Boxing Notes on Paul Williams vs Kermit Cintron, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and more

Boxing Notes on Paul Williams vs Kermit Cintron, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and more

By Steve Kim, MaxBoxing (May 10, 2010) Special to Doghouse Boxing (Photo © German Villasenor)

Regarding the Paul Williams vs Kermit Cintron fight, I have a few thoughts. I thought Cintron had built up an early lead but I do think this bout was heating up. But I have to say, while I’m not going to accuse Cintron of faking any injuries, if you watch the replay, it’s hard to say that he didn’t basically catapult his way out of the ring by diving outta there like Greg Louganis, then doing a reverse “Fosbury Flop.”

And on that vein, couldn’t some of the people on the ring apron at least stop his momentum? I propose this: like when you get an airline seat and you sit the emergency exit rows (with extra leg room), you’re asked if you can perform the necessary duties to sit there. I say you ask the same things of commission members who sit so close to the action. Yeah, it could be dangerous to get in the way of an out-of-control body hurtling your way, but that’s the price of having the best seat in the house (and getting paid to be there).

As for the scoring of the bout, I found it head-scratching that, while most ringside observers had Cintron leading, you had one judge that had given every round to Williams, with another one having Cintron pitching a shutout. So much for consistency, huh? But I have to admit, like everyone else, I assumed- incorrectly- that since the fight hadn’t gone four full, completed rounds that this fight was a no-contest. But California only requires three full rounds and the start of the fourth for a decision to be rendered, which seems to make no sense. But this brings about the bigger question: for all the issues facing professional boxing, isn’t having uniformity, in terms of rules, one of the first things that needs to be dealt with?

Williams gets the win; but honestly, outside of his hefty paycheck, not much. He wasn’t all that sharp in front of a small audience and his fight had an unsatisfactory (and bizarre) ending to it. But while his people keep clamoring for the likes of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, the fact is he hasn’t fought at 147 pounds in over a year. And here’s another factor; Williams is becoming less and less active as he’s become a regular performer on HBO (the network, not the adviser that runs their boxing division), which has done two things: first, his performances have suffered and secondly, out of sight, out of mind. Williams just isn’t on anyone’s radar because of his long layoffs in-between fights.

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