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Paul "The Punisher" Williams: are you as good as we think you are?
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On one end of the boxing spectrum you have Manny Pacquiao--the man that everyone wants. On the other end, there is Paul Williams. Forget for a moment that the two fighters are at different points of the careers. The Punisher is at the end of the beginning whereas Pacquiao is at the beginning of the end. Regardless, Manny is the favorite son and Williams is the crazy uncle in the basement. They both, however, are favorites to win any fight that can be made against them.
With regard to Pacquiao, we understand that he is fighting history as much as his opposition. We want to know his limit or, conversely, if a limitation exists at all. As for Williams, we are clueless as to who can beat him, but we demand evidence that he is as good as we think he is. He is not the most gifted fighter in the sport for sure, yet most of his challengers though are rendered unconscious for 10 seconds or more.
The biggest difference between the two, aside from the physical, is the ability to attract the Benjamins. Pacquiao is well acquainted with Mr. Franklin and Paul is not. Theoretically, Williams can campaign at welterweight to middleweight, which is only interesting if there is somebody to fight. Pacquiao on the other hand can hand pick any opponent he wants at any weight he desires. Sure there is the Floyd Mayweather, Jr. thing, but not even the man who refers to himself as "money" can deny that a bout against Pacquiao would likely be the richest in the history of the sport if Manny can get past Miguel Cotto next month.
Paul Williams is in fact a mystery. He avenged his only loss to Carlos Quintana. He dismantled an old Winky Wright in April. He defeated Antonio Margarito two years before Shane Mosley did, and the networks love him. Why then is it so difficult to secure opposition? Sure he throws 100 punches a round, but Cotto defeated Quintana; Quintana defeated Williams; and Williams defeated Quintana. Under Kelly Pavlik logic, Cotto could beat Williams.
HBO is keeping the December 5th date open for Williams and Joshua Clottey is no longer fighting Carlos Quintana on the same card. Logic would dictate that perhaps Williams and Clottey will draw swords on that date. Not so fast. Williams has been bulking up to meet Kelly Pavlik at middleweight. As such, changing his body chemistry and training regimen to reverse course to 147 is unhealthy to say the least.
The Ring magazine reports that Sergio Martinez may be on the December 5th short list. After his controversial draw to Kermit Cintron, Martinez needs more exposure and makes a legitimate plan B for Williams. Realistically though, Pavlik-Williams is the only money fight that can be made for Paul at 160 or 154.
This means that other than money, the reason that nobody wants to fight Williams is that there is nobody to fight. Mosley isn't going to do it at this stage of his career. Cotto is busy, and Mayweather can't shoulder roll 100 punches per round. Goossen-Tutor: bulk his skinny arse up to 168 so that SHOWTIME will let him substitute for Jermain Taylor in the World Boxing Classic. Crazy? Absolutely not.
Williams is at a point where he needs to make a decision. There is no depth at 160 or 154. He either needs to give up the three weight class charade and move his 6'1" frame up to 168 or recommit to 147 for as long as he can. The problem is that there is a little tournament going on at 168 that has most of the division locked up for the next 18 months or so. A move to 147 is going to mean that a lot of work will need to occur against journeymen like Clottey and Luis Collazo before the public will demand a Cotto, Mosley, or Mayweather.
Frankly, the "most avoided man in boxing" story is wearing a little thin. It is evident that money fights are not in the short term, but there are fights. Team Williams needs to take a page out of the Mike Tyson play book--fight as much as you possibly can. Who cares if it is SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, or The Cartoon Network. At some point, and likely sooner than later, the public will start making demands that your risk adverse opponents cannot ignore. Paul, the decision is yours.
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