More Williams-Wright Chatter...

Excerpts from James Slater of EastSideBoxing.com:

Okay, sometimes a fight going up on BoxRec does not 100-percent mean the bout will actually take place, but the site is usually as reliable as it is excellent. Let's suppose the fight is going to come off next March. Either at 154 or 160-pounds, a Williams-Wright clash is a most intriguing encounter (BoxRec have it at 154, for the interim WBO belt "The Punisher" currently holds). Williams, who gave up searching for big names to fight at welterweight due, he claims, to being shamelessly avoided, will get the marquee name he has been craving ever since his arrival on the world stage with his superb victory over Antonio Margarito. Wright, inactive since July of 2007, and also letting it be known that the top guys have wanted nothing to do with him, will likewise get the big fight he has been searching for.

A chess match is more likely, however, and March's bout is probably going to be one for the purists. Williams can box, and Wright is (or was) one of the slickest, most defensively gifted boxers of his time.

Going out on a limb, this writer picks the fresher, hungrier Williams to earn himself a points victory. I for one just hope this intriguing bout takes place.

Paul Williams vs. Winky Wright is "Close"

Examiner.com
Colin Seymour
"Promoter Dan Goossen, who handles Williams, told me “we’re close” to making that fight happen, perhaps March 14 on HBO with Williams’ WBO junior middleweight title at stake."

Previous rumors that I heard said that the fight will be taking place at 160. Winky always comes to fight and has never given an opponent an easy win however I like PW to outpoint a ring rusty Winky for a hard earned UD. If this fight goes down and PW is able to win, it will be by far the biggest step in Williams' young career since he defeated Margarito, maybe even bigger.

High Praise for PW

High praise from Vivek Wallace of EastSideBoxing.com's weekly mailbag. Good stuff.

Erik Martin (Boca Raton, Fl): If you had to choose one fighter in todays crop who represents the sport the way you would want it represented, who would that fighter be?

Vivek W. (ESB): Without a doubt Paul Williams! There are fighters like Margarito who like to be viewed as the "most feared man on the planet" and others like Pavlik who can put a pounding on nearly anyone you place in front of them, but when you view those guys and all like them, they seem to have a ceiling that caps their abilities. Perhaps Williams does as well but his is much higher. The guy will fight ANYONE, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME! Literally. I think he represents what the sport is all about. No one can ever accuse him, his camp, or promoters of protecting him and doing anything to subtract from his appeal. What's even more likable about him is the fact that he doesn't have to get ignorant and loud to boast his talents. He keeps his words minimal and his actions optimal. I remember once commenting to a fellow scribe that it was amazing in todays athletic circles with all the huge ego's we have to see a boxer (of all athletes) refer to the people interviewing him by saying "yes sir", "yes mam". I think this dude is a class act who understands how to turn on the "Jekyll" as well as when to lose the "Hyde". Many in the sport should take note, in and out of the ring!

Possibilities for the Punisher

From RingSideReport.com

"Welterweight: Joshua Clottey - Clottey is the definition of a tough guy. He has great defense and might be as powerful a puncher as there is in the welterweight division. He is the type of fighter that Floyd Mayweather wouldn’t even consider fighting, much like Williams. Clottey, who put up a sturdy test for Margarito, is eager to prove himself. With Margarito and Cotto destined for a rematch, the winner of a Clottey-Williams fight would put a lot of pressure on the winner of Margarito-Cotto to face them.

Junior Middleweight: Vernon Forrest - With Oscar De La Hoya getting knocked out by a lightweight, Forrest is the unquestioned champion at 154 pounds. Now that Williams has a belt in the same division, this is a fight that should happen. The Viper has always been a great fighter, and still is even at his advanced age. Who wouldn’t want to see this wily veteran take on the young and talented Williams for supremacy in the junior middleweight division?

Middleweight: Felix Sturm - When it was first mentioned that Williams might get a chance to fight Kelly Pavlik, many thought it was a bad idea. Since his one round destruction of Andy Kolle, most people have changed their tune. Since Sturm and Arthur Abraham seem to be at a stalemate in negotiations for a fight, this would be the perfect time for Williams to swoop in. Since Pavlik is tied up with a “comeback fight” against mandatory challenger Marco Antonio Rubio, this would be the best fight for Williams in this division. If he were to win, and look good doing so, a fight with Pavlik would be very do able by the summer of 2009.

Super Middleweight: Sakio Bika - Make no mistake about it, Williams wants to make money while he is on top. Can you blame him? Bika is by far the best fighter to come out of the Contender series. Because of this he brings real name recognition to this bout, television outlets like HBO and Showtime would jump all over a bout like this because of Bika trying to show that he is ready for the big stage, and Williams trying to win a fight in his fourth weight class in four fights. Of all the fights listed, this may be the biggest money fight possible for Williams."

While I definately like all four of these fights, my personal choice would be for PW to fight Forrest. Forrest is a well known fighter who has beaten some fine opponents over his career, his best win (s) coming against Shane Mosley, twice. While Forrest is a slick fighter coming off his best performance in years against Sergio Mora is the rematch, he also represents the top light-middle in boxing, a weight class where PW already owns an interim belt after he beat Verno Phillips.

