Paul Williams back in boxing, will make his debut as trainer Friday on Showtime
In his heyday, Paul Williams was considered the most feared man in boxing. Few sane fighters wanted to face the lanky southpaw because of his powerful left hand, which dropped plenty of opponents.
He's one fighter who lived up to his nickname: "The Punisher."
But that all changed on May 27, 2012, when Williams, riding his motorcycle through Atlanta on his way to his brother's wedding, was thrown from the bike while trying to avoid a car that swerved into his path. The tragic accident left Williams paralyzed from the waist down, robbing the South Carolinian of a possible Hall of Fame boxing career while still in his prime.
Once Williams realized he would never walk again, he wanted nothing to do with the sport that brought him fame, a small fortune and two world titles.
He repeatedly turned down opportunities to stay in boxing and perhaps become a trainer, passing on his considerable knowledge to up-and-comers as his longtime coach, George Peterson, once did for him. Peterson, a father figure to Williams, all but begged him to get back in the game.
"I was going through something, I don't know if it was depression or what," Williams, now 34, told Paste BN Sports. "But I just couldn't deal with it at first. I was being selfish," Williams said. "I didn't want to deal with the fight game. I wanted to be the one in that ring."
Finally, some persistent phone calls from a 22-year-old prospect named Justin DeLoach, who hails from Williams' birthplace of Augusta, Ga., just across the South Carolina line, convinced Williams to take the plunge and try his hand at training.
"The kid was hounding me," Williams said. "I've been in the sport. It would be selfish of me to take this (knowledge) to the grave with me. I can pass on what I know to the next generation. Why can't I be one of those trainers, be a trainer of the year or something like that?"
On Friday, Williams will make his coaching debut on national television when DeLoach (13-1, 7 KOs) faces super welterweight Dillon Cook (16-0, 6 KOs) in an eight-round bout. The matchup will open a ShoBox: The New Generation quadrupleheader on Showtime (10:30 p.m. ET/PT) from Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla.
Now Williams is the one doing the fearing.
"I'm kinda scared because, man, I don't want this kid to get hurt. I don't want anyone to get hurt," Williams said. "When I was fighting, I didn't care, I was just out there trying to get mine. When I got knocked out, or when I lost my first fight, I would tell everybody you can't accept winning if you can't accept losing. You go out there and put your best foot forward and roll with the punches."
DeLoach is thankful fate brought coach and pupil together.
"This has been a total blessing, and I say that every day," DeLoach said. "I Thank God. He's the one who brought the two of us together. Paul loves it, just to be back. I think he was scared at first, his reputation was at stake and so was mine.
"But he's been so helpful - just in the mental side of things. I was already a good boxer but he's taken me to another level mentally. He's been pushing me, criticizing me, giving me instructions and picking my brain."
Williams says he won't train the way he fought, because "there will never be another Paul Williams, the Punisher, you know what I'm saying? I won't train him like me," he said. "Everybody's got their own style. I'm just adding tools to his style. I tell him what punch to throw, (teach him) some of the tricks, some stuff other than the basics."
Williams has found that his fighting spirit remains. "Me being a fighter, when I'm training my guy, and he's sparring, it's like I'm fighting that guy, too," he said. "I'm moving my head, like what I (used to do)."
During Friday's fight, Williams will be shouting instructions to DeLoach from his wheelchair at the ringside apron. He chuckles when asked how it will work.
"I just go with the flow," he said. "I look at it like, I used to be 6-4, now I'm 5-4. I can still make it to the apron. I'm sittin' here at the bottom of the ring. I'm not worried about the fans and all the pressure."
DeLoach sees the new pairing as a major opportunity for both.
"I'm really looking forward to fighting for the first time for him," DeLoach said. "I've gone crazy waiting for my break and an opportunity like this to fight on Showtime.
"It's an unbelievable feeling to be able to work with one of my favorite fighters."
(Photo of Paul Williams and Justin DeLoach by Amanda Wescott, Showtime)