.

-theexaminer.com

April 11th, a Big Night of HBO Entertainment

There were few rivalries in the world of sports like that between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. HBO explores that rivalry and their epic third fight in a documentary called, "Thrilla in Manila." It airs on April 11, at 8:00 p.m.

"According to a release, "Thrilla in Manila," tells the previously unknown story of their final fight in the searing heat of the Philippines through the eyes of the “other man” in the ring.

The documentary is part of an incredible night of boxing, which also includes the first installment of Pacquiao-Hatton 24/7 and followed by the 12-round “World Championship Boxing” middleweight bout between Winky Wright and Paul Williams.

Here's the lineup for HBO that night:

8:00 -- Premiere “Thrilla in Manila” documentary.

9:30 -- First installment of "Pacquiao-Hatton 24/7"

10:00 -- Winky Wright vs Paul Williams, middleweight title fight, live from Las Vegas."

Http://weblogs.newsday.ca

Paul Williams' a Favorite of Mike Tyson

"Tyson said he doesn't go to see live boxing any more, but he watches on television.

His favourites are Pacquiao, considered the best fighter pound-for-pound in the world, and he also likes light-middleweights Paul Williams, the WBO champ, and former undisputed champion Ronald (Winky) Wright.

Williams and Wright meet for real April 11 in Las Vegas."

MetroNews.CA

Paul Williams Interview from FightHype.com

http://fighthype.com/pages/content4440.html

Great Interview. Highly Recommended.

P4P Rankings from 411Mania.com

8. Paul Williams (36-1, 27 KOs) – The Punisher can't find opponents on a regular basis but a former champion in Winky Wright, has answered the call. Williams has been moving up and down in different weight classes and he'll face his toughest challenge to date when he faces Winky on April 11 in Las Vegas. This is going to be a rough fight for both guys so expect to see an entertaining one – yes entertaining even with Wright in the other corner. A win would likely receive small criticism from journalists about Winky being old now and rusty, but Wright is still as tricky a fighter as you'll find and should Williams prevail impressively, it'll make him even more of an avoided fighter.

Vivek Wallace on a potential Williams/Forrest Matchup

Vivek Wallace - EastSideBoxing.com

Cedrick Watson (Miami Gardens, FL): How would you see a Paul Williams/Vernon Forrest showdown at 154lbs?

Vivek W. (ESB): I respect the talents of both men strongly. With Williams, you’re getting a full fight; 3 minutes of every round for 12 rounds. With Forrest, you’re getting a guy that has more left in the tank than most give him credit for, as witnessed in his last bout. Forrest would probably be the most powerful fighter that Williams has ever faced. He doesn’t have Margarito’s work rate, but he has more power. The flipside to that argument is the fact that Williams would be the most ‘live’ opponent that Forrest has ever faced. All things remaining equal, Williams’ work rate and Forrests’ age could be the two major points of contention in a fight like this. Williams is in his prime, and will undoubtedly work hard through the whole fight. If Forrest takes his foot off the gas for a moment to catch his breath, that rest period could landslide to an avalanche points victory for Williams. Both men would have a shot, but I think youth probably prevails that night. At any rate, Williams’ mind had better be on ‘Winky’ Wright, because I’ll tell you what, that guy - inactive or not - comes to play, he’s hard to hit, and has a jab as precise as the Stealth Bomber. As a fantasy question, I guess it’s ok for us to ponder a Williams/Forrest showdown, but for his own sake, Williams’ mind had better be on the task at hand!

Williams/Pavlik in the Cards?

Unlikely according to BoxingRepublic.com who took a look at Pavlik's potential next opponents:

Winky Wright may also be considered if he gets by Paul Williams in April. If Williams beats Wright it is doubtful that Paul will get a crack at Kelly. There is some bad blood between promoter Bob Arum and the people behind Williams. Still stranger things have happened in the world of boxing.

Paul Williams Roundtable Interview

Press Conference Quotes - BoxingScene.com

Quotes from today's press conference to announce Winky Wright vs. Paul Williams on April 11 in Las Vegas.

Winky Wright, Former Undisputed Junior Middleweight World Champion:

"I get a lot of people asking me why I'm not fighting. I tell them it has nothing to do with negotiations, it's because no one wants to fight me. No one wants to fight Winky Wright. They say it's about the money, but it isn't that. I wanted to fight Pavlik and Calzaghe, I'd go to England to fight him if he wanted, but the fact of the matter is, no one wants to fight Winky."

"I'm looking forward to the challenge, I want to show I'm more than a defensive fighter. Yeah I'm a defensive fighter, but I've never seen a boxer win a match without throwing punches. I'm definitely gonna need my defense against Paul, because he throws a lot of punches. I don't go for the knockout, boxing is a sport and it takes more than that."

"I've never been known to quit and Paul's never been known to quit, but someone's gonna have to and it's not gonna be me."

Paul Williams, Two Division World Champion:

"I'm blessed to be here, and I'm ready to fight Winky."

