Paul Williams and trainer George Peterson held a conference call with the media to discuss the big rematch against Sergio Martinez, training for the bout, and future plans as well. Check out what they had to say.
Daniel Goossen: Well, guys, I know that we’ve got a two-part teleconference today so I’m not going to do a lot of talking and I don’t want to hear any applause because I said that, but it’s a fight – Martinez and Williams II. It’s a fight that we’re all getting excited about. And it’s a great fight for our sport. I believe it’s the biggest fight this year, and that includes the great one that we’ll probably see with Pacquiao and Margarito. Caesars Atlantic City, they have been great good partner, DiBella Entertainment bringing Martinez to the table and Corona and HBO.
My good friend at HBO (Mark Taffet) wanted to name this fight “True Blood” based upon what we expect to see on November 20th but I guess we couldn’t get those naming rights so we’re calling it “Blood and Guts”, Martinez versus Williams II.
I want to introduce George Peterson, Paul’s trainer, so he can say a few words and then we’ll bring Paul up to say an opening comment and then we’ll open it up to the media. Thank you again for joining us.
George, how is everything looking right now in training camp?
George Peterson: Well, of course, we just finished our training for today and we’re quite pleased at where we are. We’re on schedule, of course and will be ready that night of the 20th of November.
Daniel Goossen: Great, great. Paul?
Paul Williams: I’m feeling real good, man. You know, everything is going real good. I got good sparring partners with the hand stuff and I just can’t wait to get to the 20th and put all this training to work and you know, show everybody.
Daniel Goossen: The training is going great out there, Paul?
Paul Williams: It’s going lovely, man. I mean hard work, blood, sweat and tears.
Michael Woods of Sweet Science: Greetings, Mr. Goossen, Paul and George.
Michael Woods: My question first is for Paul and then George could answer too. It seems that the first fight was so close. Is there more of a urgency for you to actually knock him out this time to remove all the doubt, remove the judges from the equation?
George Peterson: Well, I think the judges made the right decision. It was just those other people that were around that wanted to go to the other way, but the judges, they made the right decision.
Michael Woods: Paul, is there more of an urgency to knock him out this time to remove the judges from the equation?
Paul Williams: I’m going to do what I do best and we’ll put a real beating on this time, if the knockout comes, it comes. I’m going to put that beating on him this time, you know, it’d be much brutal this time.
Michael Woods: So you’re really looking to put a beating on him. Is there any personal dislike there or is this just what you do?
Paul Williams: Oh, nothing personal, always business.
Michael Woods: All right, all right, always business.
And the Jesus, of course, this is going to be a tough one. It’s almost a (pick em’) but with talking to Bob Arum yesterday and he said a possibility of a Pacquiao fight after this. Is that something you’d look forward to?
Paul Williams: I look forward after the 20th, but that’s more motivation in knowing that so that would motivate me even more you know what I’m saying, I’ll go out there and put on a good show, and to be real cautious and do my thing.
Michael Woods: Did you say, “Be real cautious”?
Paul Williams: Yes.
Michael Woods: You’re going to be cautious, you said?
Paul Williams: Be real cautious.
Michael Woods: Why are you going to be cautious on the 20th?
Paul Williams: I don’t want him to be hurt bad.
Michael Woods: You don’t want to hurt him that bad?
Paul Williams: Yes.
Michael Woods: OK. So you’re going to put a beating on him but you don’t want to hurt him that bad?
Paul Williams: Oh, yes, you know, nothing personal, just business.
Michael Woods: OK. Nothing personal, just business. All right. Thanks, guys. Have a great fight. Good luck, everyone.
Dan Rafael of ESPN: Hello, George, Paul and Dan. How’s everybody today?
Dan Rafael: Paul, in the first, you know, you were supposed to fight Pavlik and you ended up with Martinez on so much short notice so, you know, you had a switch from a guy that’s going to be in front of you and the right-handed to a guy that’s moves a little bit and the left-hander.
I know there was an issue with that, the weight, the whole thing. So it was a little bit of that short notice, the whole change and you were doing to prepare, and George, I know you were instrumental in making sure that he was prepared to make that big change.
