There have been many controversial fights that have been called “robberies” in recent months, but after the result that was read to everybody after Paul Williams and Erislandy Lara duked it out for 12 rounds at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City last night, it became a clear reminder of what a true robbery in boxing is!
Nobody can ever deny that 6’1 Welterweight, Paul Williams shies away from stiff challenges, but he looked as if his time and career had just about come to an end in the ring. At least to everybody but the judges!
As soon as the bell rang for the first round, Lara scored with right hooks from the off. A left hook followed that forced Williams to hold followed by a right jab and a left hook combination from the Cuban.
Williams was successful with a left hook to the head in the second but was rocked with a right that forced another hold. Paul tried to put some pressure on Lara but hesitated as he came forward.
In the fourth, Lara was hit with a right hook that landed below the belt line, and Lara cried foul. He was given some time to recover by referee, Samuel Viruet. Both guys began to fight on the inside although a fair share of hugging and grappling began to take place. Lara stepped back trying to land a big shot. He sneaked a right and a left in. Williams began to get desperate and held Lara while hitting him. Williams was caught with another left to end the round.
In round 6, inside fighting took place for the first minute and a half, but Lara stepped out to fight from a distance again, hoping to land his left hooks. Williams scored with a right hook but walked on to a left.
In round 7, it became clear that both guys could not agree on the ideal of the fight. Williams was content to fight on the inside while Lara wanted to keep his distance. This began to make for a scrappy fight, mostly responsible by Williams as he held Lara as he came in. Williams was peppered with power shots before he went back to the corner to begin the 8th.
From this point, the bout followed more or less the same pattern. Lara repeatedly had success with his left hooks on Williams’s head, while the former WBO champion flicked out his jabs but not prepared to follow up with anything. Lara looked much the fresher of the two, even though he developed a big swelling on the side of his head, reminiscent of Fernando Vargas’s swelling that he got fighting Shane Mosley in their first bout, only much more milder.
Many had thought that Lara should have got the nod including the HBO commentary team, but the boxing community were again shocked when scores of 114-114, 115-114 and 116-114 were read out in favour of Paul Williams.
“I won the fight. I want another Martinez fight. The fans want to see that. I’m a fighter to the end. With me, what you see is what you get”, said Williams.
Erislandy Lara said, “I don’t know what the judges saw. I won the fight. The Martinez fight was the blue print. I want a rematch.”
