Who is the Most Feared Welterweight in the World?

Posted by Igor Frank on 08.06.2008

"The Punisher" thinks it's someone named Paul Williams.

Photo by Alex Pierpaoli

"Brutiful" is how one fan called the fight between Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto: a combination of brutal and beautiful, which is the essence of sweet science. If you did not see that fight, it is an instant modern classic and I am sure you will be able to catch it on HBO and soon on ESPN classics, but if you did, what can I say, it inspired so many emotions in so many people: fans making up words to describe it that could very well become a part of English language.

Antonio "The Tijuana Tornado" Margarito crushed his opponent in devastating fashion, changed the whole landscape of welterweight division and demonstrated to every one why he was called the most feared welterweight. Margarito does not simply win matches; he destroys his adversaries by taking their heart and soul and breaking their spirit and to do it to Miguel Cotto, who I still consider one of the top fighters of today, was not a small feat.

Even though Margarito said in his post fight press conference, that he would let Bob Arum pick opponents and do the promoting for him, he was in Las Vegas a week later for the Clottey- Judah fight, calling out Oscar De La Hoya. "He said he wanted to fight the winner of Cotto- Margarito," said Tony smiling during his televised interview:" I am right here."

However, Bob Arum told me prior to the fight on Saturday morning that Oscar would not consider Margarito for his final bout because he did not want to fight a Mexican for his last outing. After the battle Bob Arum stated that things have changed and that Antonio deserves big money fights and that his job as a promoter is to make that happen. But we are back to square one: Floyd Mayweather Jr. turned down eight million dollars to fight Margarito a few years ago and he is definitely not coming out of retirement to do it now, Oscar is out. So where is that big money fight for Tony? Is Margarito still the most feared man in boxing? What's changed?

There is one man who had something to say about that and he flew all the way from South Carolina to Los Angeles to let every one know how he feels. His name is Paul Williams and his promoter Dan Goossen hosted a press luncheon in Sherman Oaks, California at a trendy Italian restaurant "Sisley's". Dan Goossen revealed to the media that he offered Bob Arum four million dollars guaranteed take, which is more than twice more of what Margarito was guaranteed to fight Cotto, for Tony to fight Paul Williams.

Bob Arum turned it down. Steve Kim from Maxboxing.com joked that he invited Sergio Diaz (Margarito's manager) for free lunch at Sisley's, Sergio refused by saying he is on a diet. Let's think about it for a while. Their first fight last July in Carson , California was a great twelve round battle in which Williams earned unanimous nod from the judges and a WBO welterweight belt .Some experts felt that it was a close fight and if Tony would have started the tornado rolling a little sooner it might have ended differently.

David Avila of Riverside Press asked Paul if he would change his strategy in the rematch, especially if Tony would start faster.

"I know how to beat him," said confident Williams:" Why would I change anything, if he starts fast he will finish slow."

Others, myself included, felt that Williams won that fight decisively and therefore if any one should look for a rematch it should be Margarito.

When I asked Paul about that, his trainer George Peterson said, "I want to answer that. They say it was a close fight, I don't understand that. How could it be a close fight when he won by unanimous decision, I just don't see that. Yesterday I was reading USA Today and it said that he (Margarito) is the most feared welterweight in the world. How can he be the most feared welterweight in the world when this young man here is still asking for him.

"I can't understand that."

"I would love to fight him again," said Williams:" but if Margarito doesn't want to fight, I am not going to sit around and wait for him. We want all the big names anywhere from 154 pounds all the way to 168."

Dan Goossen revealed that the obstacle to make a fight with Pavlik was money and the problem with Winky Right fight was that HBO pulled the September date. So now HBO gave Paul Williams a new date in November, but no opponent as of yet.

So who is the most feared welterweight in the world? It looks like neither one of these two might have too many options and they will be forced to fight each other again and we will get our answer.