By Dan Ambrose: Former two-time WBO welterweight champion Paul Williams (39-2, 27 KO’s) will be returning to the ring on April 30th for his first fight after being viciously knocked out in the 2nd round in a failed attempt to capture the WBC middleweight crown against champion Sergio Martinez on November 20th, 2010. In hindsight, it was perhaps the wrong move for the skinny 6’3″ Williams to attempt to fight Martinez for a second time after struggling badly and beating him by a controversial 12 round decision in their first fight in December 2009.

The knockout loss to Martinez in their rematch left the 29-year-old Williams out cold on the canvas with both eyes staring blankly into space. That was a clear hint that fighting at middleweight might not be the best thing for Williams in the future. But with that in mind, Williams has now decided to move back down to welterweight, where he’s fought most of his career up until 2008.

According to Ring Magazine, Williams and his promoter Dan Goosen aren’t looking for an easy opponent for his April 30th fight date. Goosen said “We’re not looking for a softy. I’ve talked to Paul and [trainer] George [Peterson] and we all agree it should be the most significant fight that we can get. I’d like to get Paul a big fight at 147. That’s his natural weight. Paul is willing to go to any weight, as usual, so we’ll just have to see whose available at welterweight or above.”

Williams had to move up in weight in the past because he couldn’t get any of the big named fighters to fight him. I can’t see that changing now. If Williams wants big fights, he’s going to have to work, get in line and capture a title and then defend it against the top challenger. Manny Pacquiao won’t fight him, and probably neither will Shane Mosley or Andre Berto. Williams may have to be content with just trying to get ranked high by whatever sanctioning body that he wants to get a big fight against and then force the champion to fight him. Unfortunately, Pacquiao will probably vacate rather than fight Williams, and who knows what Berto would do. I’d like to think he wouldn’t vacate but you never know.