Sergiy Dzinziruk: "Paul, You are Afraid of Me"

Hey Paul, we read here in Europe that you want to squeeze out of a fight against me," said WBO super welterweight champion Sergiy Dzinziruk. "Apparently you're looking for an opponent and planning other fights because you're afraid to go against me. You don't need to look left or right look, the right way to look is the way to the champion – and that is me! There can only be one meaningful fight and that's Sergiy Dzinziruk vs. Paul Williams. I'm the world champion and you're only an interim champ. I'm ready to face you anytime and defend the REAL WBO belt in the ring!"
"Sergiy is one of our best fighters, the world's best boxer at super welterweight and is unbeaten," added Universum promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl. "We want that he can finally show his skills in the United States.""So once more clearly - I am ready," concluded Dzinziruk. "There can be only one WBO world champion at super welterweight and that's me!"
-boxingscene.com

What a joke. PW would easily dismantle a barely tested Sergiy Dzinziruk. Williams has bigger fish to fry (Forrest, Wright, Clottey) but if those fights don't materialize, I'm sure Williams would take pleasure in stripping Sergiy of his titles.

Margarito On Possible Williams Rematch

Margarito was asked about a rematch with Paul Williams, who is now an interim-champion at junior middleweight. The Mexican champion is not thinking about Williams, he only has "Sugar" Shane on his mind. Margarito has no fear of a rematch, he just wants to get Mosley out of the way. Whether or not Margarito beats Mosley, Top Rank has already scheduled him to face Miguel Cotto in a June rematch.
"I'm not thinking about Paul Williams right now. I'm 100% thinking about Shane. I'm not scared [of him], I'm just thinking about my next fight," Margarito said.
-boxingscene.com

Until Margarito actually accepts the rematch that Paul Williams has been asking for, Margarito is all talk.

Paul Williams' Holiday Wishes

Holiday Wishes For Your Favorite Boxers
-BoxingScene.com

PAUL WILLIAMS – Santa, can you hear me? All Paul wants for Christmas is Antonio Margarito. Sure, Williams will fight at any weight class. But the best fight for the Aiken, SC native right now is a rematch with Margarito. Having already owned Tony in the first bout, “The Punisher” wouldn’t mind beating the Mexican again and proving that he’s the best 147-pounder on the planet. Margarito looks busy in 2009 (Jan. 24 vs. Shane Mosley and a proposed summer rematch with Miguel Cotto), but Paul is hard to ignore. If the lanky southpaw can’t get Margarito, will Vernon Forrest be interested at 154? How about revisiting a bout with Kelly Pavlik at 160?

Joshua Clottey Interview -EastSideBoxing.com

J.S: Do you still want to fight Paul Williams? I know you said you wanted to fight him very much, yet he says no-one will fight him.

J.C: I will fight him any day. I told my manager, when I was in Africa, I will fight anybody. But he [Williams] did not approach me for the fight. I mean it when I say I will fight anybody.

J.S: As you know, Williams has moved up to 154. Would you move up to fight him?

J.C: I will go up if he gives me a shot. I'm very good against southpaws. I have never lost to a southpaw.

Winky Wright vs Paul Williams in the works for March - 12/16/08

WINKY WRIGHT RETURNS TO HBO MARCH 14

"Boxingtalk has been informed that Winky Wright will return to the ring and HBO on March 14, 2009in what would be his first fight since a close loss to Bernard Hopkins in July 2007. No opponent has been solidified yet, but Boxingtalkers should not be shocked if Paul Williams, who holds a WBO interim title at 154 pounds, is eventually secured as Wright's opponent. Remember where you heard it first!"

Daniel Santos looking for opponent

WBA junior middleweight champ Daniel Santos (32-3-1 23KOs) was scheduled to make the first defense of his title against Nobuhiro Ishida on January 3 in Japan, but the fight was called off and the reason as to why Ishida is unable to move forward is unknown. Santos, obviously frustrated, has been unable to secure an opponent since he won the title by knocking out previously undefeated Joachim Alcine in July.

"We will continue to train because at any moment they can tell us about some fight and we want to maintain his conditioning. We are training some days in the gum and running on other days," Francisco Santos said. "We are already used to this. Nothing surprises us. We hope a good fight can be obtained and Daniel can defend the title."
-boxingscene.com

Paul Williams should be on Santos' short list if Santos is willing to train for an extra month or so while PW's gash heals. Either way, it appears another opportunity at 154 for Paul Williams is opening.

Paul Williams: Highlight Video

Not great quality but it's a cool video.

Manny Pacquaio?? I don't think so.

As I'm sure you know, Manny Pacquaio has lit the boxing world on fire by laying a beat down on Oscar De La Hoya last Saturday. There has been a ton of talk about who Pac-man will fight next and just about every name under the sun has been mentioned; including Paul Williams.

I'll go on record and say that this fight will never happen, for a number of reasons.

1. PW is too tall and long. While DLH (5'10) dwarfed Pac (5'6), Williams (6'1, probably taller) is a good three inches taller than The 'Golden Boy' to go along with a 9 inch reach advtantage in favor of Williams (82-73).

2. The money isn't there. Unfortunately, it's hard to make big money fights when nobody will fight you. Williams hasn't gotten the chance to become a household name quite yet. A fight with Ricky Hatton or Floyd Mayweather Jr. would be much more lucrative for Pac.

