Saturday, January 27, 2001
Olympic boxers make pro premiers
Williams, Craig 'get the Garden' in bouts tonight
By John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer
NEW YORK — It used to be you had to win some pro fights — and a big one or two — before you “got the Garden.”
But that was many years before HBO began promoting boxing to younger audiences on a lively Saturday night show called “KO Nation” and got Madison Square Garden involved in the program, too.
Tonight, the beneficiaries of that partnership are Cincinnati natives and former U.S. Olympic teammates Ricardo Williams Jr. (a silver medalist) and Dante Craig, who are making their pro debuts tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The two made their weigh-ins, Williams at 138 and Craig at 147, in “The Theater” at MSG before the New York Rangers hockey game Friday.
“I'm anxious to fight, because I've been waiting for this night for so long,” Williams said. “It's the hardest I've ever trained, and I'm ready to take it out on my opponent.”
That opponent is Anthony Simpkins (5-0-1) of Augusta, Ga.; Craig will fight Darren Fallen (1-0) of Philadelphia.
“I fought him twice in the amateurs, and he gave me good battles both times,” Craig said. “He knocked me down the first time. I won both fights, but I know I've got to fight smart to beat him a third time.”
Max Kellerman, ESPN's top boxing analyst, has high regard for Williams' future.
“If he keeps his head on straight, I'd be very surprised if he doesn't win a pro title,” Kellerman said. “Of all the guys turning pro, he's the most promising. He has the highest ceiling.”
Four other Olympians are making their pro debuts tonight, too, as part of the nine-bout card. Five of the bouts, including Williams', will be shown on tape delay by HBO at 11:45 p.m. today.
“Ric's the headliner,” said promoter Lou DiBella, formerly of HBO. “He's going to get a chance to show off those fast hands of his. And unlike in the amateurs, where some of the judges can't keep up with it, in the pro's he'll be credited with those punches.”
He will be credited, that is, if he stings his opponent. It's a different game now. The ultimate judge of how much a boxer is scoring is his opponent, and whether he can withstand the punches.
“It's the question with all the guys turning pro,” Kellerman said. “Can they take a punch? Can they deliver punches with something on them — can they hurt their opponent instead of just racking up points?”
Besides a big heart and a strong chin, there are other attributes that make a good fighter: hand and foot speed, power and balance.
“Of those last three (attributes), the most important one is speed,” Kellerman said. “Power thrills, but speed kills. In most of the matches pitting a puncher against a boxer, the boxer usually wins.”
And Williams is a boxer, Kellerman said.
“He has the speed,” said Kellerman. “He already has good defense, and he's going to get even better on offense. You get points for slap shots in the amateurs if they land, but they mean nothing in the pros.”
Kellerman said Williams already could beat most of the pro fighters in his weight class if they were three- or four-round bouts like those in the amateurs'.
“These are four-round bouts now, but as they work their way up to 8- and 10-rounders, you'll begin to find out whether they can maintain those fast hands and feet when they've been absorbing some shots for several rounds,” Kellerman said.
DiBella and Williams' co-managers Buddy LaRosa and Ricardo Williams Sr., said they expect to have Williams Jr. fighting for a title in about two years.
Williams, Craig fight here in April
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Olympic boxers make pro premiers