Now that you had plenty of time to know who your opponent is in this fight or know this guy and also having gone 12 hard rounds with the guy, what do you think will be the difference between the way that went the first time where I think it kind of surprise a lot of people that it was such an expose of fight to how you will fight this rematch.
George Peterson: Well, you know, it’s a basic fighting. You know, people tend to think that he is real tricky and he is real smooth. Of course, you know, we’ve got to give him credit for that.
But, you know, that ring is just about 20 feet long. That’s just so far he can run and to the point where – that we’re going to make him run, no doubt about that. But we don’t run along with him this time.
Of course, we didn’t know his capabilities as much before but we know what he is subject to do. He knows he’s an old man, of course, and he can run for a period of time and then he had to stop.
He’s going to have to fight, there’s going to coma a time in that ring where he’s going to have to fight and I know who will get the best of that. So we’re not worried about that. We all feel confident about this. We have time to prepare and we are prepared. I mean if the fight takes place tomorrow night, we all wait, and we’re ready to go.
Dan Rafael: George, excuse me, he did not run in the first fight though. I mean you stood there and he traded with Paul the same way Paul stood and traded with him?
George Peterson: Say that again?
Dan Rafael: He did not run in the first fight nor did Paul but two men stood there and fought each other pretty much so that fight was so good.
George Peterson: You watched the different fight than I watched, Dan. We’re talking about Martinez and Paul Williams fight.
Dan Rafael: I know what you’re talking about. Well, a lot of punches, guys – both guys run were on the deck…
George Peterson: Oh, there were some times that he stood in the gap but most of the times, he ran.
Dan Rafael: OK. Paul, can you address the idea that there’s really – you know, you will have to make any radical changes in your camp. You’re familiar with your opponent, you went to 12 rounds in the first time.
Paul Williams: Oh, yes. This one will be more brutal this time. It will be more action and there will be more punches thrown. The same as on the first fight but ten times more so, you know, it will be – it’s going to be a good fight but I know I’m coming out with the win, either with a knockout or even with a decision.
Dan Rafael: Well, did he take you at all by surprise in the first fight, not that – I mean you knew he was a good fighter going into the fight, I know that, and, you know, both you and George as well as Goossen and everybody had nothing but respect for him going into the fight but there’s a difference between what we think you’re going to get when you go into the fight and what you actually get in the tough 12-round fight.
How surprised were you that it turned out to be that difficult of a fight compared to maybe what you had in your mind going into it?
Paul Williams: To me, it wasn’t that difficult, you know what I’m saying? Him being, you know what I’m saying? Being slick and moving and running a lot, running around, you know what I’m saying? Jumping in and jumping out. You know, I have to get adjusted to that and I started getting adjusted to that you know what I’m saying? And OK, I can deal with it now.
Dan Rafael: Now, you can deal with it, you said?
Paul Williams: Yes. And I had like a couple of rounds that I had to go adjusting because of him moving around and all that, jumping in, jumping out, throwing punches and stuff and I thought that will give him the match.
Dan Rafael: OK. And just one other thing, I saw the 30-day weigh ins. There was particular – the weights were set out to us. You were 162 to the press release and Sergio was 176 pounds – clearly, a big difference in weight.
Are you there with your normal work or have you tried extra hard or is it just, melt it off those pounds, because, you know, he’s still quite heavy relative to when you’re fighting and compared to where you were at?
Paul Williams: We’re just doing everything that we always do. You know, nothing is different and no crazy training and nothing like that, we just went to a natural workout and, you know, I have no problem with the weight always, you know. It’s just putting in the time and work.
George Peterson: We had to watch our weight. We’ve got to put on some weight though because what happened, he will be weigh – we know we’ve got three more weeks of training.
Dan Rafael: Yes.
George Peterson: And if we didn’t put on some weight, he will be under the weight limit because he’s constantly working off the weight so, you know, we’re not having trouble with the weight. Again, we had to put weight on.
Dan Rafael: All right. Thank you guys very much. I appreciate it. Good luck to you guys.
Daniel Goossen: Dan, as you know…
Dan Rafael: Yes?
