An interesting but submerged dynamic is developing in the welterweight divison and may be about to break to the surface in an explosive way. The boxing public is not well aware that Paul Williams can still make 147 and the “Most Avoided Man In Boxing” has to be growing impatient to score MAJOR fights. Of course, the biggest fight out there right now in America is with Floyd Mayweather.
Williams, like Floyd, is managed by Al Haymon but how happy Williams is with the direction and second class citizen treatment he has received to this point is an open question. While Mayweather gets to handpick and choose all his opponents and earn mega million paydays, Williams, quite probably the far superior welterweight fighter, has to sit back and wait for his big opportunity to present itself. He is waiting and waiting.
Williams has conquered Antonio Margarito and Sergio Martinez in what were very impressive, toe-toe, exciting and crowd-pleasing performances, but the expected superfights have not been able to be secured for him by Haymon.
Last year a prominent Williams camp member divulged that Williams would not just dominate and destory Mayweather in a welterweight clash of titans, The Punisher would “put him in a cemetary.”
Last week, another prominent Williams camp member said this about Floyd Mayweather: “Mayweather always had the advantages. He never went into an even fight. Mayweather has been cherry picking and not challenging anyone.”
If you sense the frustration is growing at Team Williams, you’re probably not wrong. As Mayweather continues to get all the accolades and limelight (along with Manny Pacquiao), probably the best welterweight of them all has to stand quietly in the shadows (if Manny Pacquiao turned down Yuri Foreman as an opponent because he’s too tall – he did according to Bob Arum – how would Manny respond to an offer to box Paul Williams?)
As time marches on, how much longer will Williams, who turns 29 in July, sit back and hold his tongue as he expends his prime years on Carlos Quintana, Maritnez and Kermit Cintron, when there are much bigger fish to fry?
How much longer will Al Haymon’s inabilities and inefficiences be tolerated?
How much longer will Paul Williams himself keep it all contained?
How much longer can the big promoters hold Williams at the B level when he has clearly shown by far that he is an A level warrior superstar in terms of exciting fighting ability, as well as more than willing to fight ANYONE from 147 to 160.
Beating the dangerous and heavy-hitting Kermit Cintron in style on Saturday night is going to be very important for Paul Williams to keep his career momentum going. But exactly what he says in the post-fight HBO interview after his victorious performance may be an even bigger and more crucial opportunity to take his career to the higher level it undeniably deserves to be at.
