On this day, Paul Williams was born. Williams wildly considered the boogeyman of his era held the WBO welterweight title twice, the WBO interim junior middleweight title, and was a unified middleweight champion. Williams had to inevitably move up in weight to get fights that merited interest as his big frame and high workout rate made him a nightmare match-up for many of the top names of the sport who went in other directions.
Best known by his nickname, "The Punisher", the six-foot, two-inch, boxer defeated Antonio Margarito in Margarito's prime, and had a classic rivalry with Sergio Martinez, one of which he ended up the worse for wear in the second bout as he was stopped in the second round. As Williams won the first fight via a close decision, but was stopped brutally in their rematch.
Prior to fighting Canelo Alvarez in 2012, Williams was involved in a motorcycle accident that resulted in him being paralyzed from the waist down. Williams was forced to retire after the injury.
Williams will always be remembered for his blue-collar nature to the sport of boxing - willing to fight any and all, as he probably was unable to compete in the weight class that best suited him, welterweight as he was too big of a risk with not enough of a reward. Williams is a boxing purist favorite and a fighter who should not be forgotten.