Daniel Goossen: …as we’ve been saying all along, we were looking for our next fight at 147 so that’s one of the reasons why we’re sitting here doing what we’re doing because we couldn’t get Pacquiao in the ring.
Dan Rafael: OK. Is that also by the way – is that why the weight for this fight is 158 as opposed to the…
George Peterson: That’s exactly what I said to you before, is that, you know, we had Paul in, you know, looking towards 147-pound fight and obviously, that came into play on our discussion.
Dan Rafael: All right. Thanks a lot.
Lem Satterfield of AOL Fanhouse: Hey, guys, I have one question that I’d like Dan, Paul and George to answer separately, if one of you doesn’t feel like the other has completely answered it, and that is, in my mind and I think in the mind of everyone in the sport, this was indeed Paul’s most difficult fight. Can you guys each address leading into the fight why that is it that being the case?
George Peterson: Well, you’ve got to bear in mind we only had three weeks to prepare for this, Lem. Apparently, you missed that point, but we had three weeks to prepare for this so we didn’t have time to prepare. You know, me, we had to fly in and he had to get adjusted, we didn’t have preparation time. That’s it. Just as simple as that.
So – but this time, it’s going to be different. You know, we’ve got time to prepare so, you know, this is nothing to Paul. Paul walked out victorious. You’ve got to remember, Paul has got to win over him. He does not have a win over Paul. So he’s got to be grateful that Paul has given him a rematch. Remember that Paul doesn’t have to fight this guy.
And what I’m hearing that Paul is forced to fight him and he can’t fight nobody else. You know, go fly a kite with that. Paul is going to fight and we know he want to fight. That we will fight him.
So this guy had to do nothing to Paul. And this guy is no superstar because he has been training for Paul Williams for 2-1/2 months and Paul got three weeks to train for him. Come on, I don’t – But, you know, the 20th is coming out and we will be all right.
Lem Satterfield: Paul and Dan, can you address it also?
Daniel Goossen: Real quickly, give me that question, Lem?
Lem Satterfield: Well, I mean that’s exactly what I was referring to with George Peterson, you know, addressing the issue surrounding what may have led to this being Paul’s most difficult fight.
Daniel Goossen: Well, I don’t know if this is most difficult fight.
George Peterson: I wouldn’t say that either.
Lem Satterfield: He’s the one you had the toughest time in so far in his career.
Daniel Goossen: Well, you know, the bottom line is that there hasn’t been anyone Paul hasn’t been willing to get into the ring with and that goes back to the Margarito days when obviously, Margarito wasn’t looking to get into the ring with Paul and he was considered the most feared man in the world at the time.
This is just another challenge, a tough challenge from a man that we’ve already fought. George already explained it perfectly with the situation as it was with Pavlik pulling out twice.
Martinez put up a great effort that night but I thought it was a sensational effort for Paul taking it on three weeks’ notice completely different style along with the mental dejection he had to have with the two Pavlik fights going down, but enough on that.
This is about Paul Williams showing that supremacy on November 20th and I believe 100 percent without selling anything that this is going to establish Paul at the top because everyone has Sergio Martinez on such a pedestal which is great. I’ve got no problem with that because those are the tougher fights that Paul wants, we want.
And, you know, the bottom line is after the performance Paul has on November 20th, there’s going to be no doubt in my mind that he is the number one fighter pound-for-pound in the world today and that includes Manny and Floyd.
Lem Satterfield: OK. Paul, can you – do you agree with both of those assessments and if so, could you add your own take on it?
Paul Williams: I just basically wasn’t prepared for him but now I’m prepared for him so I think it will be more. If everybody thought the first fight was good, that’s me on, you know, a three-week notice and look at me with a three-month notice.
So there’s going to be much more to see – you know what I’m saying?
Lem Satterfield: Last question for you, Paul, in your mind, is there any sense of frustration that – perhaps in your mind that Kelly Pavlik was willing to step into the ring with Sergio Martinez as opposed to stepping into the ring with you and now he has not only – Martinez has not only fought you in the very difficult fight but also now has maybe the title that you wanted and maybe still be yours and that give you any more incentive going into this fight?