3. Pacquaio wants to move down to 140. Williams, who fought most of his career appears to have moved up to 154, for the time being anyway. Pac has made it known that he wants to move back to 140, a weight that PW obviously can't fight at. In my mind, the only way Manny would fight at a higher weight is for the huge payday (Mayweather). Williams wouldn't bring him that.

While a Williams/Pacquaio fight would be a dream fight for all Paul Williams' fans. It's just not going to happen.

Nothing was stirring, not even a mouse....

All is quiet on the Paul Williams front, at least publicly. Since Sergeii Dzindiruk restated his interest in fighting PW "anytime, anywhere" we havn't heard a peep from either camp. I'm sure behind the scenes there are talks going on, but PW needs at least another couple months to heal from the headbutt he recieved in the Verno Phillips fight on November 29th so there's no rush. As soon as I hear or see anything, I'll post it.

Vivek Wallace's Left Hook Lounge

Paul Williams seems to find his way into the 'Left-Hook Lounge' every week. Here it is from this week, great stuff as usual.

Vivek Wallace's 'Left-Hook Lounge'
EastSideBoxing.com

Marcus A. (Houston, Tx): What American boxing figure do you think is in position to become the next big PPV icon on the Oscar De La Hoya/Mike Tyson level?

".....Some say that the antics are over the top and don't help a fighters hype much but if that were true, I'd like to know how is it that a fighter like Paul Williams isn't given more recognition? If there was a guy that we should be building up he's the one. He comes to fight every night, he'll fight anyone, and he's not one of those tactical fighters that waits to pounce, he actually takes the fight to the opponent, so I'd think he would be the guy that most would support but it hasn't happened."

Potential Fights For Paul Williams

Finding an opponent for Paul Williams is no easy task and it may get harder before it gets easier. While Williams is a top notch fighter, he is not yet a cash cow like DLH or Mayweather. Because of this, a unique issue has stymied PW. The inability to find anyone to fight. Here are the 'realisitic' potential fights out there as far as I can tell (in no specific order).

Sergei Dzindziruk - As of right now, this is the early favorite for PW's next opponent. Dzindziruk (36-0), the current WBO champ, is an good fighter who's looking to make a name for himself in America. His most recent win was against a young power puncher in Joel Julio (34-2). I think this would be a good fight for PW, giving him the ability to unify titles against a top ranked light-middleweight. Dzindiruk has already made statements saying he wants to fight Williams, and is willing to do so in the US. Actions speak louder than words however, so we'll see if anything materializes.

Vernon Forrest - Vernon Forrest (41-3) is widely considered the top light-middleweight in the world. He is the current WBC champ, avenging his loss to Sergio Mora, reclaiming his title. Forrest is a big name, with wins over Shane Mosley, Carlos Baldomir, and Ike Quartey. The problem is, the 37 year old Forrest is no longer in his prime and I doubt he wants to take a giant risk at this point in his career. Steering clear of Williams would be the smart career move and I think a veteran like Forrest knows it.

Arthur Abraham - The IBF middleweightr champ is looking for someone to fight before his potential mega fight in the summer of '09 against Kelly Pavlik. Abraham (28-0) has called out fellow countryman (Germany) and titleholder Felix Sturm but Sturm has made no attempt to get that fight done so Abraham is still looking. Another potential opponent for Abraham was Winky Wright but Wink hurt his hand causing him to cancel his Decemeber fight and I doubt Winky's first fight back in over a year will be against a top champion like 'King' Arthur. To me, that leaves one potential big fight for Abraham in February. Paul Williams. No word yet on that front.

Winky Wright - Winky (51-4) when asked to comment on if he'd face the winner of the Williams/Phillips fight, Winky said "absolutely". It's not secret that Winky wants to get back to fighting to big fights after a tuneup fight. Having cancelled his tuneup due to injury, it's hard to say when Winky will be ready to fight top notch talent. Assuming Winky fights his tuneup in January, Wink may not feel he has enough time to take a fight against Williams in late February or early March. If he is, PW vs. Winky would be a very exciting matchup.

Interview with George Peterson

Interview With George Peterson
Trainer Of Paul Williams
by James Slater from EastSideBoxing.com

