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© Jan Sanders / Goossen Tutor Promotions
It is possible to be too dangerous. This is exactly what current WBO Welterweight Champion Paul “The Punisher” Williams, 33-0 (24), is learning as he gets set to make the first defense of this title against challenger Carlos Quintana, 24-1 (19).
In a weight division far deeper than any in boxing, Williams is searching for the money and name recognition that the other titlists at 147 currently enjoy. No one disputes the fact that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the current king, but with his fate seemingly tied to the fighter who brings him the most coin, it is becoming increasingly difficult for dangerous fighters like Paul Williams to attract the attention that is needed to step into those ranks.
The issue here for Williams is that after winning his title against Antonio Margarito last summer, in order to find an opponent worthy of both an HBO date and the purse that a champion deserves, he must step in with another fighter that some might deem “too dangerous” also, Carlos Quintana.
Quintana rocketed himself up the ranks of the welterweight division in 2006 when he upset the popular prospect Joel Julio. The fight was initially planned to be the national coming out party for Julio, but instead gave Quintana a chance at his own title shot against Miguel Cotto.
While the Cotto fight didnʼt go as well as the Puerto Rican southpaw had hoped, Quintanaʼs name still remained in the upper tier of the division after losing a fifth round technical decision.
Now, after scoring a fourth round TKO over journeyman Christopher Henry, Carlos finds himself once again in the position to win a title.
While the other fighters at 147 might not be banging down the door to face Williams, he has one major plus of his side; youth. At 26 years of age, Paul Williams is the youngest of the current crop of welterweight elites, a year younger than Miguel Cotto.
At a time in the sport where men like Mosley and De la Hoya are still battling with the young guys, time is working for Williams. If he can manage to stay at 147 for a little while longer, the division itself might be his for the taking.
But, first things first and that is to defend his title against Quintana, not a task that he should take lightly. However, it is vital that he makes an impressive statement. A 12 round decision is not going to help Williams attract more attention; he needs a stoppage against a formidable opponent like Quintana to vault him forward in the division.
All signs point to a Williams victory. He is an exceptionally tall welterweight with an incredible reach. As a slick boxer, Quintana will need to find a way to neutralize the champion’s height advantage. Quintana was unable to stay away from Cotto and chances are the strength and speed of Williams will prove just as confounding to the challenger.
Williams proved his iron chin against the hard punching Margarito and showed that he is not opposed to standing in front and trading shots. Although Quintana does have 19 KOʼs on his record, they did come against limited opposition and his best chance for success against Williams is not to trade shots.
The undercard features the rising welterweight star Andre Berto, 20-0 (17), against the rugged former European Champion Michel Trabant. 43-2 (19). For Berto it is only his second scheduled twelve round fight and proves to be another nice test for the young fighter as he attempts to jump up the ladder in a division stacked with talent.
Bertoʼs opponent Trabant finds himself fighting for the first time ever outside of Germany. However, his level of competition has been respectable. In 2003 he fought against Jose Antonio Rivera for the vacant WBA Welterweight title but lost a tough majority decision.
Berto is another fighter looking to make waves on national television. Trabant is hand picked for Berto and his handlers are looking to once again showcase the young fighterʼs power and accuracy.
Also on the card is the heavy handed heavyweight prospect Chris Arreola, 22-0 (20), as he looks to add another journeyman name to his resume in the form of Cliff Couser, 26-14 (14).
Arreola is a local Southern California boy who will probably end this fight early. Couser has been KOʼd in four of his last five bouts and as he gets older is merely becoming a stepping stone for the youngsters in the heavyweight division. This fight will not tell us much about Arreola, however it keeps him busy and helps him build a name as he climbs the alphabet ladders.
Quotes from the Weighin…
Paul Williams:
“I’ve been preparing for this for a while now. I realize that this is a really important fight for me because preserving my undefeated record is invaluable and I intend to do that no matter what.”
“If Quintana comes to fight, you can expect a hell of a fight. He thinks that I am looking past him, but he’s seriously mistaken because I didn’t train for so long for no reason.”
Carlos Quintana:
“Paul Williams doesn’t know what he is up against. I’m much faster than anybody else that he’s fought. He has seriously underestimated me and that motivates me.”
“I didn’t take this fight for the money, I took it for the opportunity. Nobody wants to fight Paul Williams but I will. I’m not afraid to face him. I’m a warrior through and through and my past fights are proof.”
