Verno Will Lose to the Man with No Weight Class

Since no big name fighters from welterweight to junior middleweight appear too eager to fight Paul "the Punisher" Williams (35-1, 26 KOs), enter Verno Phillips (42-10, 21 KOs). As he seeks boxing stardom, it’s apparent that Williams will do whatever it takes (including shuttling up and down in weight) to stay active and fight whoever is available.

Availability has never been an issue for Phillips. His resume is littered with the names of just about every top 154-pound contender (not named Terry Norris) that you can think of in the last 15 years. Although that experience is noteworthy, it still will not be enough for him to climb the 6′1" mountain that he will face this Saturday.

Paul Williams appears to be peaking right now - he’s 27 years old, has stopped his last two opponents in the first round, and is fighting frequently (this will be his fourth fight this year; super-active by today’s standards). We all know about his freakish height and reach (81"), but his increasing power is what is scaring me (or should I say his opponents). He’s still fairly easy to hit (which may spell trouble down the road), but the 5′7½" Phillips will find that it’s hard to hit and hurt what you can barely reach.

Verno Phillips is a tough, slick boxer who has seen just about everything in the ring during his career. Despite this lengthy experience, I am not sure he will be prepared for what he sees this Saturday. Williams will be one of the busiest, tallest and strongest 154-pound opponents that he has ever faced. Despite only being stopped once in his entire career, I expect that stat to increase by one on Saturday.

Paul Williams by late TKO over the game Verno Phillips.