James Slater: Firstly, Mr. Peterson, do you feel Paul made a statement with the stoppage win over Verno Phillips, what with Phillips only ever having been stopped once before?
George Peterson: Absolutely. We knew it would be a tough fight going in, but Paul established his game-plan and stuck to it. I'm not going to take anything away from Phillips, he was game and I think he'll be champion again.
J.S: Was the game-plan to stop Phillips, or to out-point him?
G.P: The thing is, Phillips is a good boxer, we knew we couldn't let him box out there. The plan was to attack him and put pressure on him. It took Paul a while, but in the end he broke him down. He went to his body and over-powered him. He shut him down.
J.S: Does Paul plan to have more fights at 154?
G.P: Well, the story behind that is, we were forced up to 154 - to 160. Paul's target weight is 147, but we can't get anyone to fight him there. We have been forced to move up. It's even possible Paul may fight as high as 168. The thing is, he's a young man and he has to stay busy.
J.S: Is it frustrating, fighters avoiding you?
G.P: It's awfully frustrating. Every young fighter's goal is to become world champion and then to be the very best, but how can Paul achieve that when the best won't fight him. You tell me - what can he do? You know, guys like Leonard, Hagler, Hearns and Duran, Paul wants to have his name amongst those, but how can he get there if the best fighters won't step up and face him
J.S: It is very frustrating, for the fans also. Let me ask you point blank - is Antonio Margarito afraid of Paul Williams in your opinion?
G.P: Yes. You see, we tried for over two years to get the fight with him in the first place. We had to go to a law suit in the first place (laughs). Now, what do you think would happen in a second fight? Paul would beat him again. The man [Margarito] already had four losses [going into the July 2007 fight with Paul], and he has five losses now. One more and he will be out of the elite class. So we're moving on now, a second fight with Margarito is a dead issue. It's not going to happen.
J.S: But Paul can still make 147 easily enough?
G.P: Sure he can make 147. He made it only five months ago. He made 145. We wanted to fight the top guys at 147, but they have just ignored us. We offered Margarito $4 million for a rematch, but he's fighting Sugar Shane instead, and he's only getting around half the amount for that fight. So how can Margarito be seen as the best welterweight, when Paul already has a win over him and wants a second fight?
J.S: Moving on from Margarito. When you and Paul sit and talk, who else does he say he wants to fight? Is it Kelly Pavlik?
G.P: Pavlik he definitely wants. But Kelly Pavlik has the same management as Margarito has. Paul would love to face Pavlik, Miguel Cotto - all the elite guys out there. In fact, fighting Cotto would actually be a move backwards. The thing is, Paul is only just entering his prime now. He still has talent that hasn't been seen or brought out yet. If these guys want to have a chance of beating him, they would be better off catching him now. In a year, a year-and-a-half, he's going to be even more devastating. They'd be better off fighting him now, they'll only be worse off, the longer they wait.
J.S: Paul's had a very good 2008, what with coming back to destroy Carlos Quintana after losing on points and winning another world title against Phillips. How soon in 2009 will we see him fight again?
G.P: We're looking at late February, early March. He suffered a cut in the Phillips fight, and we want to let that heal. But hopefully early March at the latest.
J.S: Is there any idea at all who he will face?
G.P: It's a matter of who is willing to step up to the plate. We've stopped calling people out - that's not worked. But Paul only wants to fight the best out there.
J.S: It's been a pleasure speaking with you, sir. You must be very proud of Paul - you've been with him from the very beginning, haven't you?
G.P: From the very beginning, yes. Yes, I'm extremely proud of Paul.

Great stuff as always from EastSide.

Sergiy Dzinziruk Camp Refutes Earlier Report

"Universum Box-Promotion Statement: It is alleged in an Internet report that Universum Box-Promotion would reject a battle between WBO super welterweight world champion Sergiy Dzinziruk against the interim champion Paul Williams. This allegation is absolutely false, absurd and has no basis. Representatives of both sides, Universum Box-Promotion and Goossen Tutor Promotions, have had contact with each other and there will be negotiations, but as usual behind the scenes. Until today we have not spoken "about even one cent," but we will put out offers and evaluate. WBO champion Sergiy Dzinziruk sticks to his statements made on www.fightnews.com: "I want the fight against Paul Williams as quickly as possible and I totally do not care where. I will quite simply knock out Williams!"
-fightnews.com

I'll believe it when I see it. It's all talk until then.

Dan Goossen Interview

from blogs.augusta.com

QUESTION: Can you give us some thoughts on Paul Williams and Chris Arreola’s recent victories?
GOOSSEN: Electric crowd. Exciting. Fireworks. Bloody. The way boxing is supposed to be fought. Heart, guts and style from all the main fighters and their challengers. Verno (Phillips) showed the heart of a champion. (Travis) Walker demonstrated that he belonged in the top of the heavyweight picture. And Paul and Chris are undeniably the biggest and best up-and-coming stars in the sport.

QUESTION: Where does Paul Williams go from here?
GOOSSEN: There is absolutely no stopping him. He looked the best he ever has. We will continue to be aggressive as to getting him the biggest fights out there, and putting out offers that represent other fighters biggest paydays when it is deserved. Of course, Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley come to mind right off the top. Margarito left $2 million on the table to take a much less challenging fight. That’s all we need to know about Paul Williams and the fear that other fighters have for him. And Margarito said it best by turning his back on $4 million not to get into the ring with Paul.

QUESTION: Will he ever fight at 147 again?
GOOSSEN: When the opportunity arises. Otherwise he will continue to fight the best fights out there within the 147-pound and 160-pound divisions. Marvin Hagler was a feared fighter for many years and eventually there was no hiding from him. The same will happen with Paul. In the meantime, he will do what the great Henry Armstrong accomplished so many, many years ago – win belts in all different weight divisions simultaneously.

Photo Gallery/Quotes from Williams-Phillips Fight

Pictures can be found at:
http://www.fightnewsextra.com/cc/FIGHTS2008/11-nov29.htm

Quotes:
“I came to fight, I have been doing this since 1988 I think two more fights and I am done,” stated Phillips. “It’s been over 20 years since anyone stopped me at the stool.” -Verno Phillips

“He is a tough guy, but I had to be in control,” said the former welterweight king. “I hope you enjoyed my performance, I am willing to fight anyone.” -Paul Williams

“We wanted to fight Margarito, we offered four million dollars and Bob Arum turned it down.” -Dan Goossen

Sergiy Dzinziruk Wants Paul Williams

Unbeaten WBO light middleweight champ Sergiy Dzinziruk wants to fight interim titlist Paul Williams as soon as possible. And he wants it to happen in the United States.

