Williams Survived Martinez Onslaught

Paul Williams narrowly escaped a loss after a close, grueling, and action-packed match with Sergio Martinez in a middleweight bout last December 5. That the most feared and most avoided boxer today was shown as vulnerable as any, Martinez exposed after going toe-to-toe with Williams.

Martinez was able to down Williams in the first round, cut him over the eye in the fourth, and perhaps outworked him the rest of the night. Williams may have done enough to survive the beating. Either way, both men could have won. It was very close. So close a draw would have been justified and rightly so.

But what transpired in the scoring is one reason why boxers should never leave it to the judges. Judge Julie Lederman scored it even (114-114), but Lynne Carter credited Williams with a narrow win (115-113). The most bizarre twist came from the third judge, Pierre Benoist, as he scored the bout with a very surprising (gasping) 119-110 scorecard.

Benoist either watched a totally different fight, or had placed a huge bet on Williams. Either way, that guy should not score a bout again.

I do believe Martinez deserves a rematch. But after the beatdown he dished to Williams, I doubt the “most feared” man in boxing would want anything to do with Martinez.