Paul Williams punished by Ring Magazine for recent performance
In a development that has to hurt, Paul “The Punisher” Williams has been scrapped from Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound rankings following his knockout defeat to Sergio Martinez.
The Magazine, founded in 1922 and known as the “Bible of Boxing,” apparently felt “The Punisher” ought to be punished for his recent performance, despite Williams beforehand being considered the No.3 fighter in the world by many.
Some insiders are wondering why the loss resulted in William’s dramatic removal from the list, as oppose to a mere move down the rankings.
Williams and Martinez met last weekend in Atlantic City to add a second chapter to their epic first fight, which went the distance and had Williams emerge on top in a close decision. Most thought that a second fight would produce much the same result.
With the outcome, the Argentinean Martinez has earned the respect of many in the boxing world, and become one of the best pound-for-pound fighters today.
Boxing fans have already started pitting Martinez with Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., and weighing the possibilities of a lucrative fight.
Williams, on the other hand, hopes to revive himself after the performance and prove that he is still a relevant headliner. He’ll look to take some time off and re-evaluate what he hopes to achieve in a sport that he has all but dominated.
Dan Goossen, who promotes “The Punisher,” recently confirmed that following the loss Williams will try his luck in the welterweight division (147-pounds), where he began his career.
At 6-foot-3 and with an absurdly long reach of 81 inches, Williams previously had much difficulty finding opponents in the division, but it is a chance he’ll have to take.
Even Lou Dibella, who promotes Martinez, told Williams he ought to avoid the middleweight division due to the heavy hitters, saying: “I gave Paul my two cents, that he's not a middleweight. He's the best welterweight in the world and he may very well be
the best junior middleweight, as long as Sergio stays away from that division.”
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