"Sergiy is one of the best boxers of our stable," said German promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl of Universum-Box Promotions. "And we would be very happy to show his skills in the United States as well."

"I'm ready," said Dzinziruk in a previous statement on Fightnews. "Just let me know where and when. I think it would be an excellent fight. I want this fight in the USA."

After Williams punished three-time champ Verno Phillips on Saturday night to capture the WBO interim belt, the Ukrainian powerhouse is eager to defend 'the real' WBO crown against the American star who is proclaimed as "boxing's most avoided fighter." Dzinziruk, who predicted a Williams win, wants to showcase his boxing ability in the USA to establish himself at the top of the boxing world.

Both Dzinziruk and Williams have similar records, both are good fighters. It would certainly be a interesting light middleweight clash.

Dzinziruk would be willing to delay a unification with Puerto Rican Daniel Santos, a fighter he already beat convincingly, to get a immediate showdown with Williams. The Ukrainian champion wants to prove himself in America and wants to show that Europeans are excellent fighters as well.

Williams, who stated that he could move up or down in weight to face the likes of Antonio Margarito or Floyd Mayweather, now has the opportunity to get rid of the interim title and win the real belt at 154 pounds if he decides to stay at this weight. His promoter Dan Goossen only needs to pick up the phone as WBO champion Sergiy Dzinziruk is waiting for the "Punisher."

-fightnews.com

This would be an excellent fight for Williams to take. Dzinziruk is an undefeated titleholder who would pose a stiff challenge for PW. I'll be waiting anxiously to see if anything materializes.

Williams Pounds Phillips For 8 Rounds, Into Submission

Mark Vester from boxingscene.com

"At the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California - Paul Williams (36-1, 27 KOs) stopped veteran Verno Phillips (42-11-1, 21 KOs) after eight rounds to capture the WBO interim-junior middleweight title.

The first round was slow, with both feeling each other out. There was a clash of heads that opened up a cut above the right eye of Williams. Phillips had a good second round, countering Williams often with an overhand right. They would trade punches at the end as Williams pressed forward. Williams came out strong in the third, punishing Phillips to the body and following up with punches to the head.

Williams went after the body in the fourth, making Phillips pay when backed into the ropes. The fifth was more of Phillips being banged to his body by Williams. Williams dished out a beating to Phillips' body in the sixth. Phillips tried to open up in the final minute of the seventh, but was countered and then beaten up some more by Williams, who continued to go after the body.

During the eight, Williams continued to put the hurt on Phillips and had his way for the entire three minutes. At the end of the eight, the ringside doctor stopped the fight after checking on Phillips in the corner and making a determination that Phillips had taken enough damage. It was the first time Phillips was stopped since 1988"

-PW looked really good tonight. He dominated the fight from the opening bell and even when a large gash opened up above his eye, he didn't let it effect him, he got down to business. The body shots he was putting on Phillips were devastating. I could almost feel them. He threw good combinations and definitely had more power on his punches than when he's at 147. The only thing I was a little worried about was the amount of flush shots Verno got in. While Paul has an underrated chin, Phillips is not a power puncher. All in all, Williams was very impressive in my eyes.

Fight Night!

Fight night is here, finally. With Paul Williams' last two fights ending in brutal one round knockouts, it seems like we never get to see PW fight. Tonight's fight should make it through round 1, but then again, crazier things have happened. For the record, I'm predicting Williams by late stoppage.

"As Williams stepped to the scales, I couldn’t help but notice how skinny his legs were, then I noticed how wide his shoulders were and I remembered just how special of an athlete he is. Williams stands 6’1,” and is definitely at top-heavy fighter, which gives him the unique ability to move from welterweight to super middleweight with relative ease.

His opponent, Verno Phillips, looked trim. Phillips is a veteran fighter who is no slouch by any stretch of the imagination, and it was clear that he is coming to fight, although nobody is giving him a chance. One spectator who was standing next to me as I was taking pictures remarked to his friend: “Phillips looks good, too bad he is going to get killed.” As the spectator said that, Phillips jokingly stood up on his toes during the face off so that he could see Williams in his face. The size differential was obvious from the start."
-ringsidereport.com

Paul Williams Interview From EastSideBoxing.com

Big props to EastSideBoxing.com for this excellent interview.

Paul Williams Interview - 11/25/08 - courtesy of eastsideboxing.com

QUESTION: What do you believe makes a fighter like 3-time World Champion Verno Phillips accept a challenge from you, but others avoiding the clash such as Shane Mosely, Antonio Margarito and Kelly Pavlik?

ANSWER: Verno Phillips has no choice. His mortality table has come to an end. He's not in the situation where he can pick and choose.

QUESTION: It's known that you are an extremely large fighter for being a natural 147-pound with an 82" reach and your physical size is comparable to heavyweight fighters such as the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali, who have a reach of 81" and 80" respectively. Do you believe that this is the main reason your counterparts avoid you even when millions of dollars have been offered to them to fight you?

