By Jim Dower: Paul Williams (40-2, 27 KO’s) is fighting Nobuhiro Ishida (24-6-2, 9 KO’s) next month on February 18th at the American Bank Centre in Corpus Christi, Texas on HBO.

The card also will have heavyweight contender Chris Arreola (34-2, 29 KO’s) fighting against a still to be determined opponent, and IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (23-0, 19 KO’s) in one of his toughest tests of his career against Gabriel Campillo (21-3-1, 8 KO’s).

Williams, 30, really needs a good solid win under his belt as it’s been three years since Williams won a fight in convincing fashion when he defeated Ronald “Winky” Wright by a lopsided 12 round unanimous decision in April 2009. Williams has won three fights since then but not looked good in any of those fights, especially his last one against Erislandy Lara last July. Williams took terrible punishment from the Cuban southpaw Lara and was given what a lot of boxing fans saw as a gift 12 round decision. Williams may end up facing Lara again if he can get past Ishida. Williams needs an easy win because he’s taken too much punishment in his fights against Lara and Sergio Martinez.

Ishida, 36, defeated James Kirkland by a 1st round TKO last year in April in a fight where Ishida blitzed Kirkland and took him out immediately, sending him down three times before the fight was halted. Ishida normally doesn’t fight in that manner but was forced to by Kirkland’s all-out attack. What Ishida discovered is that he’s quite good at fighting like that and used a similar blitz like attack in his last bout against Edson Espinoza in another 1st round TKO win.

Arreola, #1 WBC, is rumored to be fighting a good opponent for this date. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up facing another 2nd tier fighter. Arreola was beaten by WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko in September 2009 and then outpointed by Tomasz Adamek in April 2010. Arreola hasn’t been taking any chances since that loss and has fought six straight 2nd tier heavyweights and done very well.

Tavoris Cloud makes his fourth defense of his International Boxing Federation light heavyweight title against former WBA World light heavyweight champion Gabriel Campillo in what could be a very dangerous fight for Cloud. Campillo likes to throw a lot o punches and Cloud has problems against fighters with a high work rate. He’s not going to be able to knock this guy out most likely and it’s going to likely be one of those grueling types of fights where whoever lands the most punches will be the winner.