HBO Saturday Night: Paul Williams Decisions Winky Wright

It was the type of fight that appeals more to inveterate boxing fans than the World's Best KOs Crowd. Wright is a specialist, one of boxing's top surgeons, but it looked a bit as if he'd been suffering from a hangover when he faced a busy Paul Williams.

Seeing Paul Williams in fast action was almost enough to make you forget about his whipping against an inspired and much shorter Carlos Quintana a while back. Williams was looking like everything they say he is against Wright, who may have been sluggish due to a long layover, but had his stuff working as usual. It was the famed Wright defenses which kept him from getting KOd but his face looked battered at the end. The thing I liked about Williams is that he seemed to be enjoying himself in the ring, and smiled amiably several times while walkig toward his corner. Williams' athleticism is akin to that of Jermaine Taylor's but "The Punisher" seems to have developed a great deal of restraint after his upset by Quintana. He knows when to hold 'em and knows when to fold 'em. Meanwhile, Williams pivoted fluidly out of tight spots and left Wright looking like he needed a GPS to track him.

Winky didn't look bad at all, I thought, just slower and much less productive as you would expect from a 37 year old. Williams, meanwhile, knew where he was in the ring all the time and delivered speedy combinations with a great deal of authority. I look for Paul Williams to do great things so long as he stays focused on boxing and doesn't let the peripherals get to him. The boxing life has its own particular hazards, as most people know.

Winky Wright's story is a great story and he's one of the ring legends you hope would retire though he's not going to. In this fight against Williams, he showed heart, spirit, and determination up to the final rounds. I'm glad it went to a decision with Wright keeping his feet and his dignity intact.

Such as it is...