 |
|
|
Friday night at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, I watched one of the up and coming stars of the future, 19-year-old Cruiserweight Aaron Williams, 6-0-1 with 5 KO'S, in against a tough, rugged opponent in Alejandro Virgen 5-4 with 3 KO'S who was trained by former Welterweight Champion Carlos Palomino.
In the opening round things looked like it would be a short night for Williams as he caught Virgen with a vicious short left-hook midway through the first round that sent him flailing to the canvas. Williams got a little careless and got caught himself trying to finish off Virgen.
I saw something in Aaron that let me know how young he is and how far he still has to come to fulfill all the promise I believe is within him. Maybe because he has been knocking out most of his opponents, but Virgen not only got off the canvas but he also continued to bring the fight to Williams, who at times looked unpolished, unlike I'm used to seeing him in the gym. Williams started to fight a little wild.
The next round had Williams back on track, as he got back to his jab and controlled the action from outside. The years of amateur experience combined with working with good fighters in the gym everyday have helped his maturity set in. Williams decided that he would now fight smart and not get so caught up in his knockout ratio. He started to win one round at a time, although they weren't as easy as they have been in the past. He was even smart enough not to get caught up in the crowd, who wanted to see an all out brawl. Williams kept his distance and picked Virgen apart but occasionally got caught himself.
I still see in Williams all the promise I once spoke of and this was a good lesson for him. He had to make adjustments; he had to also realize that he is not going to knock out every guy he hits clean. Some guys will take all you have to give and keep coming for more. Sometimes the only thing that can stop your opponent from coming is the sound of the final bell.
Aaron Williams learned a valuable lesson tonight. We talked after the fight and he was a little disappointed but also very satisfied. I told him this was the best thing that could ever happened to him in his young career. His heart was tested; his will was tested as well as his desire and his awareness of not letting the crowd goad him into fighting to please them, forsaking what he does best. Before I left the arena I said, tonight you have become a professional fighter. Welcome to the professional ranks.
|
|
|
|
© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2006
|
By Jeff Mayweather (March 29, 2006)
