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This was a long time coming. Paul Williams had been screaming for a match with the then self proclaimed "Most ducked man in boxing" Antonio Margarito for about 2 years. Margarito ignored him until he no choice but to face him.
I had my doubts about Margarito for a while. They were confirmed when Joshua Clottey gave him all he could handle with a broken hand. Clottey, showing no fear whatsoever made Margarito look much less than ordinary. I personally thought the scores should have been a lot closer.
Williams, who had never been in the championship rounds before as this was his first opportunity on the big stage, won the first 6 rounds easily. Margarito came alive in rounds seven and eight, becoming more aggressive and more accurate. Williams stayed busy though making each round competitive, even the ones he lost. Williams made a rally in the ninth round and won it easily.
Then, when you thought Williams was in control, Margarito began throwing wide, telegraphed shots that apparently Williams couldn't see. He was connecting with those wide punches, and Williams had even at times appeared shaken. Margarito came back to win rounds ten and eleven.
Many thought that Williams was dead tired and would probably lose the final round. They were wrong. Williams came out seemingly energized, working the jab, punching at angles, and doing something that he had abandoned several rounds ago: lateral movement. Williams clearly took the twelfth and final round.
This time, I had to say that Letterman got the scorecard right. Eight rounds to four - Paul Williams. The judges didn't see it that way though.
One judge got it right: 116 - 112 for Williams
The other two must have been on LSD.
They scored the fight: 115 - 113 for Williams
Had Williams lost the twelfth and final round it would have been a draw, which would have been ridiculous. Williams had built up a considerable lead(the first 6 rounds) in which Margarito would have had to have won every single round after that just to get a draw.
Margarito, like any proud fighter, protested the loss, but I suspect he'll be a bit more humble after watching the replay. Margarito came to fight, but he just doesn't have the skills. He has the will to fight. He also has decent punching power, but he's a plodder who throws wide punches.
Williams work rate was the story of the fight. The kid threw over 1,000 punches, averaging 100 punches a round. He's got some wisdom in his corner. The advice he was getting was spot on. Hopefully one day he;ll learn to follow the advice of his trainers and apply it from round to round.
Williams was winded by the tenth round, and it became visible. After the punches he absorbed in the seventh and eighth, he had to suck it up to win the ninth. He absorbed some more punches in the tenth and eleventh, and sucked it up to impress in the twelfth. Williams did a great job for his first championship showdown.
Williams needs to remember that he's a boxer, not a slugger. I have no doubt that he could have laid Margarito out were he more seasoned, but that's not his game. He wins by attrition. He touches you so much that you never know when his money punch is coming. Williams needs to learn to stick to his game plan and not get sucked into brawling. He held his own against Margarito when brawling, but he also got caught by some heavy shots that while he took them well, he had some observers worried.
This kid, with some more experience and patience will be a great champion. He's got to remember that he's the big man in the ring. His reach and his stride, when used wisely, will frustrate even the most powerful and speedy punchers.
I honestly thought that Williams could have hurt Margarito much earlier. Williams is a headhunter, but when he listens to his corner he is a vicious body puncher. He still needs to be reminded to go to the body. Margarito was prime for body attacks, and when Williams remembered to deliver one, it usually landed.
Also, Williams hesitates. When he fakes, Margarito bought nearly EVERY ONE OF THEM. Those are the opportunities that boxers DREAM of. Williams wasted nearly every one. He's still learning and gaining experience, but he better learn to trust his corner. The advice they were giving him was great. During the rounds I would scream instructions at Williams through the TV, and between the rounds his corner's advice mirrored my own.
Once this kid learns to trust his instincts and his corner's advice people are going to have a problem. Once he does those two things, he won't get sucked into brawling, headhunting or hesitating. I see him doing great things.
All in all, Williams finally shut the big mouthed Margarito up like he said he would. It wasn't as easy as he would have liked it to be, but he definitely got the job done and beat the champion in front of his own fans.
Congrats Paul Williams
I had my doubts about Margarito for a while. They were confirmed when Joshua Clottey gave him all he could handle with a broken hand. Clottey, showing no fear whatsoever made Margarito look much less than ordinary. I personally thought the scores should have been a lot closer.
Williams, who had never been in the championship rounds before as this was his first opportunity on the big stage, won the first 6 rounds easily. Margarito came alive in rounds seven and eight, becoming more aggressive and more accurate. Williams stayed busy though making each round competitive, even the ones he lost. Williams made a rally in the ninth round and won it easily.
Then, when you thought Williams was in control, Margarito began throwing wide, telegraphed shots that apparently Williams couldn't see. He was connecting with those wide punches, and Williams had even at times appeared shaken. Margarito came back to win rounds ten and eleven.
Many thought that Williams was dead tired and would probably lose the final round. They were wrong. Williams came out seemingly energized, working the jab, punching at angles, and doing something that he had abandoned several rounds ago: lateral movement. Williams clearly took the twelfth and final round.
This time, I had to say that Letterman got the scorecard right. Eight rounds to four - Paul Williams. The judges didn't see it that way though.
One judge got it right: 116 - 112 for Williams
The other two must have been on LSD.
They scored the fight: 115 - 113 for Williams
Had Williams lost the twelfth and final round it would have been a draw, which would have been ridiculous. Williams had built up a considerable lead(the first 6 rounds) in which Margarito would have had to have won every single round after that just to get a draw.
Margarito, like any proud fighter, protested the loss, but I suspect he'll be a bit more humble after watching the replay. Margarito came to fight, but he just doesn't have the skills. He has the will to fight. He also has decent punching power, but he's a plodder who throws wide punches.
Williams work rate was the story of the fight. The kid threw over 1,000 punches, averaging 100 punches a round. He's got some wisdom in his corner. The advice he was getting was spot on. Hopefully one day he;ll learn to follow the advice of his trainers and apply it from round to round.
Williams was winded by the tenth round, and it became visible. After the punches he absorbed in the seventh and eighth, he had to suck it up to win the ninth. He absorbed some more punches in the tenth and eleventh, and sucked it up to impress in the twelfth. Williams did a great job for his first championship showdown.
Williams needs to remember that he's a boxer, not a slugger. I have no doubt that he could have laid Margarito out were he more seasoned, but that's not his game. He wins by attrition. He touches you so much that you never know when his money punch is coming. Williams needs to learn to stick to his game plan and not get sucked into brawling. He held his own against Margarito when brawling, but he also got caught by some heavy shots that while he took them well, he had some observers worried.
This kid, with some more experience and patience will be a great champion. He's got to remember that he's the big man in the ring. His reach and his stride, when used wisely, will frustrate even the most powerful and speedy punchers.
I honestly thought that Williams could have hurt Margarito much earlier. Williams is a headhunter, but when he listens to his corner he is a vicious body puncher. He still needs to be reminded to go to the body. Margarito was prime for body attacks, and when Williams remembered to deliver one, it usually landed.
Also, Williams hesitates. When he fakes, Margarito bought nearly EVERY ONE OF THEM. Those are the opportunities that boxers DREAM of. Williams wasted nearly every one. He's still learning and gaining experience, but he better learn to trust his corner. The advice they were giving him was great. During the rounds I would scream instructions at Williams through the TV, and between the rounds his corner's advice mirrored my own.
Once this kid learns to trust his instincts and his corner's advice people are going to have a problem. Once he does those two things, he won't get sucked into brawling, headhunting or hesitating. I see him doing great things.
All in all, Williams finally shut the big mouthed Margarito up like he said he would. It wasn't as easy as he would have liked it to be, but he definitely got the job done and beat the champion in front of his own fans.
Congrats Paul Williams