What Are Paul Williams' Weaknesses
In boxing, it’s becoming a trendy game to play to name the most “ducked” fighter in the sport. One name that comes to the top of many people’s lists is Paul Williams. The former WBO welterweight champion wins against major opponents to his credit including victories over Antonio Margarito, Winky Wright and Sergio Martinez. Still, he’s been unable to cash in and sign a deal for the huge fight that could make him a household name.
There are many reasons that some top fighters don’t want to face Williams (39-1, 27 KOs). At 6’1”, he’s one of the tallest welterweights in the sport and has a unique size and reach advantage which he can use to keep smaller fighters at bay. He’s also a southpaw, and many top fighters would rather avoid facing a talented lefty fighter if possible.
But just because Williams is a dangerous opponent who many fighters don’t want to face doesn’t mean that he is the perfect fighter. Williams is far from that. He has several weaknesses that opponents have exploited in the past. Carlos Quintana upset Williams for the WBO welterweight crown in 2008 and Sergio Martinez fought Williams to a close, controversial majority decision loss last December.
Here is a brief look at some the weaknesses that Williams has as a fighter:
Lack of power: Even though Williams has knocked out more than two-thirds of his opponents during his career, he’s hardly a dominating power puncher. Instead, he tends to end fights through a high work rate and the sheer volume of his punches rather than because of landing one big blow. It’s surprising that Williams has as much trouble hurting his opponents as he does based on his natural size advantage in most match-ups.
Defence: At 6’1”, Williams is an easy target for his opponents to find. He typically relies on his jab as his main defensive weapon – if he can keep smaller fighters out of range by peppering them with his jab, he can avoid getting hit. However, Williams struggles with how to avoid punches once an opponent gets inside his range.
This is one area where Williams’ size works against him. He’s almost always slower than his opponents, meaning that if they can get inside of Williams’ jab they can do some damage. His punches tend to loop slowly toward opponents, creating opportunities for counter punching that are enhanced by his tendency to keep his head stationary. Combined with a questionable chin (he’s been hurt several times before), Williams’ lack of defensive prowess could be a major problem against elite fighters.
Fighting down to his opponent: Williams does this both figuratively and literally. He’s been at his best against top fighters but has also coasted at times against more lightly regarded opponents. This cost him against Quintana and almost came back to haunt him against Martinez, who was stepping up in weight for the fight.
Williams can also physical fight down to the level of his opponent. As the taller fighter, Williams can sometimes bend down and lunge when trying to connect on punches. This negates much of his reach advantage and makes it easier for opponents to duck underneath his punches and find a home for a counter uppercut.
Ring generalship: Williams is a naturally gifted fighter who is most comfortable controlling fights from the outside. However, he has frequently found himself being sucked into fights that have been fought at close quarters for several rounds, benefiting his opponent. Williams is blessed with many physical tools but some people within the sport have questioned whether he has the mental toughness and ring intelligence to become an elite fighter.
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