We need to factor in that Williams is perhaps the most obvious ped case in British boxing at the moment.
Soon as he's joined Ingle's gym he's suddenly looked a lot stronger and developed a power he didn't seem to have before. One of the factors on its own isn't interesting but the two combined certainly is.
Well ok he has improved, no doubt. But he didn't look 'right' to me in the two Liam Smith fights. Maybe he's just sorted out a personal or health issue? Or maybe he's just better at 160 than 154? He must realise he'll be subject to scrutiny with Dom Ingle being associated with bodybuilding etc?
Could well be, but any vast improvements in a fighter from that Ingle gym come with red flags for me.
In 11 fights before joining Ingle he had 9 knockouts. The other 2 fights were close fights with Liam Smith.
When you look at it like that it doesn't seem suspicious at all really. I've said all along we didn't see the best of Williams against Smith. A bit like we didn't see the best of Keeler against Doran.
Williams' power was one of the main things that impressed me about him when I first saw him fight. I really liked his aggressive style and I remember thinking this guy looks the goods, has skills, accuracy and he can really crack. The only fighter to last the distance against him in his last 17 fights (since 2013) is Liam Smith. He stopped all these teak tough fighters prior to moving to the Ingle gym. Darryl Sharp has only been stopped once in 61 fights, by Williams. A poster on here who knows Sharp said he told them this ''I know Darryl Sharp personally he has been in with some good fighters and he said the power and the accuracy of Williams was something else, something he never experienced in sparring or fighting and he has sparred big light heavyweights!'' Williams is also the only fighter to stop the very durable (22-6) Kris Carslaw who he sparked out in 2 with a jab. Carslaw lasted the 12 round distance against the excellent Michel Soro who is a very spiteful puncher and is 13-1-1 (12) in his last 15 fights and Carslaw gave him a tough nights work too. Carslaw's also a former world kickboxing champion and, as said, Williams dropped him flat on his face and knocked him out with jab. You'll be hard pressed to find another fight where a fighter was KO'd in this fashion with a jab, especially a durable one. This content is protected Dan Blackwell has only been stopped once in 75 fights, by Williams, and at least 2 thirds of his opponents were unbeaten. And Williams nearly quit the sport because he's suffered terrible problems with his hands. Hence the long spell of inactivity 'A hand operation in 2014 nearly cut short his career and he points out that his hands in their current state would have "retired most people to start with". "It's not so bad now but going back 18 months ago, it was a hard job for me to make the gym even every other day. "I always train twice a day. I physically couldn't punch. I couldn't even tap the bag, it was so bad." "With the hand operations in 2014 and having a bit of time out of the ring afterwards, that really hit me hard. "If I don't fight, then I don't earn money. I couldn't fight for 13 months. So it was difficult. And he has also witnessed two of his friends fall victim to ring tragedies and although it's possible he could be juicing, as it is with any fighter, I'd like to think that someone witnessing something as harrowing as that up close and personal once, let alone twice, wouldn't go down that route. 'Last Monday night, wearing an inky black tuxedo, the 24-year-old walked shyly onstage at the Savoy Hotel to collect his award as the Young British Boxer of the Year. It was another acknowledgement of his rising status as the unbeaten British and Commonwealth light-middleweight champion – and offered sweet relief to Williams and his trainer, Gary Lockett. They have endured a brutal six months. Real tears have been shed and consciences examined. Williams’s close friend Nick Blackwell spent nine days in an induced coma, his life in the balance, after a British middleweight title fight against Chris Eubank Jr on 26 March. Fortunately, Blackwell has made a remarkable recovery – but he will never box again. A few weeks ago Williams, Blackwell and Lockett flew to Glasgow to support their friend and stablemate Dale Evans – who won a fierce battle against the unbeaten welterweight Mike Towell. Twenty-four hours later, on the night of 30 September, Towell died from his injuries. Williams had been in the corner for both bouts, acting as a second to his friends. The Welshman is a warm man, at least outside the ring, and he has been affected profoundly. His commitment to boxing has been tested – but it remains intact.'' “It’s unusual for one terrible incident like this to happen in your career,” Williams says. “But twice – and with the second happening six months later? It was horrible to see what happened to Mike – and Nick is my close mate. It really got to me.” Did Williams think he might lose his friend forever? “Definitely. When he was in a coma we didn’t have so much hope. We didn’t know what was going to happen. He could have come around and something was wrong with him. He could not have come back at all. It was very scary and we were heartbroken. But it was obviously a lot worse for Nick’s family.”
