Paul Williams paralyzed in motorcycle accident
Two-time welterweight champion Paul Williams was paralyzed in a motorcycle crash near Atlanta on Sunday while driving to his brother’s wedding.
“From the waist down, he has absolutely no movement. He’s in very good spirits, though” – said Williams’ manager, George Peterson. “He still believes he’s going to fight again.”
Williams (30) severed his spinal cord after landing on his back and head when he was thrown off his bike in Marietta, Georgia, according to Peterson. On Monday, Williams has been listed in serious but stable condition.
The collision happened at around 8am after Williams, who was wearing a helmet, tried to avoid another car in the next lane that was negotiating a curve and then had to maneuver to avoid an oncoming car.
The New York Daily News has reported that Williams was doing about 75 miles per hour when he lost control of the motorcycle, flew several feet in the air and landed on his back on the road. Peterson said one of the drivers of the other cars called 911.
Paul Williams.
Boxer Paul Williams has been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident near Atlanta, the fighter’s promoter (Dan Goossen) said Monday.
The 30-year-old Williams, who was scheduled to fight Mexican star and super-welterweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Sept. 15 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, has no feeling below his waist, said Goossen, who added that the left-handed fighter is due to undergo surgery Wednesday at an unidentified hospital.
Williams resides in Aiken, S.C.
Goossen said he was told by Williams’ manager, Al Haymon, and trainer, George Peterson, that Williams apparently swerved to avoid contact with a vehicle Sunday and lost control of his motorcycle.
“Riding a motorcycle can be treacherous” – Goossen said. “I’m told Paul is in good spirits considering what has happened.”
Asked whether Goossen has been told Williams will never fight again, the promoter said: “Our thoughts aren’t there right now. He’s undergoing this procedure, and we’re hoping he can get back on his feet after that. That’s all we’re hoping for.”
Peterson told an Augusta, Ga., television station, WRDW, that the boxer’s surgery Wednesday will aim to stabilize the healthy upper half of his spine by putting a protective wall around it.
The 6-foot-1 Williams (41-2, 27 knockouts) defined himself as an active punching southpaw who could fight anywhere between welterweight and middleweight.
Paul Williams, the always exciting, ever-smiling boxer known as “The Punisher,” and long considered one of the most avoided fighters in the sport, faces the toughest battle of his life after being paralyzed from the waist down during a motorcycle crash in suburban Atlanta on Sunday morning.
Williams (30) was involved in the crash in Marietta, Ga., where he was supposed to attend his brother’s wedding that afternoon.
He severed his spinal cord after falling on his back and head when he was thrown from his motorcycle after swerving to avoid an oncoming car, his trainer and manager, George Peterson, said.
“From the waist down, he has absolutely no movement” – Peterson told the Associated Press. “He’s in very good spirits, though. He still believes he’s going to fight again.”
However, doctors have said Williams will not walk again. He is listed in serious but stable condition and will undergo surgery on Wednesday to stabilize his upper body.
“I don’t know the specifics about the spinal cord being severed. I do know that I’ve been told by George that he will never walk again, and it makes it hard for me to believe that it’s not something Paul can overcome” – Dan Goossen, Williams’ promoter, told USA TODAY Monday night.
“They’re having the surgery on Wednesday to kind of protect the body movement above the waist, and hopefully by some miracle and some prayers, he’s able to overcome the odds that are against him right now.”
Williams (41-2, 27 KOs) was scheduled to fight undefeated Mexican star Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for the WBC light middleweight title on September 15 in Las Vegas, but that event has been canceled – Peterson said.
Williams’ accident is the second tragedy in the boxing world during the holiday weekend, the traditional kickoff of summer. Former five-time world champion Johnny Tapia, who suffered through a brutal upbringing, and later from drug addiction and depression throughout his career, was found dead in his home at the age of 45 on Sunday night.
“It’s amazing how things turn on the blink of an eye, and it makes boxing so much less important and life that much more important” – Goossen said.