By Jim Dower: Former WBO welterweight champion Paul Williams (38-1, 27 KO’s) will be at ringside this Saturday night for the Kelly Pavlik vs. Sergio Martinez middleweight title fight at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Williams, who will be facing Kermit Cintron on May 8th, wants to fight the winner of Pavlik-Martinez. Williams already beat Martinez by a close 12 round majority decision last December in 2009, but Williams wouldn’t mind getting another crack at Martinez to show that the win wasn’t a fluke.

However, Williams would especially like to get a fight with Pavlik so he can take Pavlik’s WBC/WBO middleweight titles and show the boxing world who the best fighter in the middleweight division is. Williams will be watching Pavlik and Martinez at ringside to give them a little message that he’s waiting for them.

Williams may find himself being avoided like ever before if he looks too good in beating Cintron next month at the Home Depot Center, in Carson, California. Williams has had problems getting the big named stars in boxing to fight him. Stars like Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have wanted nothing to do with him. Even after Williams was beaten in an upset by Carlos Quintana in 2008, he continued to be avoided by people. Williams avenged the defeat to Quintana by stopping him in the 1st round in June 2008. Williams has since Andy Kolle, Verno Phllips, Winky Wright and Sergio Martinez. Cintron, a big puncher, fought to a 12 round draw with Martinez February.

Martinez appeared to have knocked Cintron out in that fight, but Cintron complained that it was caused by a head butt and the referee agreed with him and let him continue to fight. Cintron recently beat top contender Alfredo Angulo by a 12 round unanimous decision last May. Angulo proved to be too slow for Cintron and ended up getting dominated for most of the fight. Williams, a volume puncher very similar to Antonio Margarito, could be problems for Cintron based on his high work rate.

Cintron had big problems with Margarito’s high work rate in his two fights with the Mexican star and ended up getting stopped in both of the fights. Cintron has since become more of a boxer, but he won’t be able to box as much against the tall 6’1” Williams. Cintron, 5’11”, will be giving up too much size and reach against Williams and will have to punch with him if he wants to get the victory.

Williams’ trainer George Peterson expects for Martinez to beat Pavlik this Saturday. If that happens, then Williams will move in and fight a rematch with Martinez so he can prove that he is the better fighter by beating Martinez for the second time.

In an article at the Augustus Chronicle, Williams says “For my fans that come out, they are going to be on pins and needles because they know they’re going to get a knock-down, drag-out fight. And they love that. I love to fight. Either the guys [Cintron] going to get me or I’m going to get him. May the best man win.”