27.03.08 – by James Slater: It first appeared as though former WBO welterweight champion Paul “The Punisher” Williams would get himself an immediate return bout with Carlos Quintana, the new WBO ruler, who upset Williams back in February. Now, however, the new champ is holding back on signing the contract for a second match-up with the freakishly tall Williams.
Originally, it looked as though the two would clash again on June 7th, with Quintana getting around the same amount of money he got for the first fight – somewhere in the region of around $250,000. But now Quintana is upset at both the money that is on the table, and the date of the rematch..
“I’m supposed to make more money in this fight than what I made in the first fight where I won the welterweight title. They are not offering me a lot of money,” Quintana is reported to have remarked. “They are offering me the minimum and the fight is worth a lot more. Besides, I want to fight on June 14th, not the 7th,” the reigning WBO king declared.
It appears then, that unless “they” (presumably Goossen Tutor promotions) accommodate Quintana with the date he wants, along with more money, Paul Williams may have to wait a while longer before getting a chance at avenging his only career loss.
The upset, scored by Quintana back on February 9th, when the underdog scored a clear unanimous decision over “The most feared man in boxing,” really was quite a shock. After all, the 31 year old Quintana, in his only other world title fight, was battered into retirement after five rounds by Miguel Cotto. Many experts felt the undefeated Williams would do something similar. But the Puerto Rican, a southpaw like “The Punisher,” overcame the height advantage of the incredibly tall (6’1″) 26 year old, and proceeded to score with hard shots throughout.
There were claims of Williams having struggled to make 147 pounds in a satisfactory manner, but nothing can take away from the gutsy effort of the fighter known as “El Indio.” A rematch will probably go ahead. Quintana is holding out for more money, and who can really blame him? As champion, he clearly deserves more money than he was paid last time, as challenger. Hopefully, negotiations will begin anew soon, and an offer Quintana is happy with will be made.
Carlos Quintana-Paul Williams II, is after all, a highly unpredictable fight that many fans want to see. If for no other reason than to see if Paul Williams was overrated all along!