Saul Alvarez vs. James Kirkland Called Off, Kirkland Injuries Shoulder
Jun 1, 2012
By way of Twitter, Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Journal broke the news that Saul Alvarez is again without an opponent for his Sept. 15 date, after James Kirkland injured his shoulder in training this morning.
Either man would have been the toughest test yet to Alvarez's undefeated record of 40 victories, one draw and 29 of those victories ending within the distance.
With Kirkland and Williams unable to compete, Alvarez has one choice left, according to an earlier statement by his management, and that is undefeated WBA regular champ Austin Trout (24-0, 14 KO).
Trout faces Delvin Rodriguez (26-5-1, 14 KO) tomorrow in Carson, California. Should Trout defeat Rodriguez in impressive fashion, he could become Alvarez's next opponent.
The news-breaking tweets are below:
James Kirkland injured his shoulder while training this a.m. and has pulled out of his Sept. 15 fight vs. Canelo Alvarez at MGM in Vegas.
Paul Williams Paralyzed: Updates on Boxer's Condition After Motorcycle Accident
Donald Wood
May 29, 2012
Veteran boxer Paul “The Punisher” Williams was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident in Marietta, Georgia, on Sunday night, according to the Washington Post.
According to the report, doctors treating Williams will perform surgery Wednesday to fix what they can in his severed spine, but there is a chance that the star will never walk or box again.
From the waist down, he has absolutely no movement. 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 percent coherent and still has the will to want to get back on the motorcycle… We want his fans to know he’s going to be all right and he’ll be back. He said if he wasn’t going to be boxing, he’s going to be a stand-up comedian.
The 30-year-old former middleweight champion was just finding his range at a new weight class when this accident occurred. Williams was slated to face off with up-and-comer Canelo Alvarez on September 15th, but that will not be the case.
Williams is coherent and in good spirits, but will need support from fans worldwide as he approaches the road to recovery.
The Punisher already had built a stellar reputation as a tough fighter while building an impressive 41-2 record. His next fight against Alvarez would have been one of his toughest to date.
Right now, there’s no thinking about any fights right now except for the fight that’s facing Paul right now — to get movement back in his body and keep the movement that’s above his waist…I want to think along with him, ‘cause I’ve seen him do things in his boxing career that shouldn’t have happened.
With so much damage done to Williams’ body, the doctors need to make sure they don’t allow the boxer to do too much too quickly.
As great as it is that the former champ is up and talking, his iron-will may be a detriment to his recovery if he hurts himself pushing too hard.
Boxers are notorious for fighting through pain and trying to overcome adversity on their own, but this is not a game. Williams needs to take this as serious as his he did his illustrious career.
There is no way to know if Williams will ever fight or even walk again, but you can be certain that the tough brawler won’t be beaten by his most daunting opponent yet.
Boxer Paul Williams Likely Paralyzed Following Motorcycle Accident
May 28, 2012
The boxing world suffered a tragic blow today. Paul “The Punisher” Williams is likely paralyzed from the waist down after suffering a horrific motorcycle accident Sunday morning in Atlanta, according to WRDW News 12 in Augusta.
Lem: Williams' manager: Williams is in an excellent frame of mind, but has been told he will never walk again #boxing
— Michael, Doug or Lem (@ringmagazine) May 28, 2012
News 12 was told by Williams’ manager, George Peterson, that he’s still in the hospital. He will have surgery on Wednesday to steady the upper half of his spine, which is perfectly healthy.
The 30-year-old Augusta, Ga, native was scheduled to fight Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in a PPV event on HBO Sept. 15 in Las Vegas. Instead, he is facing a far more serious battle—one he is certainly not accustomed to fighting.
The former two-division world champion southpaw is a knockout artist, KO’ing 27 opponents. His overall record stands at 41-2.
He spent over two years in SI.com’s pound-for-pound top 10, has two welterweight titles and was the former interim junior middleweight titlist.
The big highlights of his career have been wins over Sergio Martinez, Winky Wright and Antonio Margarito.
It’s been a tragic weekend for the world of boxing. Today’s news comes just one day after Johnny Tapia was discovered dead in his home at the age of 45, as reported by CNN.
While information is still coming out, it sounds like the boxing career of Williams has come to an end. It’s a tragic reminder that regardless of how great of an athlete you may be, nobody is 100 percent safe on a motor bike.
Thoughts and prayers go out to Williams and his family.
Paul Williams in Motor Cycle Accident: Likely Paralyzed from Accident
May 28, 2012
Earlier this afternoon news broke that Paul "The Punisher" Williams, a former multiple title holder, has been in a motorcycle accident in Atlanta Sunday morning. According to WRDW 12 news, he is now in the hospital prepping for surgery to try and stabilize the healthy half of his spine.