Paul Williams: Oh, yes. I feel like Martinez stole something from me, he stole the belts that are supposed to be mine. I have two chances of getting them and both times, it didn’t happen and so now, he got them so now, it’s more motivation for me to go in this and put in a hell of a fight on the 20th.
And I feel that while picked him because he saw the fight, me and Martinez. He saw Martinez falling down. He figured that because he is bigger than Martinez, he can throw some bigger punch you know what I’m saying? And hurt him and stuff. But that didn’t happen and I’m going to show him how to do it on the 20th.
Lem Satterfield: Paul, thank you very much. Thanks, Dan, and thanks, George. We’ll see you on November 20th.
George Peterson: Thank you.
Robert Morales: Hello, everybody. Is Sergio there? Is Sergio on the line?
Daniel Goossen: No. He gets on in about eight minutes.
Robert Morales: OK, eight minutes, OK.
Daniel Goossen: Right. You had – you already had your questions, Robert?
Robert Morales: Well, yes, because I talked to Paul yesterday as you know, so I’m cool. How are you doing Paul? I’ll go ahead and just wait for Sergio to get on.
Daniel Goossen: All right. Great.
Robert Morales: Thanks guys.
Daniel Goossen: Next question, operator.
Bob Velin: Hi, guys. This is for Dan and Paul. This is a good fight for the sport of boxing. I don’t think there’s any question about that based on the first fight. But being known as the most avoided man in boxing, Paul, what do you think it will take to get better match ups in the sport?
Paul Williams: I think we’re going to take the media and the network to make some guys fight, the big guys, the big names – and everybody got they say they are the best and stuff like that. I think they make the big fight happening, right, that the top guys in the weights, they didn’t make them fight like you all got the microphone and you all got control all that and there is like a network so they shouldn’t be putting a lot of fights on if they don’t fight a top guy that’s real hard that everybody wants to see. We should actually have a poll that everybody go vote on who they want to see fight with a guy and make them guys fight.
Bob Velin: I think a lot – I mean the media has, you know, made a case for you and the fact that, you know, people don’t want to fight you, I don’t – you know, I mean I know it’s got to be more than just the media.
Daniel Goossen: Well, Bob, I’ll tell you what I think real quickly and I’ve said it before, is it’s going to take the fighters to stand up to their promoters and say, “Hey, you know, I don’t want to fight a (re-tread). I don’t want to fight someone that I’ve already beaten that doesn’t – hasn’t earned the right to get back in the ring with me.”
That’s what we had with the Hagler, Leonards, Hearns and Durans. I mean these fighters wanted the big fight, despite most promoters wanting to keep it in house for obvious reasons.
So it’s the Pacquiao’s that have to say, “I want my legacy to be one of the greatest of all time and I don’t care what the risks are. We’ve had it throughout the history of our sport.”
Duran was a 135-pounder fighting middleweights. So, you know, the size difference and risks, it didn’t stop the greats from yesteryear to accomplish it and that’s what it takes. The top fighters need to demand the biggest fights are made.
Do you think we could make the type of schedule Paul Williams had had throughout the years without he and George Peterson and Al Haymon all wanting to have those types of challenges? Of course, not so…
Bob Velin: So Paul, you’re not afraid to tell Dan, “You know, I don’t want to fight this guy. I want to fight somebody else,” or is that how…
Daniel Goossen: No, because I don’t have that problem either. I want him to fight the biggest fights out there so we’re on the same page. If the fighters are such as – you know, best example is Pacquiao right now.
Regardless of the type of money they generate, the bottom line is the public, the media, probably everyone but, Bob, would like to have seen Pacquiao fight one of the hot young guys. Am I right?
Bob Velin: Yes.
Daniel Goossen: So Manny is the one that’s got to demand these fights. It’s always in the fighters’ hands if their promoter is not on the same page.
Bob Velin: Do you think there is just huge rift among promoters these days that…
Daniel Goossen: No, no, no, just, they’re just smart men. So they realize the risks and reward factor, but why they’re doing it for internal business reasons it prevents the biggest fights from being made?
I see it changing. I see it moving towards the big fights in 2011 and quite frankly, Bob, November 20th is that next step for Paul Williams. He’s doing it – he’s following in the footsteps of a Marvin Hagler with what Marvin had to go through for many years and then all of a sudden, the floodgates opened up.