ANSWER: It's not so much my reach. It is more about the fighter that I am. Verno has fought larger fighters and won. This is about individual ability. If Verno thought that he couldn't win, he wouldn't have taken the fight. He must feel that with his skill level he will be able to win.

QUESTION: Phillips stated that he has the advantage in the weight department as well as being able to take your punch. Would you agree with either of his points?

ANSWER: I wouldn't say that. I go back to Roy Jones when he fought John Ruiz. John Ruiz was a natural 230-pounder and he didn't hurt Roy.

QUESTION: You've had two consecutive devastating knockouts against fighters that don't get knocked out so easily. It took Cotto five rounds against Quintana when the referee stopped their bout. Phillips was only stopped once and that was in 1988. How do you envision this fight going, and do you believe you can knock him out?

ANSWER: This fight is not predicated on knocking him out. It is about winning the fight. It's about concentrating on coming out victorious.

QUESTION: This will be your 11th fight in California, and the 4th one in your last five bouts. Your fight against Margarito last year was a sell-out at the Home Depot Center, which was the first time it had ever gotten close to selling out. Do you believe the fans embraced you as one of their own, as they may with a new Los Angeles Dodger player?

ANSWER: Most definitely. I always receive a warm reception. I feel as if they recognize me as one of their own. When I was at the Shane Mosley fight they overwhelmed me with attention and autographs.

QUESTION: Winning at this level is tough to do in every fight. Many athletes and not just fighters, start letting outside distractions take away from their training and focus. What keeps you hungry and able to dedicate and sacrifice while training for a fight?

ANSWER: This is my job and it is based on winning. From day one I train to win, not to lose. Winning is the objective here. I want my name to come up when people are speaking of Sugar Ray Leonard, Sugar Ray Robinson, Roberto Duran and Tommy Hearns. I want my name mentioned among that group and that keeps me motivated and hungry.

QUESTION: What goes through your mind when you break camp and prepare for the countdown to your fight?

ANSWER: When you've been on the road for 5 months you get excited because you know it's close to going home time. So I just want to do the job that I came to do and get out.

QUESTION: Providing you with your fight on Saturday, give me the top three names your would like to fight next and why?

ANSWER: I'm going to leave that up to my management team. I will fight who ever they put in front of me at 147,154 or 160.

FINAL COMMENT: I'm expecting a great fight. The winner will be the best fighter that night. No predictions.

I'll make a prediction. Williams by KO in the 9th.

5 days......and then what?

There's just over 5 days before we get to witness "The Punisher's" next conquest. This time, at 154, where he looks for another title in another division. I think the biggest question that most people are wondering is that if he beats Phillips, where to next? The biggest fights to be made are currently at 147 or 160 so Paul has a couple directions he could go. He could go back to 147 or move up to 160 for a mega fight, or he could stay at 154 and try and collect titles. All three options have their pros and cons.

Staying at 154 - If PW decides to stay at 154 he has a chance to do something really special by unifying belts by fighting the current champs (Sergeii Dzinziruk, Vernon Forrest or Daniel Santos). While none of the other title holders at 154 are capable of bringing in big money, the true boxing fans in the world would recognize these fights as top notch and if PW can unify a belt or two, he'd definitely be setting himself up for super stardom.

Moving down to 147 - Welterweight is where the money is at. It's as simple as that. A fight between PW and Margarito, Cotto, Clottey or any of the top Welters would be a must see and would bring in career high paydays without question. While these fights would no doubt be very lucrative, is it worth the time and effort to try and get those guys in the ring? It may be time for PW to leave the division where everyone refuses to fight him.

Moving up to 160 - High risk, high reward. PW's best attributes in my opinion is the fact that at the lower weights (147-154) he's physical attributes are freaky and impossible to deal with. When you start moving up to the heavier divisions, 6'2 just isn't as tall as it used to be and the amount of punishment each punch delivers is elevated as well. While the middleweight division isn't as deep as Welter, there are also huge paydays to be had against guys like Kelly Pavlik and Arthur Abraham.

While PW's future weight class is up in the air, one thing is definitely certain, the future looks bright.

Verno Phillips Interview Highlights

From boxingscene.com:

Verno Phillips Interview
QUESTION: How can you prepare for a fighter as tall and long as Paul Williams?

ANSWER: I am going to use the experience from my past fights. I won’t give away my techniques that I am going to use but I can tell you that I’m going to chop him down to my size.

QUESTION: It is seldom that a natural 147-pound fighter such as Williams is bigger than most middleweights. With you being 5-7 and having a 69" reach, how difficult will it be to try to hit Williams on the chin given his height of 6-3 and 82" reach? Now keep in mind, the Klitschko’s, current Heavyweight World Champions, 6-6 Wladimir and the 6-7 Vitali, have a reach of 81" and 80" respectively.

ANSWER: He’s going to get hit. Trust me. I fought Silvio Blanco from Italy. He’s taller than Paul and I had no problem hitting him. I’ll tell you what; Williams chose the wrong date to knock on my door for an opportunity. November 29-fight night is also my birthday and I ain’t coming to California to lay down.

QUESTION: Do you believe the weight factor will be in your favor or his?

