Carlos Quintana 8-1 Underdog Defeats Paul Williams

Did someone forget to tell Carlos Quintana he was merely an opponent for the undefeated WBO Welterweight titleholder Paul “the Punisher” Williams? Apparently. Not only that, but the fight did look like a basic training camp for a boxer who had only ten fights as an amateur.

Williams has both the body and the skills to kill in the division, but Quintana picked his lock and opened the door to a unanimous decision against a guy who was at least a foot taller and 2 feet longer in reach. This was the kind of fight that should serve as a training film for young fighters, especially tall ones with pronounced athletic skills. While Williams had a powerful jab working effectively in spots, it was predictable and sporadic. Quintana had it figured, and repeatedly pounded Williams with straight power left hands launched upward from the sturdy missile pad of his compact frame. Quintana also did nice work with short right hooks to the body and head when the two fighters closed. He swept the tall fighter’s head into the path of destruction.

Williams’ mistake was in forfeiting height and physical advantages, at times leaning inward to punch, and closing space so often that he rarely had enough room to punch. “The Punisher” was trying to make good on his promise to “bring it”, something he might have done better in the later rounds had he boxed from the outside, even at the risk of looking too “technical.”

As always, Howard Lederman detracted from the proceedings with his grating voice and conventional failings. Lederman’s account of any fight is most often colored by the Nevada betting odds, with Quintana the 8-1 underdog. Lederman’s account had Williams winning the fight by 3 rounds; two judges had Quintana winning by 4 rounds, and the 3rd judge by 3 rounds. As ever, I would like to know why HBO employs Lederman in its broadcasts. He adds absolutely nothing. Is he some kind of boxing “Godfather?”