Bob Velin: Do you think that is around the corner for Paul?
Daniel Goossen: I believe November 20th Paul is going to make a statement heard around the world and it’s going to open up in 2011 for him with the biggest fights.
Bob Velin: OK. Thank you very much, guys. I appreciate it.
Gabriel Montoya: Good afternoon, gentlemen. How are you today?
Daniel Goossen: Good.
Gabriel Montoya: All right. This first question is just for anybody who could answer it either the Williams’ camp or Dan, specifically. I’ve heard at first that the weight was 157, now I’m hearing 158 so I want clarity on that.
But I wanted to know why to catch weight. Paul has been marketed as the guy that fights from 147. I think, Dan, I’ve heard you say, he could fight as 158, but now he’s fighting for the middleweight title and not…
Daniel Goossen: Well, we just went over that a few minutes ago, Gabe, I don’t know…
Gabriel Montoya: All right. I came in late.
Daniel Goossen: OK. Yes, and really, just briefly, what we’ve said is that we were gearing up for 147-pound fight in our next fight, which happens to be this one. As, you know, we were hoping to get either Pacquiao or Mayweather. So that was the reason he was light going into the Martinez fight. The max weight is 158 to make everything clear.
Gabriel Montoya: OK. I still don’t understand.
Daniel Goossen: Then call me up later since we already went over this earlier, Gabe.
Gabriel Montoya: Yes. I’ll call you afterwards.
Paul, it seems like you’re really kind of pushing to get to 157 or get to, you know, the top weight you guys did the WBC weigh in the other day. Do you feel like you really could climb above 160 or is 147 still natural to you at this point? And you’re just fighting out of your weight class.
Paul Williams: Well, of course, I’ll fight out of my weight class. I mean I’ll get a big fight that’s what I’m going to go at, you know. I mean we do – Mr. Peterson, Al and Dan told me to go 168. If I go it up, I want to go 168. I probably come in a weight that I’m comfortable with.
Gabriel Montoya: OK. I’m curious, why it would matter to you what he weighs?
Paul Williams: Who weighs?
Gabriel Montoya: What the middleweight champion weighs.
Paul Williams: To me, it wouldn’t matter to me. You know, main concern is fighting. I’m just a fighter, I’ll give him a fight.
George Peterson: But let me answer that. I can’t understand that question, Gabe. You mentioned why does Paul undecided – well, I can’t understand. Would you say that again? I’m kind of confused.
Gabriel Montoya: What do you care what the middleweight champion weight?
George Peterson: Well, the middleweight champion weight, what do you weigh, 176, is that what you’re referring to?
Daniel Goossen: He’s talking about the 158-pound maximum. And the reason why is because, Paul is always taking additional risks when he fights over the welterweight limit. We’ve got a 147-pounder and for the last few years, we’ve been giving up a lot by going up on weight.
George Peterson: Well, I don’t understand with this issue. You know, I heard this several times. You know, Hopkins had that built for 13, 14 years and the most he ever weighed is 157 and I didn’t see that – hear that question servicing back then.
I mean I just can’t understand the difference in two pounds. I mean what’s the difference if a man – if the sanction body says, you know, this weight limit is a certain thing and this young man makes this weight limit.
Daniel Goossen: I agree.
George Peterson: Where is – what’s the problem with that?
Gabriel Montoya: Well, I guess the question will be then why can’t you weigh the maximum weight?
George Peterson: Why should he weigh it?
Daniel Goossen: Potentially with the other way also, Gabe. I mean and really, let’s talk about the fight rather than the weight because we’ve already explained the weight.
George Peterson: Yes.
Daniel Goossen: And then really to me, it doesn’t make any sense.
Gabriel Montoya: It’s not very clear, Dan. It’s not very clear at all.
Daniel Goossen: (Tell you) what I’ve said and it’s clear on what George has said and the bottom line is you’ve heard what Paul said. So Gabe, listen up, let’s talk about the fight because I’d rather concentrate on the great fight we have here rather then if it’s at 158, 147 or 168.
