25.01.07 – By Scoop Malinowski: Do you know which famous welterweight boxer said that? “Who is Paul Williams?” No, it wasn’t Antonio Margarito. It was Floyd Mayweather who says he doesn’t know who Paul Williams is. “I don’t know who this young fighter is,” claimed Floyd after Williams impressively destroyed Sharmba Mitchell on HBO last year. “But they say he’s pretty decent. All he gotta do is keep on working hard and continue to have faith in his skills and believe in himself.” So there you have it. The self-proclaimed greatest fighter in world history doesn’t even know who Paul Williams is.
As you know, there are demands from many boxing fans for WBO Welterweight champ Antonio Margarito to defend his title against Paul Williams, the man Floyd Mayweather doesn’t even know who he is.
Should Margarito fight the unknown Williams? Or should Margarito take the higher profile, more profitable fight against WBA champ Miguel Angel Cotto, thus relinquishing the WBO title?
It’s not such a difficult decision.
What has the WBO title done for the career of Antonio Margarito anyway? Most fans seem not to respect it. And Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, and Oscar De La Hoya didn’t want to fight Margarito for it, so why should Margarito keep it when he has the chance to fight Cotto for the more prestigious WBA?
Someone asked Floyd recently, “Who does Margarito have to beat in order for you to fight him? Is a win over Paul Williams good enough?”
Here’s what Floyd said: “That’s for boxing fans to decide. Does Margarito beating Paul Williams make the fight (with me) better than (me fighting) Oscar and Shane? Ain’t no way beating Paul Williams makes (Margarito) worthy (of fighting me) because WHO IS PAUL WILLIAMS?”
So there you have it. It all makes sense. Antonio Margarito will most likely elect to fight the bigger name, more dangerous, more renowned fighter in his next fight – Miguel Angel Cotto. And surely, Floyd would approve of this smart business decision by Margarito, as Floyd knows very well who Cotto is. He said he wanted to fight Cotto last year, well, that was his position before the Cotto-Quintana destruction. Cotto may now be too risky for Floyd because of how devastating he looks at 147.
Margarito vs. Cotto makes dollars and it makes sense. Margarito vs. Williams is just not a smart business decision at this time, because, like Floyd says, Who is Paul Williams?
Final Thoughts: Antonio Margarito has never once called himself “The Most Feared Man In Boxing.” I’m fairly certain it was yours truly who started that nickname in February of last year after the Manuel Gomez fight, when Floyd was then feigning the facade, Who is Margarito? when the media began jabbing him with the idea of fighting the formidable Mexican. I don’t even know who Margarito is, claimed Floyd. Other writers and Bob Arum began to use the moniker. But Margarito never has referred to himself in the third person with that nickname. It’s not his style. Margarito, like most Mexican fighters, is too humble and modest for that kind of self-gloating.
Mayweather actually ducked Margarito and the $8 million offer three different times when he had no better offers on the table. And after he stated many times he’d fight anyone if the money was right, and that Margarito would be “easy work.” Floyd was fortunate The Baldomir option became available. Also, Floyd has used over a dozen of different reasons and excuses to dodge Margarito, when only one would have sufficed. So many different excuses and reasons exudes weakness and uncertainty. As did the stuttering and stammering in those youtube videos at the mere mention of the name “Margarito.” It’s undisputable the name “Margarito” jumbles the thought and speech patterns of Mayweather. He clearly does not know how to effectively handle questions about Margarito. This is an important clue in psychological warfare. As I wrote earlier, Floyd’s instability towards the mere ghost of Margarito will surely transfer to the ring. There, the live presence of Margarito’s vicious, confident and relentless attacking style will confuse and trouble the thought process of Floyd even more so in the ring, in-person.
The Margarito critics should consider that Margarito has never actually bad-mouthed Williams, neither to his face or in free internet chats. Tony respects Williams, however, if Williams confronts him in person anywhere, he will not cower and hold his hand and promise to fight him in the future. Then run off to a free chat and vow to tear his ass out of the frame, “punish” him for his inferior skill level. Margarito respects Williams. And you can be sure Tony will never order security to bar Williams from physically entering any of his future press conferences.
And you can be certain Margarito will not cry a river of tears at a press conference for five minutes, then say he’s going to retire after his next fight.
Margarito knows who Paul Williams is and will eventually fight him somewhere down the line. But there are bigger fish to fry first and Miguel Cotto is next on the hit list.
Even Floyd Mayweather would understand this decision by Margarito.
Contact Scoop: mrbiofile@aol.com. His site is www.thebiofile.com.