ANSWER: Williams is coming from 147 to 154 and I am a natural 154 pounds. I am very comfortable with my weight, so naturally the weight factor is in my favor.

QUESTION: Needing a very honest answer, what has been in your mind since accepting this challenge against Williams knowing the so many different obstacles to overcome such as height, reach, volume punching and the added strength in his punching power?

ANSWER: Since I accepted the challenge against Williams I didn’t pay attention to all those things that you consider obstacles. I know that he can take a punch, but I also know that I have been training hard. He’s no different than any other fighter that I have been in the ring with except that the press is blowing him up like he’s invincible.

FINAL COMMENT: I know that he’s looking past Verno Phillips thinking I ain’t no thing. He needs to know that on November 29, Verno Phillips is going to have something for him. He ain’t gonna lay me out like Quintana.

Winky Once Again Mentions Paul Williams

In a Q&A with 411mania Winky recently had this to say about his future plans:

Q: What weight class will you campaign at?
A: 154-160. Catch some of these welterweights moving up to 154, like Paul Williams.

This is not the first time Winky has brought up PW's name in interviews about his potential fighting future. A Paul Williams vs. Winky Wright fight would certainly be a fight I'd be very interested in watching. A win for PW would not only put a HOF fighter on his resume, but almost guarantee Williams that he'd be able to get any future opponent that he chooses.

Father of Shane Mosley says Shane shouldn't fight Paul Williams.

"I heard through the grapevine that they were talkin about my son fight Paul Williams. Now Paul Williams is 6'2 and should be weighing 180-190 pounds and he comes to fight every time out.......Even though Shane is strong, Shane ain't no Superman. They need to have Shane fighting these little guys too.....Don't get me wrong, Shane is not scared of any of these guys but Shane don't need to be fighting Paul Williams. That man is 6'2 and long as hell. he will fight him, but to me, that's not a good fight for Shane to be taking at this stage in his life"

-boxinghype.com

Just more proof that there isn't one contender at 147 who wants to fight PW. When a superstar's father and trainer comes out and openly says that fighting and defeating Paul Williams would need a 'Superman' performance, that means something. They can keep running and hiding, but eventually the top players are going to either have to fight PW or retire. Paul is only 27. He's not going anywhere. So, the beltholders at 147, 154 and 160 should get used to it.

Paul Williams' 1st Round KO of Andy Kolle

With Paul Williams' Nov. 29th fight fast approaching (less than 3 weeks), I thought everyone would enjoy rewatching PW's last fight, a brutal 1st round KO of overmatched Andy Kolle which sent a message the rest of the Middleweight division. Come Nov. 29th, a message will be sent to another weight class. This time the Super Welters at 154. Enjoy.

WBO Forces Paul Williams To Vacate Belt

WBO Forces Paul Williams To Vacate Title
By Mark Vester - boxingscene.com

"Moving up in weight comes with a price when dealing with the WBO. Paul Williams, the current WBO welterweight champion, moves up to 154-pounds to face Verno Phillips on November 29 for the WBO's interim-title at junior middleweight. Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel, president of the WBO, informed Williams' promoter Dan Goossen that his fighter, pursuant to the WBO rules, would not be allowed to hold WBO titles in both weight divisions. "Paul would have liked nothing more than to go to ring as a champion for the fight against Williams on November 29, but Francisco Valcarcel indicated to me that he would not be allowed according to their rules," Goossen told Primera Hora. "Nobody deserves to have the WBO welterweight title without first having to fight Williams."Once Williams officially vacates the title, the WBO will order a fight between their two highest contenders, Miguel Cotto and Michael Jennings of the UK, with the winner becoming the new champion. There is no guarantee that Cotto accepts the fight.Cotto is already in position for a rematch with WBA welterweight champion Antonio Margarito for next June. Given the economy and the decline of pay-per-view purchases by boxing fans, Cotto will probably need a stronger and more well known opponent for his first fight since losing to Margarito. Cotto's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, would like to match him with former champion Kermit Cintron, who returns on November 15 against Lovemore N'dou."

That's just a damn shame. Looks like Cotto will be able to get another title without having to beat the true champion. Remember, he beat Carlos Quintana to win the vacant title at 147.

Williams To Vacate WBO Belt Today?

From fightnews.com:

"WBO welterweight champion Paul Williams is expected to officially give up the WBO 147lb belt today. He will face Verno Phillips for the WBO 154lb interim title on November 29th at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. The vacant welterweight championship is expected to be filled by the winner of a proposed February clash between #1 rated Miguel Cotto and #2 rated Michael Jennings."

Don't do it Paul! Don't do it!

Paul Williams next opponent for Abraham?

"Though Abraham addressed the adoring masses from the ring after the fight and said he wanted Sturm next, that fight doesn't appear likely any time soon.
It looks like Abraham will make another USA appearance early next year, with possible opponents listed as Winky Wright, Paul Williams, or Vernon Forrest. If all goes well, Abraham is looking for a summer mega-match with Kelly Pavlik after that." -thesweetscience.com

Paul Williams would be Abraham's toughest test to date. While Abraham is very impressive, having great power and good quickness in spurts, he has never fought a talent like PW. Not only would that be a huge matchup for Abraham, a win for Paul Williams put rank him in the top 3 in three weight divisions, 147, 154 and 160. (assuming PW beats Phillips at 154.) Abraham should think twice before fighting PW, the last time Williams was scheduled as a preparation fight for a mega-fight, Williams shocked the world and foiled the champions plans. (Margarito, looking for a mega-clash against Cotto.)

