Interview By Christopher Roche, Brickcityboxing.com: When IBF Champ Kermit Cintron pulled out of the scheduled bout against WBO Champ Paul “The Punisher” Williams, some observers suspected that Williams could suffer a letdown. After all, Williams and his team watched a huge welterweight unification bout go up in smoke.
Williams promises there will be no letdown. Carlos Quintana was eventually named as Williams’ new opponent, and Williams took the change in stride. He spoke with me over the phone, from his training camp in Puerto Rico. I asked Williams how he is keeping his motivation level high, given the aforementioned change in circumstances regarding his next bout..
“This is an opportunity for me to get back in the ring and showcase my skills. Of course my motivation level stays the same because this is a big fight for me,” said Williams, who is promoted by Goosen Tutor. “I look at any fight as a big opportunity fight for me, so I just have to stay focused.”
Quintana is looking for redemption and will not go quietly. He was stopped by Miguel Cotto in 2006 for his only loss, and there is no doubt he will carry a heightened sense of urgency into the ring as he gets a second chance at a big fight. Quintana’s energy level will be high, but Williams is looking to use that to his own advantage.
“I am going to feed off of his energy. When I get into the ring my style will adapt to whatever he brings to the table,” explained the 26 year-old Williams. “He is trying to make a comeback, but me, I am still trying to come up, so I am definitely going in there and give it all I got, like I did in the Margarito fight. Whatever I brought to the table there, I will bring to the table again. He is coming to fight, and it is going to be a good fight.”
Quintana is the man who temporarily derailed Joel Julio’s ascent to the top, and to his further credit, Quintana is one of the few upper echelon welterweights who would accept a match with Williams. Williams went on to explain how he sees the fight unfolding in his favor.
Williams said, “I see me coming out with a victory. Other than that, whatever happens, happens. I am definitely coming out with a victory. That is my goal. That is my mindset. I am focused and motivated, and I am confident enough that I am coming out with a W.”
Williams presents an enigma for any opponent because he is very tall, and he sports an incredible 82-inch reach from the southpaw stance. Williams also likes to keep his opponents guessing. In a recent press release, we were told that his listed height of 6’1” might be a little short. The release stated that he is actually closer to 6’3”. Williams sheepishly chuckled when I asked him about this.
“I have stood by guys who are 6’3”, and they are like `he is taller than that’,” said the WBO Champ. “It is kind of funny, once I got on the scale, and they measured me and I was 6’1 ½ or something like that, but guys who stood by me who were 6’2”, were like `you are taller than me’. We will leave it kind of a mystery.”
The mystery about Williams’ actual height is only one trait that leaves his opponents wondering. After a perfect 33-fight record, Williams has 24 KO’s, and he most recently won a unanimous decision over the most avoided welterweight in the world, Antonio Margarito. In that bout, Williams mixed it up with Margarito and threw over 1,000 punches.
While a welterweight of Williams’ physical stature does not have to mix it up, he likes to anyway. I asked Williams if he takes risks to be a crowd pleaser, or if he just cannot resist a good scrap. He said it is a little of both.
“It is a crowd pleaser, as well as pleasing myself. I could stand on the outside and beat these guys. I don’t have to be in any danger. But to me it gets a little boring, if they cannot do anything with me, and I just drop it on them from the outside.”
Williams continued, “So I kind of give them a chance. I know that is crazy, giving them a chance, but it motivates me even more to stay sharper and make them pay for the stuff that they throw.”
While Williams is certainly a crowd pleaser, some critics have marginalized his punching power, and they usually cite the Margarito fight. I asked Williams to evaluate himself as a power puncher, and he explained that power punching has a lot to do with the strategy that his manager/trainer George Peterson devises.
Williams explained, “The guys I was fighting [Matthysse & Margarito], I couldn’t sit down on my punches. I had to keep moving because of their power punches. I have power that is not bad, but I choose to punish them. That is kind of my name, “The Punisher”. My style kind of adapts so they take a lot of punishment. But if I have to sit down on my punches I can.”
Williams said that if he is in with a bigger puncher like Margarito, then the strategy will change, and he will not sit down on his punches as much. Williams relies on his trainer for that call, and his perfect record indicates that Peterson’s strategy is working.
One concern with a tall fighter like Williams is his ability to make weight. Williams told me that he has never had a problem making the welterweight limit of 147 lbs., and he has actually come into many of his fights under the limit. Williams currently has no plans to move up in weight, and he said he that he will land the big fights (I mentioned Mayweather and Cotto), once the public and the writers demand it.
Williams’ team seems to be very solid, and he looks to make a lot of noise in the division for many years to come. Williams credits Sally McCain, for helping to hold his team together at camp, and he sings the praises of the aforementioned Peterson. While Williams’ talent was originally discovered by his childhood school bus driver, Peterson has been the architect of Williams’ professional career, since day one. Williams elaborated on his relationship with Peterson, which runs deep.
“My manager, Mr. Peterson, without him, I would not be a champion. He told me from day one if I believed in him, then I could be a champion,” said Williams. “When guys say `I have the best trainer’, I say I have the best trainer, because he was with me from day one, with no professional fights. He took me from 1-0 all the way to 33-0, so I have to take my hat off to him.”
Williams also tipped his hat to the fans, and reiterated that he intends to please them.
“February 9th I will come out there and put on another fireworks show for the fans. When I get in there, it is to please them and myself, so they can expect me to do my thing and punish somebody.”
Based on our conversation, Williams will not suffer a letdown, and Quintana will be highly motivated to validate his comeback. This bout is shaping up to be one of the most underrated match-ups of the year.
The bout will be broadcast on HBO’s “Boxing After Dark” from the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California. Williams, of Aiken, SC, will put his WBO title on the line. Quintana, 31, of Puerto Rico, will enter the ring at 24-1, 19 KO’s.
*Paul Williams is one of the most genuine fighters I have interviewed. I thank Marylyn Aceves for setting up our chat.