Wednesday, September 20, 2000
Local boxer dominates opener
Son's picture provides inspiration for Williams
By TIM DAHLBERG
AP Sports Writer
Ricardo Williams (right) trades punches with Henry Collins of Australia.
(AP photo)
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SYDNEY, Australia — Ricardo Williams Jr. sat in the corner, looking at the picture taped to his left ankle. The home crowd was cheering his Australian opponent, but Williams brought his own motivation into the Olympic boxing ring.
Six-month-old Ricardo Williams III provided it with a big smile that made his father proud.
“He's my biggest inspiration,” Williams said. “That's why I'm here taking punches — so he doesn't have to later on.”
Williams opened his Olympics Wednesday by giving Henry Collins such a beating that the light welterweight fight was stopped on the mercy rule before the end of the fourth round. Williams' victory will be televised at 5 p.m. today on MSNBC.
It was the ninth win in as many fights for an American team that is only two wins away from placing all of its boxers into the second round for the first time since the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. And Williams believes the best is yet to come.
“I think we'll get better and better as we continue to compete,” the U.S. 139-pounder said. “We're being compared to a lot of great teams and we just want to live up to our expectations.”
The expectations are growing with every fight for the U.S. team, which came into the games with high hopes that were tempered by the realization that Cuba has dominated amateur boxing in recent times.
Cuba's latest team seems as strong as ever — nearly matching the American streak with an 8-0 start of its own.
The ease at which U.S. fighters have been winning, though, may be an indication of how good the team will be. They have been punishing their opponents, with four of their last five fights ending before the full four-round distance.
Williams continued that trend, pounding Collins with left hands until the fight was finally stopped late in the fourth round with the American ahead 21-5.
“I think I'm the fastest in the division and I can hit, too,” Williams said. “Whoever is in the bracket, let's get it on.”
Williams, a 19-year-old who is one of two boxers on the U.S. team from Cincinnati, had to wait until the fifth day of boxing before finally getting a chance to get into the ring.
When it came, it was against an apprentice cabinetmaker from the Australian Outback who was no match for the 3-time American champion.
“You find yourself not being able to sleep at night because you're so anxious to compete,” said Williams, who fell behind 3-0 but scored 14 of the next 15 points.
“He was kind of tall, with long arms,” Williams said. “I knew it might be hard to get inside at first. After I got in, I think I picked him apart pretty good.”
“I'll be a little more relaxed in my next fight.”
Williams' second-round opponent Sunday is Olusegun Ajose of Nigeria, winner on a walkover against Iranian Anoushirvan Nourian, who was barred from boxing because of steroids.
The other Cincinnati boxer, Dante Craig, fights his second-round bout today.
Williams-Craig profile
Complete Olympics coverage at Cincinnati.com/olympics
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