Superstar in the making Paul Williams talks about Sergio Martinez, his most comfortable weight, future plans, why Pac’s hotter than Floyd, and much more…
BoxingInsider: How will you approach a tricky cagey guy like Sergio Martinez?
Paul Williams: “I’m gonna show you on Saturday night how I approach a guy like that. I respect what he be doing. He’s had a great couple of fights. But they weren’t in with Paul Williams. Those guys allowed him and let him do what he do. They didn’t jump on him and make him fight like I’m gonna make him fight. So when I go out there he gonna get me or I’m gonna get him. So I’m gonna be gettin him.”
BoxingInsider: After this fight will you continue to fluctuate your weight?
Paul Williams: “We’re gonna fluctuate. Everything is working good for us, it ain’t broke why fix it? There may come a time when it makes sense for me to stay at the same weight. But right now, whereever we get a fight, that’s where we goin at. If we were still at 147 we still be waitin on the fight. That be a couple years. So we gotta move where we could get something to eat at.”
BoxingInsider: So you can still make 147 and 154?
Paul Williams: “If they put it in the contract what we gotta come in at, I’m DEFINITELY gonna come in at that weight. There’s no problem. I’d still be fighting at 47 if I had somebody to fight me. They’re forcing me out of that weight. That’s what it is.”
BoxingInsider: Do you see yourself as the future American superstar?
Paul Williams: “Most definitely. Because every time I get on (TV), I fight different. Every time I fight it’s always exciting. Even when I had that little upset and I lost, it wasn’t like he beat me real bad. Then I came back explosive, knocked my last three guys out.”
BoxingInsider: What weight do you feel most comfortable at?
Paul Williams: “Right now I definitely feel comfortable fighting at 47. Because it’s like a challenge, everyone sayin, Can I make the weight? Then I come in at 45. I can get knockouts at any weight I come in at. Even when I fight at 47. It wasn’t like I was straining my body, I still be eatin and stuff. People saw me eating downstairs before the weigh in so it’s no problem. Most people put on too much weight after weigh in and don’t perform. So if you put on too much weight you don’t feel right. You gonna be sluggish and stuff. So I come in at a comfortable weight.”
BoxingInsider: Are you excited for this Martinez fight?
Paul Williams: “Most definitely, I’ve been in camp so long, I’m ready to get this over with. I got two kids back home. I couldn’t go trick or treatin on Halloween, so I’m gonna punish him for that. Thanksgiving I couldn’t eat like I wanted to eat, so I’m gonna punish him for that. Everything. He didn’t give me the opportunity. So I’m gonna take it out on him. It’s not being cocky and arrogant. That’s just my confidence level right now.”
BoxingInsider: What mistakes did you make going into the Quintana fight and what did you learn from that? And is there a possibility history repeats and you make that mistake again vs. Martinez?
Paul Williams: “I say the fight with Quintana the first time – and by the way, Quintana, he was a really good – he’s down at our training camp, he a real cool guy – I got a lot of respect for him. To answer that question, the first fight I was too relaxed, I just let him do that. I didn’t – like when he tied me up, I didn’t fight out. I didn’t try to fight him and stuff. I was just going through the motions. But the second fight I was so fired up. I had to show everybody it was just a little hiccup. And I’m gonna show you what happens when I’m working on all cylinders.”
BoxingInsider: So that mistake won’t happen here?
Paul Williams: “Oh most definitely not. I’m so fired up. I’m gonna impose my will.”
BoxingInsider: The big fight is with Pacquiao or Floyd. Which one do you think is more likely to give you the opportunity?
Paul Williams: “I think Pacquiao will give me the opportunity. But I don’t think Mayweather will give me the opprtunity. He already said I’m too big. He fights guys that he bigger than. I feel if I make weight, it’s good. If I make the weight we agree on then you should fight the guy. I don’t think he’ll give me a shot. I think Pacquiao has more guts to give me a shot than him. But after this fight, like I say, people are gonna be excited. I’m gonna make my way back down to the low 50s and we gonna get in the mix with those guys.”
BoxingInsider: If you could have your choice who would you prefer to fight Pacquiao or Floyd?
Paul Williams: “Pacquiao because he’s more hot right now. Pacquiao’s more hot. Mayweather I respect what he’s been doing. They’re both good guys but Pacquiao right now, he hot. He’s real hot. He’s been beating everybody. Going through em and he throws a lot of punches. So I’d like to put my skills against his skills. And there’d be a whole lot of punches in that fight.”
