Saturday, February 26, 2000
Boxer makes Olympic team
BY JOHN ERARDI
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Ricardo Williams celebrates after winning the first round of trials earlier this month.
(Tony Jones photo)
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MASHANTUCKET, Conn. — Southpaw Ricardo Williams Jr. landed a series of thundering straight left hands and right hooks to finish on a 10-2 run and convincingly win a spot on the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team Friday night.
“It was my night,” Williams Jr. said. “I've been working toward this for a long time. Nobody was going to take it away from me.”
The Taft High School graduate beat Jose Celaya 15-6 in the U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials box-offs at Foxwoods Casino.
The bout was close after the second round — 5-4 Williams Jr., thanks mainly to a low-blow penalty on the Cincinnati boxer that meant two points being awarded to Celaya — but was all for the West End kid after that.
“I thought that low blow they called was a good body shot,” said Williams Jr., whose early body work on Celaya in the early rounds softened up the Californian for the straight lefts and right hooks later.
Williams Jr. was so confident of himself in the fourth round, he twice emulated the fast-feet routines of Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, but the referee told him to cut the showboating.
“When a boxer starts getting his groove, sometimes he shows off a little bit to please the crowd,” Williams Jr. said. “But sometimes you have a picky ref now and then.”
The last time Williams Jr. and Celaya met was at the U.S. Olympic boxing trials two weeks ago in Tampa, where Williams dominated him. The bout Friday night didn't start out that way, and it had some fans thinking upset.
“Usually, he waits for me, but this time he came out with a combination, and I thought, “Uh-oh, I'm in for a long night,” Williams Jr. said.
But he made short work of Celaya soon after that.
Williams Jr. felt the tide turning at the end of the third round. He knew he had a sizeable lead, knew Celaya would then have to come after him, and that meant being able to use his ability to dodge punches and counter.
“I heard him breathing kind of heavy in the later rounds after all those body shots, and that gave me a chance to loosen up and put on a show for the crowd,” Williams Jr. said. “You have to throw those body shots, even if they might not score points as well (as punches to the head). It's a technique you need in boxing. You can't ignore them.”
Williams probably should have used his jab more Friday night, but when he knows a fight is his, he wades in with the haymakers. He has the speed of a 139-pounder, but the power of a much larger fighter.
Officially, Williams must win or finish second at the “America's Olympic Qualifier” March 27-April 1 in Tampa to earn the right to box at the Summer Games in Sydney, but USA Boxing officials consider that a formality. There is nobody in Mexico, Central or South America or Canada to compete with him, USA Boxing experts said here Friday.
The reason the U.S. Olympic team boxers must pass through another set of qualifiers is because the International Olympic Committee has mandated that only 54 boxers from the Americas will be allowed to fight in Sydney.
Dante Craig, the friend and sparring partner of Williams Jr., goes after the 147-pounder's spot on the Olympic team in a bout today against Larry Mosley that will be telecast live on NBC early in the 2:30-4 p.m show.
“I'm going to get on him early,” Craig promised. “It would be unbelievable to make the team with Rick. But that's what I'm going to do.”
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