Nothing is really clear about his condition right now, but it seems that Williams may be paralyzed from the waist down.
There is no doubt now that the pay-per-vew fight between him and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will be called off.
This is very heartbreaking news as Williams was on his way back into boxing.
A former champion with a record of 41-2-0 with 27 KOs, he holds victories over notable opponents such as Sergio Martinez, Antonio Margarito and Ronald Wright.
He revived his career with a controversial decision win over Erislandy Lara, and a dominating win over Nobuhiro Ishida, the man who defeated James Kirkland.
This is also coming at the heel of news that former boxing start Johnny Tapia was found dead in his home yesterday.
It is a very sad time for boxing. No way does Paul Williams deserve something like this to happen to him. Hopefully his surgery goes well and he has a fast and successful recovery.
My heart goes out to him and his family.
Boxer Paul 'The Punisher' Williams Most Likely Paralyzed After Motorcycle Wreck
May 28, 2012
UPDATE: Ringmagazine: Williams' manager: Williams is in an excellent frame of mind, but has been told he will never walk again.
The world of boxing is saddened by more bad news in just two days.
Yesterday we reported that boxing legend Johnny Tapia was found dead at his house in his Albuquerque home, he was 45 years old.
Today, more bad news just came in from Atlanta, GA which reports that former WBO Welterweight and Middle Champion Paul "The Punisher" Williams was involved in motorcycle accident and is most likely paralyzed from the waist down.
His Manager George Peterson told the local News 12 channel that Williams is scheduled for surgery this Wednesday.
Williams has been part of many big fights dating back to his big win over Antonio Margarito in 2007. He would go on to defeat such champions as Winky Wright, Sergio Martínez, Kermit Cintron, Carlos and Quintana
He has had several bumps in his boxing career during the last two years in which he lost fights to Sergio Martinez and Erislandy Lara.
Williams was schedule to face Mexican Saul Alvarez on Sept. 15 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for WBC Light Middleweight title. A fight that would put his career back on track with a victory and earn him a very nice pay check regardless of the results.
That bout is most likely canceled and Williams now faces a much tougher fight, a fight for his life and well being.
Our prayers and toughs are with Williams and his family.
Get well champ !
You can follow me on twitter @sonofcuba fore more boxing updates and articles.
Saul Alvarez vs Paul Williams: Fight Card Could Be a Night of Mexican Warriors
May 23, 2012
In what may shape up to be a very successful pay-per-view, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will be defending his WBC title against former titlist Paul "The Punisher" Williams. Williams will be the toughest challenge of Alvarez's career. Without a doubt, this fight will produce a night of fireworks.
While the main event is already an intriguing matchup, the undercard will also be a topic of interest. This is Alvarez's first pay-per-view and Golden Boy Promotions would be wise to make it as appeasing as possible to not only casual fans but hardcore boxing fans as well. Alvarez is not at the point in his career where he can successfully carry the card by himself.
Late last night, Oscar De La Hoya was tweeting about the possibilities for the card come Sept. 15. From what he was saying, he's looking to turn the event into a real spectacle. Here are a few of his tweets regarding the pay-per-view:
I'm thinking rematch with linares and yeyo who is fighting this Saturday on @FOXDeportes
From what Oscar was saying, this card is starting to look very appealing. Also, the fact that the card will probably be stacked with Mexican fighters during Mexican Independence weekend will only help the pay-per-view sell.
The possible fights so far look good. Johnny Gonzales vs. Ponce De Leon will be a fan friendly title fight that will undoubtedly rile the fans up.
The rematch between Thompson and Linares will be interesting as Thompson blasted Linares in the second round of a very surprising upset. The winner of this rematch will possibly challenge Antonio Demarco for his title.
Finally, any fight with Maidana is a good fight that has a very high chance of ending in a knockout. The only thing that can make this card even better is if Golden Boy somehow got Victor Ortiz to rematch Marcos Maidana.
Only time will tell what will happen with the card, but so far it's looking very promising. Golden Boy Promotions already shocked us all by making this fight, so the possibility that they make this card is pretty good.
Who knows, maybe Canelo will be the third fighter who is able to break the one million pay-per-view barrier besides Pacquiao and Mayweather.
Saul Alvarez vs Paul Williams Official: Pay-Per-View Fight to Be on Sept. 15th
May 22, 2012
There was talk and rumors happening around the boxing community that Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will possibly be facing off against Paul "The Punisher" Williams. According to The Ring Magazine, the fight has officially been inked for Sept. 15th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on pay-per-view.
