Paul Williams at 32: His Fate is in The Hands of The Gods
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
On July 27, 2013, Paul (The Punisher) Williams will turn 32 years old. 14 months after his motorcycle accident on May 27, 2012, Paul Williams remains the punisher in the dark in Augusta, Georgia. Like an old and faded tombstone long unnoticed in a quiet cemetery lost in obscurity, Paul Williams is a professional boxer gone but not forgotten, perhaps like the Carmine Vingos and Doug Jones and Alex Mieffs and Mike Quarrys, doomed to be become long forgotten in a similar wind. Paul’s current post-accident situation is similar to the late WBA Inter-Continental Light Middleweight champion Shaun Cummins of the United Kingdom, who later became a body builder, a bodyguard for hire, and a debt collector. A motorbike accident in 2004 left Cummins paralyzed with no feeling from the chest down.
Showtime Paul Williams Interview: http://youtu.be/S-et6H6p6hY
Fighting between 148 and 160 pounds, Paul was a southpaw and had a career record of 41 wins and two losses, with 27 knockouts. If he somehow was able to rehabilitate his legs successfully and walk again, could Paul Williams come back? Good question.
From Willie Pep to Kenny Lane, from Sugar Ray Leonard to Ricky Hatton, from Mark Weinman to Big George Foreman, boxers have attempted incredible comebacks after considerable amount of time retired from the ring. Each boxer is different. In the case of boxers like Danny ‘Little Red’ Lopez, Joe Louis, James Jeffries, Benny Leonard, Ruby Bob Fitzsimmons, Saoul Mamby, Jerry Quarry and Muhammad Ali, the layoff proved too difficult to overcome at advanced age. Smokin’ Joe Frazier, Buster Drayton and Jack Jackson are among those world champions who fought successful exhibitions later life.
Materialism is not the issue for Paul Williams. Truth: there should be a clause in boxer’s contracts requiring them NOT to ride on motorcycles until after they retire. Williams has survived. Boxing fatalities on motorcycles include: 12-0 Peltz Promotions cruiserweight prospect Andre Prophet; Diego ‘Chico’ Corrales; James Shuler; Young Stribling; 16-0-1 Illinois welterweight prospect Vinny Letizia; Thomas Bradley; Donna Pepper; and Julio Cesar Gonzalez. They were not so lucky. They died. As to what extent the heavens may give Paul Williams a second chance on life-if not in the ring-his fate is in the hands of the Gods.
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