WILLIAMS OVERWHELMS MITCHELL WITH KNOCKDOWNS

August 18, 2006

Standing more than a head taller than his opponent, the 6' 1'' Paul "The Punisher" WIlliams looked like an older brother swatting his younger sibling as he defeated the veteran welterweight Sharmba Mitchell in four rounds on Saturday night. Mitchell, a two-time champion, got some shots in on the free-throwing Williams, but the 25-year-old with the freakish 82-inch reach knocked Mitchell down three times on his way to a 31-0 record, and the referee called it at 2:57.

Having knocked down Mitchell in the third, Williams began the fourth with a barrage of combinations. It was no crisp punch that put the 5'7'' Mitchell on his back, but his bigger opponent seemed to drive him down into the canvas with uppercuts and big right hands. Mitchell tried to take away Williams' power by staying inside, but once Williams relaxed after the first round, he seemed able to rake Mitchell consistently. Mitchell complained to the referee about a knockdown call, but his legs looked rubbery for the entire fourth round, and at one point, he slid down Williams' body, dragging both to the floor of the ring. In just four rounds Williams, known as a volume puncher, had launched 330 punches to Mitchell's 161, and had thrown a hundred more power punches than his opponent.

After the fight was called, Williams singled out the much-feared Antonio Margarito as his next desired opponent, and demanded a chance at "the big belts." Mitchell, for his part, acknowledged that Williams was "just a little bit big" for him, but complained that the fight should not have been stopped.