18.08.06 – Dino Alvarado: On August 19th, rising contender Paul “The Punisher” Williams (30-0, 22 KO’s) will do battle with crafty veteran Sharmba “Little Big Man” Mitchell (57-5, 30 KO’s), and all eyes will be on the 6-1 undefeated welterweight who at the age of 25 has already drawn comparisons to Tommy Hearns. Williams, a Georgia native, turned pro at the age of 19 with only twenty or so fights as an amateur..
As a tall and lanky 147-pounder, he provides a challenge many in his weight class are not accustomed to dealing with; not only is his 79” reach nearly as long as Wladimir Klitschko’s, but a fighter with his natural punching power and raw athletic ability doesn’t come by often. He also tends to throw several punches at a time, which puts his opponents on defense throughout a bout.
On the other hand, Mitchell is the complete opposite; he’s a slick veteran with experience against champions such as Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Kostya Tszyu. The Maryland native fights with excellent defense and will use his superior hand and foot speed when given the chance. However, he only has two knockout victories since 1998, so punching power will be a concern.
PREDICTION: Sharmba Mitchell is by far the best boxer Paul Williams has fought. He certainly won’t be intimidated by Paul’s hot-shot status and feels he can still compete for a world title. With that said, Williams has a 7-inch reach advantage and is physically stronger. Perhaps due to being a southpaw, Mitchell has historically had problems avoiding right-hand punches. It also doesn’t help that all of his losses have come by knockout, showcasing his lack of durability. Paul’s sheer physicality will eventually overwhelm a game Mitchell, and the fight will end in the later rounds giving Williams the respectable victory needed to land him a potential title-shot against someone like Antonio Margarito.
Paul Williams will defeat Sharmba Mitchell by 9th-round TKO.