This is huge news as not only will it be Canelo's first time headlining his own pay-per-view as the main event, but this may also be the toughest challenge in the young man's career.
Paul Williams may not be the man he used to be, but he's tall, has a long reach and can really put the pressure on other fighters. Shane Mosley, despite losing by a wide margin, seemed to irritate Canelo at some points with his pitty-pat punches. In his fight against Jose Cotto, Canelo had to survive the onslaught of Cotto's punches in the first round of their fight.
Paul Williams is a completely different beast than those two fighters and will make Canelo work for a win. He will keep pressure on Canelo throughout the fight as he has averaged almost a thousand punches thrown per fight in his last two fights.
In his fight against Erislandy Lara in 2011, he threw 1047 punches, and in his fight against Nobuhiro Ishida in 2012 he threw 934 punches.
Throwing more punches might be key for Williams winning the fight as sometimes activity can win fights. That's supposedly how Williams won his controversial decision over Lara last year.
Golden Boy deserves major props for creating this fight, as Canelo is one of their most protected fighters (as shown by his last five fights since winning the belt) and this is a huge step up in competition. They must be looking to do huge numbers with this pay-per-view because if they had chosen James Kirkland instead of Williams, then this fight might not sell as well.
Boxing: Canelo Alvarez vs. Paul "The Punisher" Williams Set for September 15
I think that this will be a great fight, and I place the odds at about even money.
It's going to be fascinating to see if Canelo can deal with the high work rate and length of Paul Williams. Will he be able to get inside on the 6'1" windmill that is "The Punisher"?
I'm also really happy to see Canelo and Golden Boy Promotions take some risk and throw their biggest young star into the lion's den against an opponent that he isn't at all guaranteed to beat. Too often, young fighters are matched very soft in an attempt to build them up and pad their record.
Well, in this case, Canelo will be facing an extremely live opponent, and there's a serious danger that he'll lose his "0" come Mexican Independence day.
The good thing for Canelo is that even if he loses, boxing fans and reporters will respect his willingness to face the top fighters in the world. He'll be 22 years old when the fight takes place, so a loss won't break him at all.
As for Paul Williams, this fight is his chance to get back into the picture of the pound for pound top 10.
He's looked shaky in recent years, after suffering a devastating KO at the hands of Sergio Martinez (I was at the fight, it was ridiculous) and a highly controversial decision against Erislandy Lara.
If he can win this fight, his career is rejuvenated. If he loses, it's back to square one for the Aiken, South Carolina native.
This fight promises to be a good one, as they both aren't afraid to trade shots and both have really solid power. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a Fight of the Year candidate.
So, overall this is a great fight for boxing, and props to Canelo and Golden Boy Promotions for taking this fight. It promises to be a tough, grueling fight that either man can win. That's the type of fight that is good for boxing.
On May 5 in Las Vegas, on the undercard of the Mayweather Jr. (43-0-0) vs. Miguel Cotto (37-3-0) showdown, the 21-year old Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (40-0-1) proved to boxing fans that he is a difficult opponent for anyone who shares the ring with the young Mexican star. The older, well-seasoned Shane ‘Sugar’ Mosley (46-8-1) was unable to stand ground and keep up with the pace of the younger and stronger Alvarez.
After eliminating Mosley, the question of who should Alvarez face next was on top of everyone’s mind. While there are options, some of them are much better than others. Golden Boy Promotions didn’t take long in figuring out the question to that answer, and are already working on securing Canelo’s next foe.
According to the RingTv.com, the former two-time welterweight titleholder Paul ‘The Punisher’ Williams (41-2-0) might be next for Alvarez, possibly as soon as September 15.
Richard Schaefer was quoted saying the following regarding the likelihood of the fight being made: "Absolutely, Canelo will definitely fight on September 15. I'm going to be speaking tomorrow, with advisor (sic), Al Haymon, and one of the names which we are considering is Paul Williams. You can put 'Wow' in capital letters. That might be the name of the fight. 'Wow.'"
I agree ‘wow’ is a very good way to put it. I like the match-up and I see a challenge for both men if the fight actually takes place. Williams is a good fighter with enough stamina to keep peppering his opponents with punches through the night. His biggest advantage in that fight would be the ability to throw and land consistent solid punches from afar.
For Alvarez, getting on the inside would be imperative, as he would likely be outworked on the outside. His punches are crisp, but at the same time, it’s hard to judge whether he would be able to land them on a moving target. Mosley was trying to take angles early in the fight, but abandoned his movement as the rounds went on.
But speculations aside, I would love it if this fight was signed and booked. This would be a good fight for both and would undoubtedly open some interesting doors for the victor.