"He's a big name in boxing and I'm gonna try my best like in my past fights."

"I don't do a lot of talking, I do my talking in the Ring. I just want to work hard and have a good time."

Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:

"There is no question that these two are the most avoided and feared fighters in the sport today."

"There are reports out about Winky Wright not being able to negotiate, being stubborn and hard to work with, but this is simply not true. Winky was willing to fight anyone, anywhere. He was willing to fight Felix Strum, anywhere, he was also willing to fight Abraham anywhere and these were all reasonable deals. It was about these guys being scared and I am putting my full credibility behind these claims."

"This is a fight boxing needs. It's the first big fight of 2009 in Las Vegas and we're glad to be back at the Mandalay Bay."

"Like I said after Bernard and Shane won their matches earlier on, this is the year of the legends. Winky is one of the true legends of the sport. He's on a mission, just like Shane was on a mission, and just like Bernard was on a mission. I like that he's the underdog."

Dan Goossen, President of Goossen Tutor Promotions:

"I know that there hasn't been a challenge that Winky has turned down. The proof is in the pudding; look at what he's done and who he's done it too."

"Winky is the most avoided man of the past decade because of what he's done in the ring. Paul is not avoided, but definitely feared and it's a big reason why we've moved across several weight divisions."

"This is a big fight and we are really concentrated on showing just how great Paul Williams is. The challenges he puts himself through are unparalleled."

"We feel Paul Williams will do what he does. He will be all offense and some great defense. The proof will be in the pudding on April 11th."

"This is the fight Paul wanted. What Winky's done in the last 10 years is remarkable. It's the big name that Paul has been looking for."

Chris Lighty, CEO of Winky Promotions:

"We have a great fight happening. Paul has come up through the ranks, grinding, just like Winky did when he was coming up."

"We will entertain, we have had some great fights in the past and we will continue to bring that to you. "

"Winky's had some great fights in the past 5 or 6 years, and although we didn't agree with the results, they were still great fights."

George Peterson, William's Trainer:

"One fighter is an offensive fighter, while the other is a defensive fighter. Statistically these are great fighters, so it will be exciting to see what will go on in the ring."

Tony Walker, Director of Affiliate Relations, HBO Sports:

"HBO's World Championship Boxing is very proud to present this fight on April 11th."

"These guys always take the risky fights and they always come prepared."

"Boxing has some great momentum at the moment,and on April 11th, Winky and Paul will definitely continue that push."

Bob Halloran, Director of Sports, MGM Mirage:

"These champs have fought the best."

"This is going to be Winky's 6th fight at the Mandalay Bay; he's had some great battles here. I know Paul was featured on the undercard of a Mayweather fight, so this is going to be his second fight with us. "

"Tickets for the show are affordable; you can get a great room and check out a great fight."

"I just recently checked the lines on the fight and Paul is the early favorite and I don't remember the last time I saw Winky as the underdog but it should make for a great fight."

- Williams/Wright Press Conference Photos -

Williams/Wright Press Conference Set

***MEDIA ALERT***

FORMER THREE-TIME WORLD CHAMPION WINKY WRIGHT &
TWO-DIVISION WORLD CHAMPION PAUL WILLIAMS

HOST PRESS CONFERENCE TO OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE THEIR APRIL 11^th MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT AT MANDALAY BAY

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18^th AT 11:30 AM PT

ESPN ZONE AT LA LIVE – DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

WHO: WINKY WRIGHT, Former Three-Time World Champion (51-4-1, 25 KOs)

PAUL WILLIAMS, Two-Division World Champion (36-1, 27 KOs)

JIM WILKES, Wright’s Attorney

GEORGE PETERSON, Williams’ Trainer

RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions

DAN GOOSSEN, President of Goossen Tutor Promotions

WHAT: Former Three-Time World Champion Winky Wright and Two-Division World Champion Paul Williams will address the Los Angeles media to officially announce and discuss their upcoming bout on April 11^th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev. Event details for Wright vs. Williams will be announced at the press conference.

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18

11:00 am – Lunch/Media Arrival

11:30 am – Press Conference

WHERE: ESPN ZONE @ L.A. LIVE – VIP Championship Lounge
1011 S. Figueroa St. Suite B 101
Los Angeles, CA 90015

PARKING: General Media & Satellite Truck Parking will be at Olympic West Parking Garage/LOT W located off of Chick Hearn Court/11th Street (same street), between Georgia Street and Cherry Street.

FACTS: Wright vs. Williams, a 12 round middleweight bout which is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Goossen Tutor Promotions and Winky Promotions will air live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00pm ET / 7:00pm PT.

CONTACTS: Ramiro Gonzalez/Monica Sears, Golden Boy Promotions: (213) 489-5631

Marylyn Aceves, Goossen Tutor Promotions: (818) 817-8001

Stephanie Heller, MGM MIRAGE: (702) 650-7510

Kevin Flaherty, HBO: (212) 512-5052