Paul Williams: "I think I can come back"

LAS VEGAS – Paul Williams came out of an elevator at the MGM Grand. He was confined to a wheelchair. But his confidence was as strong as ever.

"I feel good," said Williams on Friday before the weigh-in for the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez-Josesito Lopez junior middleweight fight Saturday night, also at the MGM Grand. "This is a small thing for a giant."

Williams arrived in Las Vegas Friday for a fight that was supposed to include him against Canelo before a devastating motorcycle accident in May left him paralyzed.

In his brief comments to RingTV.com and Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, it wasn’t clear what his condition was.

But he was confident that one day he would recover, perhaps enough to even resume his boxing career.

"I think I can come back," said Williams. "Give it two or three years, and I’ll come back."

Williams is scheduled for his first televised interview on Showtime on Saturday night.

"My game ain’t over," said Williams, during the interview with Showtime's Jim Gray. "Whether I am walking or not walking, my game ain’t over until the Lord takes my life."

Gray was impressed with Williams' optimism.

"It was amazing how someone who suffered such a life-changing event was so positive and so upbeat," said Gray. "This interview convinced me that Paul Williams' greatness is in his future."

Photo by Esther Lin, Showtime
 

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