Skip to main content

Paul Williams ‘in very good spirits’- defiantly believes he will fight again

Phil D. Jay 
WBN Editor
Ex-champ coherent says manager

Prizefighter Paul ‘The Punisher’ Williams still believes he will have the chance to fight again following a serious motorcycle accident on Sunday that severed his spinal cord.

The 30 year-old was thrown from his bike after swerving to avoid a car and have been unable to gain feeling in his legs since the crash. Williams’s manager said the boxer hasn’t given up hope of getting in the ring again and will make a statement himself later this week.

"From the waist down, he has absolutely no movement," stated George Peterson.

"He's in very good spirits, though. He still believes he's going to fight again."

"I know he's going to make a statement after surgery on Wednesday, because he's that kind of person.
"He's 100 per cent coherent and still has the will to want to get back on the motorcycle.

"I want to think along with him, because I've seen him do things in his boxing career that shouldn't have happened,” he added.

The former WBO welterweight champion was rated amongst the best pound for pound fighters in the world until a recent knockout loss to Sergio Martinez and has been steadily rebuilding his career since, with some success.

The Georgian-born fighter was aiming to win another version of the world crown on September 15th against WBC 154lb belt holder Saul Alvarez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, but the Mexican will now have to secure a new challenger.

Williams is facing a long road ahead following surgery on Wednesday, although according to Peterson, has not lost his sense of humour in what is a harrowing situation for the highly-rated fighter.

"We want his fans to know he's going to be all right and he'll be back,” Peterson said.

"He said if he wasn't going to be boxing, he's going to be a stand-up comedian."

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

The Tragedy of Billy Collins Jr.

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor  Collins after the fight Williams Ray Collins Jr. or Billy Collins Jr. as he became known, was born to a boxing father in Antioch, Tennessee in 1961. His father William Sr, once fought Welterweight Champion Curtis Cokes and wanted his boy to follow in his footsteps, so decided to train Billy himself. Collins Jr. turned pro in 1981, a welterweight, just like his father before him and impressively won his first 14 professional contests, 11 by knockout with eight inside the first three rounds. It was 1983 and Billy was matched up against Puerto Rican journeyman Luis Resto on the undercard of Roberto Duran v Davey Moore at Madison Square Garden in a ten rounder. Resto wasn’t known for his punching power but Billy took a sustained beating for the full ten rounds, his face, badly damaged and his eyes were almost shut. After the fight, which Resto won on decision, Billy’s father shook Resto’s hand and noticed there wasn’t much padding in his gl...
Read more

Rico Ramos captures world super- bantamweight title with KO

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor ‘Suavecito’ scores 20th straight win over Shimoda Undefeated Californian Rico Ramos produced a world-class left hand in the seventh round of his WBA title challenge against Japan’s Akifumi Shimoda to rip the belt away from the older southpaw in his first defence. The 24 year-old looked far from a world champion in the first five rounds, only gaining a foothold in the fight in round six, but ultimately produced the equalizer in the seventh to take the crown. Shimoda, 26, will be furious with himself as he bossed the majority of the fight and was up five rounds to one on my card going into the seventh round. One lapse in concentration with only thirty seconds left in round seven and Shimoda hit the canvas. The champion tried to get up at the count of nine, but stumbled over and the referee counted him out. The now former champion stayed down for a full minute before being helped to his feet and realising he no longer held the WBA belt. Also on the card i...
Read more

WBN Remembers: "Gypsy Boy" Ernie Smith

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor  (picure by boxrec.com)  After almost a year and a half without one of boxing’s great journeymen, World Boxing News is looking back at the 161-fight career of Worcestershire warrior Ernie Smith, concentrating on his contribution in the ring, rather than the tragic way his life ended out of it. Smith turned professional at super-featherweight in 1998 at the Park Hall Hotel in Wolverhampton, losing a six rounder against Welshman Woody Greenaway.  One month later, Ernie was thrown in with an unknown prospect by the name of Gavin Rees (former world champion and current British Lightweight Champion) who he also took the distance over four rounds. The “Gypsy Boy” then managed to string together a four fight unbeaten run together in early 1999 and ended the year winning five out of his twelve contests, but by this time had already delved into the journeyman pool of boxers with a record of 5-8-1. After settling at the welterweight limit, Ernie ga...
Read more