By Chris Williams: Paul Williams (39-1, 27 KO’s) is planning on moving back down to the welterweight division in hopes of landing a big money fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Williams, 28, has fought at welterweight for much of his career up until 2008. At that time, because he was unable to entice the top welterweights like Mayweather and Miguel Cotto to fight him, Williams moved up to the light middleweight division, where he’s found success but not the big money he was looking for.

Now, Williams, 6’3”, is moving back down in weight in hopes that Mayweather or Pacquiao will want to fight him. I hate to break this to Williams, but that is never ever going to happen in this lifetime. Mayweather and Pacquiao are great fighters, but neither of them will step in the ring with a fighter with the height and the reach that Williams possesses. Heck, Williams has a longer reach than IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

With that kind of reach, do you really think Pacquiao or Mayweather would take the risk to fight him? It’s not going to happen. It doesn’t matter that Williams, up until 2008, was a welterweight. The fact that Williams left the welterweight division in 2008 to move up in weight, gives both Pacquiao and Mayweather enough of an excuse not to fight Williams, because they can say that he’s not a welterweight.

Besides the size difference, Williams doesn’t fight for the same promotional company that Pacquiao does. That alone might be enough for Williams to be ignored by Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum. But I think the number #1 reason they won’t match Pacquiao with Williams is because with his height, reach and high punch output, he’d have an excellent chance of either beating Pacquiao or giving him a really tough fight where Pacquiao takes a beating in winning.

This wouldn’t be another Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey-type fighter where Williams would be covering up all night long, letting Pacquiao rifle him with shots. It would be Williams firing back constantly, and probably doing good job of rearranging Pacquiao’s features. I think it’s silly to avoid Williams, because if he’s the same weight class as Mayweather and Pacquiao, then they should be willing to fight him. After all, fighters come in size and shapes.

Look at Miguel Cotto, he’s only 5’7” and is fighting at light middleweight. He’s like a little tank. Pacquiao wasn’t afraid to fight him, but then again, Cotto is short like him. If you want people to consider you the pound-for-pound number #1 fighter in boxing, you have to be willing to fight the top guys in your weight class, even if they’re taller you and throw more punches.

Williams won’t get a fight with either Mayweather or Pacquiao, but if he sticks around the weight class and starts beating top fighters like he did before, he’s going to put a lot of pressure on Mayweather and Pacquiao to fight him. Boxing fans will wonder why these guys won’t step up to the plate and take him on. The only thing that will change this is if Mayweather and Pacquiao retire soon, which is a real possibility given that they’re both running out of opponents to fight.