Dan Goossen on Paul Williams; “He will be tough for anyone to beat in the welterweight division”
 INTERVIEW by Gabriel Montoya (July 21, 2007) Doghouse Boxing
Yesterday Doghouse Boxing spoke with Dan Goossen about three of his top fighters. Read on to hear what he said about Andre Ward, Chris Arreola and new WBO titlists Paul Williams.
GM: Give us your thoughts on Andre Ward’s performance against Francisco Diaz this past weekend.
DG: Exactly what we expected. We put him in with Diaz who was supposed to be a test. He had a solid amateur career and a solid pro career. It was a great win that really showcased Andre.
GM: Andre came out strong out of the Olympics with several fights on HBO but then he suffered a
knockdown in his 6th fight and it seemed you guys moved him a bit under the radar with shows in San Jose and Oakland. Was that by design to rebuild his confidence?
DG: He never lost his confidence [following his knockdown in his 6th pro fight]. And we didn’t put him under the radar by design. It is just, how many times can you showcase a guy on 4 and 6 round fights on HBO? He had also been slowed due to injuries but he is 100% healthy now and is fighting often and we look to keep that up.”
GM: Talk to me a bit about Chris Arreola.
DG: Chris is different than Andre. He came into own with the Willis fight. He realized that he had a lot of ability and had the punch and chin to be a champion. Once he realized he could make strides with discipline and conditioning, he made the mental change to always be ready and in shape. This is a tough business being a pro fighter. You get up at 5am, run, and go to the gym. Rest and then head back to the gym for an afternoon or late workout. And then get up and do it all over again. The great ones put the nose to the grindstone. Chris is Tysonesque. He will be a hard man to beat. He comes at you from all angles and won’t stop until he runs over you.
At this point during the interview gremlins invaded the tape recorder, but Mr Montoya was able to salvage some quotes from Mr Goossen.
On boxing in general:
DG: Boxing has been shooting itself in the foot for the past 5-10 years by getting away from the best fighting the best. At welterweight there is an opportunity to make a ton of good fights and bring boxing back.
On Williams:
DG: He will be tough for anyone to beat in the welterweight division. With his size and reach, I think he can beat them all. “
On a potential showdown with Miguel Cotto:
DG: I don’t want to hear it isn’t a big fight. There are millions to be made [with a Williams/Cotto showdown]. The money is there to be made.
On the possibility of being passed up for a Shane Mosley fight:
DG: Cotto gets a pass if he fights Mosley. Anything else makes no sense.
On a showdown with Cintron should Margarito or Mosley end up fighting Cotto:
DG: That isn’t a big fight yet. Cintron needs to prove himself more. He is a good fighter and a champion but he should fight Margarito.
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