The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER his trip to Romania to fight Bogdan Dinu was called off, pro heavyweight boxer Sherman “The Tank” Williams will get a chance to step back in the ring on Saturday, June 8 when he is slated to take on former football player Gerald Washington at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Williams, 40, and Washington, 31, will square off on the under card of the live Showtime Championship Boxing card that will feature the World Boxing Association (WBA) Intercontinental welterweight championship match between Marcos Maidana and Josesito Lopez.

“We’re excited about this fight,” said Si Stern, Williams’ manager. “Sherman was a little disappointed when the last fight was called off, but he’s been in such great shape that the lay off won’t have any effect on him getting ready for this fight next month. He’s in great shape.”

Stern said the only problem he has had to deal with is ensuring that Williams doesn’t get too discouraged after a fight has been called off.

“He’s been down this road so many times before, so it’s not a problem,” Stern said. “But every time that it does happen, you have to remind him to stay focus and just wait for the next opportunity to come for him to step back in the ring.”

The good thing about Showtime, according to Stern, is that whenever they have arranged for a fight, they normally stick to it and very rarely do they take a fight off their show. And with the show being shown live on Showtime Extreme, Stern said the Bahamian public will finally get a chance to see Williams, who has not been in a fight since November 10 when he lost a 10-round split decision to Robert Helenius at the Ice Hall in Helsinki, Finland.

Williams, who stands at 5-feet, 11-inches, will be taking a 35-12-2 win-loss-draw record with 19 knockouts in the ring against Washington, at 6-5, who is undefeated at 7-0. Washington, who got started last year by winning five straight, is coming off two consecutive victories this year, including a fourth round decision over DJ Hughley on January 11 and a fifth round KO over Curtis Harper on March 8, both at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California.

“They’re trying to build this guy up, but it’s not going to happen against me,” said Williams, of Washington, who played tight end and defensive end for the University of Southern California before he became a member of both the practice squads for the Seattle Seahawks and the Buffalo Bills in the NFL.

“He’s the second person to come over from a football. He’s about 6-5, but none of that impresses me. He’s one of their golden boys they are trying to push, but I’m not going to let him intimidate me. I am feeling real good and I’m looking forward to getting in the ring with him.”

After the fight with Dinu was called off, Williams said he had taken a brief break to recuperate, but once he got the call on Thursday, he was back in the gym training on Friday when Showtime finally finalised the deal with Stern.

“I’m back in the gym sparring and working on the Tank attack,” said Williams from his training site in Vero Beach, Florida. “The plan is to take the fight to him on the inside, work on his body, throw the left hook and then counter with the right overhead. I’m going to go after him from the first round.

“I’m sure that Gerald is going to try and use his height to overpower me. But I intend to be quick on my feet and use my rapid speed to throw off his illusion. I intend to be a very methodical fighter. I like a challenge. I don’t think that he has fought a fighter like me before.”

With just about a week to recuperate from his intense training sessions in Romania, Williams said he hasn’t lost his edge.

“I didn’t lose my edge. I was off for about a week, but I’m back in the gym training,” he said. “I don’t need that much time to get back in the kind of condition that I need to be ready to compete. I’m pleased with the way I am right now and I’m looking forward to going to California and putting on a show on Showtime.”