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After a two-week search for a new opponent, former two-time welterweight champion Paul “The Punisher” Williams has agreed to fight WBC Super Welterweight champion Sergio Gabriel Martinez in a nontitle middleweight bout December 5 at the Adrian Phillips Ballroom in Atlantic City, N.J.
Williams (37-1, 27 KOs) was originally scheduled to fight Kelly Pavlik on the identical date.
However, the matchup was canceled because Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs) has not healed from two surgeries he was forced to undergo to treat a stubborn staph infection in his left hand.
Martinez (44-1-2, 24 KOs), a physical specimen who is widely considered one of the top junior middleweights in the world, will prove to be a very difficult opponent for Williams, 28.
Williams’ promoter, Dan Goosen, told ESPN.com that he fully understands that Martinez, 34, will be a very worthy adversary for his fighter.
“It’s a tough fight against what many would consider an unknown champion, but Martinez can’t be underestimated,” Goosen said of the Argentinean southpaw. “He’s hungry and he’s been looking for his opportunity to fight a name fighter. This is it. Martinez has everything to gain from this fight.”
Goosen acknowledged that it will be a difficult task for Williams to prepare for a fighter of Martinez’s caliber on such brief notice.
“These are the types of fights that are the tough ones, a fight made off the cuff because of the circumstances we were faced with Pavlik pulling out on short notice,” said Goosen. “Normally, you’d rather have a much bigger window to prepare for a tricky lefthander like Martinez.”
Despite the fact that Martinez is a junior middleweight titlist, the two sides agreed to fight over the 154-pound division limit.
“Paul was training to be a middleweight, not a junior middleweight,” Goosen said. “It would not be in the best interest to come down to 154 now on short notice. So I think it’s reasonable to keep him in the division he was looking to fight in.”
Martinez is a powerful man and his southpaw stance will counterbalance the advantages that Williams has historically experienced himself as a lefty in the ring.
Nevertheless, Williams is a cagey fighter and he is a true master at the craft of pugilism.
Williams has long been referred to as the most “avoided fighter in the world” primarily because he is lanky and, at 6’2”, he is extremely tall for a welterweight.
Martinez will not avoid Williams and he will come prepared to wage war with the native of South Carolina.
Still, expect Williams to emerge with a narrow majority decision victory over Martinez next month in the Garden State.
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