Paul Williams, former world champion and frustrated rival of Canelo Alvarez, recalled the fight plan that never materialized and gave his opinion on what Terence Crawford should do to surprise the Mexican this weekend in Las Vegas.
Thirteen years ago, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was set to face Paul Williams on the traditional Mexican Independence weekend card.
At that time, the American boxer was a complicated opponent because of his reach, (1.85 m tall) his aggressive style and because he had prestigious victories against figures such as Antonio Margarito and Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez, so the fight promised a lot.
Why was the Paul Williams vs Canelo Alvarez fight canceled?
However, tragedy thwarted the fight, as a week after signing the contract, Williams was involved in a motorcycle accident that left him paralysed from the waist down.
And instead, Canelo ended up facing Josesito Lopez, whom he defeated with authority at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Since then, Williams has followed Alvarez‘s career closely, convinced that his strategy in 2012 could have surprised an inexperienced Canelo Alvarez at the time.
What was Paul Williams’ strategy against Canelo Alvarez?
Williams revealed that his idea was to wear down the Mexican with volume of punches and then press him in the later rounds:
“I knew I had power. I was going to back off all night and let him follow me. By the seventh round, I was going to start walking towards him and put pressure on him. That was my plan: to put that strong blow on him,” Paul Williams confessed.
With his style of throwing more than 100 punches per round and a height and reach advantage, Williams believed he had the weapons to complicate a Canelo who was just 22 years old and still in the learning process before being dominated by Floyd Mayweather in 2013.
What will Terence Crawford’s strategy be against Canelo Alvarez?
The Mexican boxer has grown a lot since then, and the conditions of Terence Crawford are different, but it is interesting to know what Bud’s strategy will be. For Williams, the key is that Crawford does not fall short in aggressiveness:
“The only way Crawford is going to beat him is by becoming a dog. He has to go after Canelo, hit him in the mouth. That changes the whole night.”
Canelo arrives with the experience of great battles in the ring, the vast majority of them well fought, although with the pressure to prove that he still has gas in the tank. Crawford, on the other hand, wants to deliver the biggest statement of his career.
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