Clottey Ready and Willing to Face Williams
Published by on September 30th, 2008

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By Scoop Malinowski

WBO Welter champ Paul Williams has an HBO date for November 29 and with no lack of bravado, has vowed to clean up the 147-lb. division, suggesting he will take on any welterweight fighter on earth.

IBF champ Joshua Clottey is ready, willing and able to battle Williams. “Williams spouted off that he wants to clean up the division. We’ll help him,” says Clottey’s manager Vin Scolpino.

Two weeks ago, Boxinginsider.com revealed that Team Clottey and Top Rank was trying to make a unification match with Team Williams for The Punisher’s November 29th HBO date which he will fight as a welterweight. But Team Williams has not responded in any way to Clottey’s challenge. They may have too much respect for Clottey (translation: they may fear losing to Clottey).

“I think Joshua beats Williams, and so does Joshua, ” Scolpino said on Tuesday morning. “I think he would just hunt him down. It would be a good fight for boxing fans. Joshua’s style is to come in, stay close, stay in his defense, and fire his shots.”

So far, Team Williams has been as silent as a bound and chained church-mouse about cleaning Joshua Clottey out of contention in the welterweight division. Still, Team Clottey patiently waits. And waits.

HBO has a Welterweight unification mega-fight sitting at it’s doorstep at Avenue of the Americas. This fight is practically slapping Williams across the face to be made NOW. All the HBO decision-makers have to do is bring all the parties together and hammer out a deal. It’s simple – unless some entity is vehemently and emphatically against making Williams vs. Clottey a reality. “We’re sitting here waiting. Just waiting to see what happens. We still haven’t heard any response (from Team Williams or HBO). Joshua is coming home next week (from Ghana). If they say it’s On, he will be ready.”

A Clottey unification bout and an impressive victory in it by Williams would further enhance and strengthen the case that Paul Williams is the true king of 147 and would increase pressure on the perceived #1 Antonio Margarito to face him in massive showdown for 2009. But if Paul ignores and avoids boxing Clottey, he would lose a measure of respect and credibility.

Note: We will be contacting the publicist for Team Williams for a response on their interest in a Williams-Clottey IBF/WBO Welterweight unification match and will present their response later this week.