Williams' WBO Title In High Demand

"Michael Jennings is set to fight Miguel Angel Cotto in a WBO welterweight elimination contest in New York next February.
The WBU champion will take on the 28-year-old Puerto Rican on St Valentine’s Day 2009 for the right to fight for the title.
Current WBO champion Paul Williams, who was another prospective opponent, is expected to vacate the title after opting to fight at light middleweight in his next outing against Verno Phillips for the interim WBO title." http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/sport/3819902.Chorley_boxer_Jennings_lands_fight_of_a_lifetime_in_New_York/

On a personal note, I'm really hoping that after PW finishes off Phillips, he'll go back and defend his Welterweight title instead of vacating it. There isn't a fighter out there that should be able to call themselves WBO Welterweight champ without going through Williams first. The problem is, everyone wants that WBO title but nobody wants to fight the current champ for it.

Winky on the Williams-Phillips fight.

On the fight: "Phillips is tough, but Williams is the slicker boxer."

On fighting the winner: "Most Definately....If they want the fight and the price is right, we definately will do it".

-From FightHype.com

Be careful what you wish for Wink.

Williams' "mandatory" Jennings would rather fight Cotto...

Paul Williams' "mandatory" opponent for his WBO Welterweight belt Michael Jennings has stated that he would rather fight Miguel Cotto if he had his choice. Cotto, who is looking for a warmup opponent before the potential summer rematch with Antonio Margarito has told Jennings that the fight is a "distinct possiblity". Jennings was said to have had a fight set up against Paul Williams after Williams fights Verno Phillips for Phillips' 154 pound IBF belt. However, some sources have stated that Williams plans to vacate his WBO title if he beats Phillips. If so, Jennings' promoter Frank Warren has lined Jennings up to face Cotto, for the vacant championship. This may be wishful thinking by the Jennings camp however, as WBO president Paco Valcarcel has said Williams has given no indication that he will vacate. Jennings had this to say about the prospect of fighting Williams or Cotto: "Williams is every boxer's nightmare," he said. "He's tall, southpaw and with long arms, and couldn't be any more awkward. "It sounds daft because he is such a good fighter, but Cotto is more straightforward. He is smaller than me, orthodox and everyone knows what he does." Quite a statement. Can't say that I disagree... At least he's honest.

Press Conference Quotes

Notable quotes from the Ontario Press Conference:

“The available world contenders that said ‘No’ to fighting Williams joined the not-so-exclusive Antonio Margarito Club by turning down money, opportunity, fame and bragging rights to be the best. So the one fighter at the championship level that was willing to challenge Paul was Phillips, but at his natural 154-pound weight class. Although we all wanted Paul to defend his 147-pound championship, this fight fits in to what Paul has been saying for some time now: that Paul will take on all challengers between 147 and 168 pounds. Having someone like Paul willing to do what really no man has done before him -- fight in different weight classes simultaneously -- is great for our sport and especially the fans.” - Dan Goosen

“you can’t make these fighters have courage. I’m just happy Verno was willing to step up, but I’ve got to go out there and punish him for doing it. I wanted to defend my title, but getting another one will also be nice and I just got to go out there and continue my road to fighting anyone at any weight.” - Paul Williams

“I fear no man and my track record shows that. I’m at my best when people overlook me and I’ve proven it by being a 3-time World Champion,” -Verno Phillips

Paul Williams Press Conference 10/23/08

Verno Phillips Press Conference 10/23/08

Paul Williams Interview 10/22/08

Full Card Set for Nov 29th.

Paul Williams (35-1, 26 KOs) will square off with junior middleweight champion Verno Phillips (42-10-1, 21 KOs) in the main event on Nov. 29 for Phillips' 154 pound title on HBO's "Boxing After Dark". Now the rest of the card has been set as well. Cristobal Arreola (25-0-1, 22 KOs), will also be on the card fighting Travis Walker (28-1-1, 22 KOs), in the semi-main event. The undercard will include an eight-round lightweight bout between Josesito Lopez (22-3, 13 KOs) and Bayan Jargal (8-0-1, 5 KOs) as well as undefeated prospects Rico Ramos (7-0, 5 KOs), Mike Dallas, Jr. (5-0, 1 KO) and Michael Franco (13-0, 8 KOs).

A press conference is scheduled for today to officially announce the fight.

Dan Goosen, Williams' promoter had this to say about the November 29th main event:
"The available world contenders that said `No' to fighting Williams joined the not-so-exclusive Antonio Margarito club by turning down money, opportunity, fame and bragging rights to be the best. So the one fighter at the championship level that was willing to challenge Paul was Phillips, but at his natural 154-pound weight class. Although we all wanted Paul to defend his 147-pound championship, this fight fits in to what Paul has been saying for some time now: that Paul will take on all challengers between 147 and 168 pounds. Having someone like Paul willing to do - fight in different weight classes simultaneously - is great for our sport and especially the fans."

Tickets for the event will be priced at $200, $100 and $50.