Paul Williams Wins Majority Decision Over Sergio Martinez

ATLANTIC CITY -- It was literally a knock-down, drag-out modern-day classic between two southpaw middleweights (160 pounds).

In a matchup where both fighters were down in the first round, Paul Williams survived brutal cuts over both eyes which later required a hospital visit, then steadied himself behind a wicked, thudding right jab, a solid right hook and a hard overhand left on the way to a tough majority decision over Sergio Martinez in Saturday night's HBO-televised bout at the Adrian Phillips Ballroom at Boardwalk Hall.

Judges Lynn Carter and Pierre Benoist had it 115-113 and 119-110, respectively, while Julie Lederman scored it even at 114-114.

FanHouse scored it for Williams, 116-113; HBO's Harold Lederman also had it for Williams, 115-113; and HBO's Max Kellerman had it 115-113 for Martinez.

"It was the first time that I saw someone there that was very similar to Paul, in that he was throwing punches, standing toe-to-toe," said Dan Goossen, promoter of Williams, who dropped Martinez early in the first round before being nailed to the canvas himself just before the bell.

"But this is what makes Paul so exciting. He just goes out there and does what he always does," said Goossen. "He just keeps moving forward and throwing punches and finally got his rhythm and became the Paul Williams that we're used to seeing."

In victory, Williams rose to 38-1, with 27 knockouts, and Martinez slipped to 44-2-2, with 24 KOs, ending his nine-year, unbeaten streak of 28-0-1 since being stopped by Antonio Margrito, whom Williams has beaten by decision.

"I couldn't get to the body like I wanted to. I was throwing big punches and he was throwing big punches. I knew that he was getting hurt. But I don't look for an easy fight, I look for a hard fight," said Williams, a two-time welterweight and one-time junior middleweight champion who has been stripped of his WBO junior middleweight (154 pounds) crown.

Their non-title matchup took place because Williams was forced to replace his original opponent, WBO and WBC middleweight titlist Kelly Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs), when the latter canceled their bout due to a staph infection on the knuckle of his left forefinger.

"The preparation for this fight was tough, because I had to switch from training for a righthander [Pavlik] to a lefthander just a few weeks ago," said Williams, who was cut over his left eye in the fourth round, and his right, later on.

"I think I got head butted, and some of the blows were punches, but I didn't complain about the head butts. I was hitting him with low blows too, it was going both ways," said Williams, who was nailed with a right hook that dropped him at the end of the first round.

"When I was coming out of the corner, we decided to recover," said Williams. "I just kept working and throwing the jab and wanted to keep making him fight and make him feel uncomfortable."

According to CompuBox, Williams out-landed Martinez, 299-to-254, in total punches, and, 206-183, in power shots.

Neither Goossen, nor, DiBella seemed too anxious to set a rematch between the two fighters, whose glorious efforts, no doubt, raised their status to a higher level.

Goossen mentioned pursuing the legendary Bernard Hopkins or Shane Mosley, the latter of whom meets Andre Berto in January.

Goossen has felt as if Mosley and others have avoided Williams, who has fought at welterweight, junior middleweight, and, middleweight.

DiBella mentioned a return to the 154-pound weight class for Martinez, where the WBC junior middleweight champ could pursue a unification bout with with champions such as Cory Spinks, Yuri Foreman, or, Sergiy Dzinziruk, of the IBF, WBA, and, WBO, respectively.

Like Williams, considered the sport's most feared fighter, Martinez -- whose big right hand continually found its mark against Williams -- displayed the skills that also make him a highly-avoided competitor.

"They call him the most-feared fighter in the world, but I didn't have any fear at all in this bout," said the 34-year-old Martinez, who floored Williams with a right hand after having gone down from a hard left.

"It [the knockdown] was a good punch, but I was not really hurt. I know that he's a good boxer, but I wanted to pick up the pace," said Martinez. "We should have a rematch."

DiBella expressed outrage at Benoist's score.

"He's one of the best fighters in the world, pound-for-pound. There's nobody at 154 that can beat him," said DiBella of Martinez. "I can't think of anyone in that weight class who can beat him, and he would walk through Kelly Pavlik."