PAUL WILLIAMS and his long-time trainer George Peterson have already started preparing for the South Carolina man’s November 20 rematch with Sergio Martinez who pushed “The Punisher” incredibly close back in December, before going on to take Kelly Pavlik’s world middleweight title. But Williams has already begun to think about the future, post-Martinez and Manny Pacquiao is on the weight-jumper’s radar.
“I like going up and down,” said the former WBO welterweight champion. “Once I get Martinez out the way – and I’m not looking past Martinez – I’d love to get Floyd [Mayweather] but he’s out for a year and I’d love to get [Manny] Pacquiao. If he gets past [Antonio] Margarito, why not give me a shot?”
Williams is not as convinced as most people that the Filipino marvel will have things all his own way against the disgraced Mexican but emphasised the fact he beat a better Margarito in 2007.
“It depends what Margarito has left,” Williams judged regarding the Pacquiao fight. “Because Margarito has had a little shine taken. When I fought him in 2007 that’s when Margarito was at his peak. Now he’s going down a little bit. He’s been taking a lot of punishment and we don’t know how much he got left after that ‘Sugar’ Shane [Mosley] fight, that was a pretty nasty beating he took. It depends on how much he’s recovered and how much he’s got left in him. I definitely think it will be a good fight to see though.”
For now, Williams’ main focus is on old foe Martinez. The Argentine came in as a substitute for Kelly Pavlik, at three weeks’ notice, when the pair first fought. Williams had been preparing for a completely different style of boxer but now knows exactly what to expect.
“Martinez shows his slick stuff, makes you make mistakes and then he’ll counter on you,” Williams explained. “It will definitely be an incredible fight to watch again. It’ll certainly be something to see, but the way I’m feeling now, I don’t think this fight’s going to go the distance.”
Paul was able to combat the late-notice change in opposition due to his incredible fitness and work ethic. He and Peterson realise just how important Williams’ conditioning has been throughout his career.
“Nowadays when we go into camp we work on our conditioning first,” Peterson, who has worked with Williams since the fighter was 15, revealed. “After that we start training for the particular fighter – we train for each fighter differently.
“We get him in top condition. Other guys get lazy but we have to conserve his stamina. We make sure he’s on top of his stamina and then we know he can go out there and execute. In the 12th round – and that’s in every fight he’s fought – he threw more punches than he did in the first. That’s stamina.
We place little emphasis on sparring. We may spar 45-60 rounds for a fight then that’s it. Guys beat themselves to death in the gym, there a lot of wear and tear, we don’t do that.”
Williams is not a fan of every aspect of his brutal regime but understands the purpose of the things Peterson tells him to do.
“I hate sprints, I love the long distance [runs],” Williams stated. “After a while, I got used to the sprints and now it ain’t nothin’, it’s like the faster I do it, the faster I get done.”
And his favourite part of training?
“Yes, when it’s over,” he laughed, “that’s the best part. When he says we’re finished for the day, I’m like, ‘Yes I get to go back to the house, lay down and go to sleep’.”
Source: http://www.boxingnewsonline.net
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