Paul Williams vs Kermit Cintron will be fighting each other this weekend at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.  No official titles are at stake and it may not a big money fight.  However for Williams a far more important prize is at stake - a possible match with  Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Williams told the press he felt disrespected by the HBO crew for dismissing his name as a possible opponent for Mayweather.  This weekend Williams must put on a spectacular performance against Cintron to force himself into that discussion. Afterall this will be his best opportunity to do so since the replay of Mayweather vs. Mosley is on the same night.  

Read on to hear what each fighter had to say and be sure to get your predictions in before fight time.

 

PAUL WILLIAMS

“(Kermit’s) a big puncher and can box too. I’ve shown that I’m a big puncher and I’m a boxer too.”

What’s it like to fight in different weight classes?

“To me it’s kind of fun. People can’t really categorize me. It’s hard because you can’t get anybody to fight you. It takes discipline because once you finally pick a weight you’ve got to get up or down in weight. I kind of like it.

“It (switching weight classes) isn’t killing us so far. Everything’s good. So if it’s not broke don’t fix it.

“I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I don’t care what people think about me as a fighter. I just have to go out and do my thing.”

“I just have to go out and execute my game plan and my strategy. Because you could be looking for one thing then get another thing.”

What did you think of Saturday’s Mayweather-Mosley fight?

“You know the first two rounds Mosely had him. But after that Mosley stopped fighting. He just started fighting a survival fight. If Mosley could have just kept up that pressure he could have had him. But after that he just stopped. But then Mayweather did what Mayweather does best. Mosley stopped fighting so he started fighting and that was the story.”

KERMIT CINTRON

What is it going to take for other top fighters to decide to fight you?

“I think it’s going to take the media and the networks. You all have the pens and the microphones. When you see guys fight and you’re talking about fights they should take you never mention my name. I think the media and the networks will have to start pushing those guys to fight the biggest and best fights and to fight someone who’s going to put up a fight.

What is your most comfortable weight?

“All of them are comfortable for me. The weight doesn’t matter to me. I’m more comfortable with getting a fight and then working on what we’ve got to work on.

“Paul Williams and I are not here for the money. We’re trying to fight the best and be the best. I believe Paul Williams is the best and he believes I’m the best and that’s why we’re fighting. A lot of fighters are avoiding us but my attitude is to fight the best. To be the best you have to fight the best. That’s why I’m here: To fight the best and win. And be closer to the bigger fights.”

Would you submit to Mayweather’s drug-testing demands?

“To me it doesn’t matter. Take the test or don’t take the test. It doesn’t matter.”

It’s been a year since you beat Angulo? What do you think of all the attention Angulo gets?

“It is what it is. I’m not going to cry about it. I know I beat his ass and I just move forward in my career. I’m just looking forward to May 8 and putting on a good show.”

GEORGE PETERSON (Williams’ manager)

“I think it’s going to be a fight and not a sparring match. Citron and Paul both talk about being victorious and they should be thinking in those terms. But we think on Saturday night that we will be victorious. For those who come out on Saturday night, we feel like they’re really going to enjoy the fight.

“If it was me or Paul and there were signs that someone was on drugs I would say, give them some more drugs. We just want to fight. Regardless of anything. You can give them all the drugs they want. We just want to fight, that’s it. Paul Williams is a warrior’s fighter. If he loses he says, ‘hey, I lost.’ If he wins it’s, ‘hey, I won.’ I just believe in all that other stuff. I’m old-school. This is a new generation of boxing but I don’t believe in that. I believe if you’re a fighter let’s fight. Forget all of that other stuff.”

“Because the media has a microphone in front of them – you know a Jim Lampley or a Max Kellerman or an Emanuel Steward – they make decisions for other people when they should let the fighters make their own decisions. This is what is shooting Paul in the head and in the foot, they are making those decisions. Paul is saying give me a 147-pounder and let me show you that I can make 147 pounds. And if you are still that much in doubt then watch us eat breakfast before the weigh-in. That’s what we do. Not to let the media handle that.”

DAN GOOSSEN (Williams’ Promoter)

“With the welterweight division (Paul’s natural weight division) it’s getting harder and harder to find takers out there mainly because of the size discrepancy. But it’s not Paul’s fault that he’s 6-foot-2 and has a longer reach than the Klitschkos. But what has never left us is that we’re looking to crack that super stardom and the way to do that is to make the super fight. It’s been no secret that’s Paul’s best weight is 147 and Paul and George Peterson will discuss if he can still make 147. The fights that we would like to make with a win Saturday night is the Pacquaios, is the Mayweathers.  You throw any of the top welters out there and they’ve gone by the wayside now. The Cottos, the Margaritos. I mean, Paul got rid of Margarito when no one wanted to. Cotto was dispatched by Margartio. So there are three welterweights that are out there today and they should all be mentioned in the same breath and that’s Pacquiao, Mayweather and Williams.

“When everything is said and done Paul is a 147-pounder. To be the best and to be the greatest and to be No. 1 I don’t believe anyone can really say that until they get in the ring with Paul Williams. It may not be today or it may not be tomorrow but eventually Paul Williams will get his opportunity to show what we’ve been saying for the past two or three years. It will all come to fruition.”

LOU DiBELLA (Cintron’s Promoter)

“Kermit’s not only the biggest puncher Paul has been in there with, but he’s also a guy capable of boxing beautifully and boxing to victory which he did in what I thought was a very one-sided win over Alfredo Angulo. I think you’re going to see fireworks on Saturday night on both sides. I do expect a barnburner. Truly, anyone can win this fight and that’s what boxing is all about. It’s about guys trying to entertain. Both these guys take and throw big blows. Both these guys know how to box and both these guys are warriors.”
 

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