Goossen floats idea for Paul Williams to return to welterweight on May 8
by Scott Christ on Feb 11, 2010 6:58 PM EST
in Boxing News Analysis
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With Paul Williams having an HBO date set for May 8, the most rumored opponent thus far has been junior middleweight contender and former welterweight titlist Kermit Cintron. But promoter Dan Goossen told Rick Reeno of BoxingScene.com that Williams is "seriously considering" a return to the welterweight division, which could open up a lot more options.
"In our next fight, we're either going to make a statement at 147 or we’re going to fight someone at junior middleweight. Right now we’re looking at Collazo, Cintron and several undefeated welterweights with Don King. The key is George Peterson. He said all along that Paul can still make 147, and at this point a lot of people doubt that," Goossen told BoxingScene.com.
It's true that Peterson (Williams' trainer) has been adamant that Williams can still make 147, a weight at which he has not fought since June 2008, when he wiped out Carlos Quintana in the first round of their rematch. Since then he's fought three times at middleweight and once at junior middleweight. We're talking about almost a two-year run outside of the welterweight division.
I still don't think Williams can comfortably make 147, but surely I could be wrong about that. Paul and George Peterson know the real deal, and they say it can be done with no problem. If it can, it would be a gate-crashing sort of thing for that division, where Manny Pacquiao will meet Joshua Clottey in March, and Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather Jr. lock horns in May.
HBO is said to be interested in Williams returning to the division, and that makes sense. If Pacquiao and Mayweather both win their upcoming fights and still can't come to terms to fight one another, there's almost nobody left at 147 that makes dollars and sense for them as opponents, save for WBC titlist Andre Berto. Williams is not the biggest draw or the biggest star, but he's a highly-respected pound-for-pound contender, and now has HBO full-square behind making him a name. He's proven to be an exciting fighter who can make compelling fights, and his height and reach made him hell at 147 already.
It's all about styles, and a comfortable welterweight Williams would be a huge challenge for anyone currently at the top of the welterweight ranks.
More likely, I'm guessing, he'll fight at 154 against Cintron (who hasn't been telling anyone he wants to return to 147), and then if the money fight at 147 comes along, he might give it a go before the end of the year. I sort of figured a couple of years ago that Tall Paul would be out of the 147-pound ranks by now anyway, but we'll see.
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I'm not big on making wide assertions
but I cannot see Mayweather or Pac taking a fight with Paul Williams at 147. Both would lose and they know it.
I suppose I'm cast as the darkness, because I comprehended their light not at all; at least not in the way they wanted me to.
I think Pacquiao would fight him against the advice of Roach, Arum, Ariza, Buboy, his brother Bobby and, with least importance, Mike Koncz, but in my mind’s eye I just can’t see him beating a Paul Williams that isn’t totally drained and basically another walking dead like Oscar.
I don’t think Mayweather would get anywhere near him.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Feb 11, 2010 7:25 PM EST up reply actions
leegeelee
You’re kidding right; Arum already tried to get Pac in the ring with Yuri and Pac said he was too tall and a ‘boxer’. If Arum could’nt get him in with Yuri, "Roach, Arum, Ariza, Buboy, his brother Bobbyand’ the US Army could’nt get him in the ring with Williams.
Arum already tried to get Pac in the ring with Yuri and Pac said he was too tall and a ‘boxer’.
Pacquiao had other options that made sense. There might not be any if he can’t get a fight with Floyd, and if Floyd were to scoop up Andre Berto as an opponent, who’s Manny going to fight? Matthew Hatton?
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Feb 11, 2010 9:40 PM EST up reply actions
Agreed
If Williams gets enough of a name though (and he’s getting close), I could see Mosley taking a fight with him.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
And if he does
It would behoove Mosley to make the fight at 147, where Williams presumably would be more drained and where Mosley has always looked better anyway.
Williams might also be the only “big” name who would agree to rematch Margarito.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
I kind of doubt that, actually. They had to all but drag Margarito kicking and screaming into that fight the first time, which Goossen is always happy to point out.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Feb 12, 2010 5:10 PM EST up reply actions
Not really
I mean, he already had a big money fight with Cotto pretty much signed, sealed and delivered, and he pulled out to fight Williams when he just as easily could have gotten stripped and gotten the bigger payday. So there’s two sides of that one.
Then again, Williams’ team supposedly offered Margo $4M for a rematch after he beat Cotto, and then Margo made half that to get his ass kicked by Mosley.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
All this weight hopping can’t be doing Tall Paul any good can it?
"Chris Eubank lost his recent comeback fight on points ... the main one being that he's a total git."
I was thinking the same thing
If he can do it and still fight at an elite level, he’s even more of a freak of nature then we thought.
He's not hopping as much as one would think
From what I’ve heard, he’s been walking into the ring around 158 or so for all of his fights.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
If
he can make 147 with reasonable comfort, and considering how regularly he gets hit, the welterweight division would seem a good place for Williams.
I’d love to see how the other welterweights would react to Williams if he were to put himself in a place where he couldn’t be ignored unless doing so = blatant and undeniable “ducking.”
It would be wise for him to take the Cintron fight at 154,then if the big 147 fight comes up later he would be nearer the weight.
Maybe a catchweight of 150
Just to prove to the world that he can still get there?
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Paul's always floated between weights because it appears he can.
Williams began his career shifting between 154-160 before eventually dropping down as far as 145 for Matthysse, Margarito and the Quintana rematch. That fight was less than 2 years ago and Paul’s still only 28.
He’d make a statement against any 147 pounder, he’s that kind of fighter.
"Anytime you go thirty rounds with a guy, try to kill each other, and have the utmost respect for each other, no one understands that, but guys who have been to war understand it." - Micky Ward on Arturo Gatti.
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