Gabriel Montoya: OK. You guys have a lot more time to prepare specifically for Sergio. Last time, he was rushed. He was the last minute opponent, you know, by three weeks. Have you gleaned more this time and do you expect it to be less of a brawl this time and more of a Paul Williams fight where you’d be able to control the action a little more because you have a clearer game?
George Peterson: Paul is in a situation here, Gabe, where he’s going to make the necessary adjustment. Whatever it takes, he’s going to be able to make the adjustment, whatever it is.
Gabriel Montoya: That’s the last time you guys had a rematch. You came out spectacular. You blew up Carlos Quintana, avenged your loss. Do you guys expect something this spectacular this next time around?
George Peterson: This is going to be a spectacular fight, yes.
Gabriel Montoya: And then for Sergio, have you noticed any differences this time around and having longer to prepare – being able to prepare…
Daniel Goossen: And Sergio is not on.
Gabriel Montoya: Oh, I’m sorry. My apologies, gentlemen. Well, I think that’s all my questions. Dan, I’ll give you a call.
Daniel Goossen: And Gabe, on Pacquiao’s teleconference, ask him the same thing about his catch weight, will you?
Gabriel Montoya: Well, that’s not a linear title. This is…
Daniel Goossen: I’ll talk to you later. Give me a call.
Gabriel Montoya: OK.
Daniel Goossen: Two more questions, operator.
Daxx Khan of Saddo Boxing: How are you doing today? My question is for Paul. Paul, in your first fight with Martinez, you know, we all know as was spoken already only had about three weeks to prepare for that.
But, you know, it was his movement that really seems to bother you and that was similar to your first fight with Carlos Quintana where his movements seem to bother you. You know, in the rematch, do you think that you’re going to be able to make necessary adjustments to look as good or end the fight as quickly as you did in the Quintana rematch?
Paul Williams: I’m looking good but I want to end the fight that quickly.
George Peterson: And just want to have fun.
Paul Williams: I just want to have fun and I want to put a beating him on this time, you know, because I want to land all my shots I couldn’t land the first time. So I’ll make him pay for that but I definitely will look good. We got guys in there that move fast and do all kinds of stuff in the ring so I’m adjusted to all of that, you know, so it is a point of getting in there you know what I’m saying? Me doing I do best, you know, saying, walking the talk.
(Daxx Khan): And what about Martinez that makes you think that this fight is just going to be, you know, be easier? You know, has Martinez since then shown you anything or is it maybe the fact that, you know, over the last weigh in, he’s still at 176 pounds? You know, do you think that Martinez is just not taking it seriously or he’s not going to be prepared enough as you are?
Paul Williams: Not definitely. You know, he weigh 167 or whatever. That don’t mean nothing because he’s got a weight you know what I’m saying? The weight on the 19th and I think he’s going to make the weight easily, you know.
But I’ll say, you know what I’m saying? In the first fight, if you look at the first fight, you can see me not doing what I normally do. I’m just walking and twist. I wasn’t trying by the way. I just fight in him. That was my game plan, is to fight him. I want to try and do nothing. I just fight hi, but this time, I’ve got some better punishment in store for him, you know what I’m saying? He is going to have to queue up to fight me again and I bet he isn’t ready to fight me this time.
(Daxx Khan): All right. And one last question was when in the first fight, you know, you guys traded knockdown in the first round. When you’ve got knockdown, did Sergio had any power that bothered you or was that more or less something, you know, you’ve got caught, you weren’t expecting it and..
Paul Williams: (Just got caught).
(Daxx Khan): All right, all right. Thanks a lot and wish you luck.
Paul Williams: Thank you.
Lem Satterfield: Well, I’m good. I was just going…
Daniel Goossen: What are we going to do? Do the George, Paul and Ringo bit? It sounds like I’m one of the Beatles when you guys get on the phone and say, George, Paul and Dan.
Lem Satterfield: No. I was just going to reiterate what you already trumped me with the Pacquiao thing.
Daniel Goossen: Well, thank you, Lem. You know I took your words right out of your mouth. You know that.
Lem Satterfield: OK. Well, see you on November 20th.
Daniel Goossen: All right. Thanks, Lem. Let’s have closing comments, George, please.
