The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

With less than a month to go before he heads to Auckland, New Zealand, for his next fight, Grand Bahamian Sherman ‘The Tank’ Williams said he has been pleased with the way his training has been going in Boca Raton, Florida.

“I’ve been trying to use a lot of strategy. I brought in a heavyweight to help with my sparring and everything has been working out very well,” Williams said. “These past two weeks have been very productive and I feel that the work that I’ve put in, I should be in a much better position for the fight.

“I still have another three weeks before the fight, so I hope that I will get a chance to continue my sparring in Boca Raton and then I plan to go to Grand Bahama for a camp there for a week before I head off to New Zealand on October 5 to get myself acclimatised and do some more promotions.”

At present, Williams is sparring with heavyweight contender Wes Nofie from Oklahoma at the ABC Gym. He’s been supervised by Charles Mooney, the American 1976 Olympic medallist and team captain and trained by Carlos ‘Panama’ Lewis, the controversial trainer who prepared legendary Aaron Pryor for his championship fight against Alexis Arguello and Roberto Duran for his epic win over Sugar Ray Leonard.

Williams, 42, will take on Joseph Parker, 22, for the PABA and World Boxing Organisation’s heavyweight titles when the two clash on Thursday, October 16 at The Trusts Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. Grand Bahamian Williams will be taking a 36-13-1 win-loss-draw record into the ring against New Zealand’s Parker, who is undefeated at 10-0.

“I’m not going to kid myself. I know this is going to be a tough fight because I am fighting in front of Joseph’s home fans,’” said Williams, who is still looking forward to having his first professional fight in Grand Bahama. “He has a lot of people behind him. He has a lot of finances behind him as well.

“But I have a lot of experience on my side, so I think this is going to be a great opportunity for me to go out there and show them what I am capable of doing. He’s much taller than I am, but I know once I get into the ring, I will be taking the fight right to him. So I’m really looking forward to taking on this challenge and I’m prepared to take the bull by the horn.”

On June 28, 2012, Williams said he found himself in the same type of position when he travelled to Macau, China, where he fought and won the WBO China Zone and WBO Asia Pacific heavyweight titles over Chauncy Welliver at the Grand Waldo Cenference & Exhibition Centre.

“I pulled off the upset then and I hope to do the same thing this time,” Williams said. “I don’t want to come across as being too arrogant, but the minute I can get inside and work on his chin, I’m going to go for the knockout. But if I have to go the long route, then I’m prepared to go the distance.

“My goal is just to make sure and keep Joseph on his heels and I believe once I can establish myself, I should be able to go in for the kill. If I can get the knockout, I’m sure to go for it. But whatever it takes to win, I will be going in that direction. I just want to bring another title back home to the Bahamas.”

Since turning pro on June 24, 1997, when he lost his debut against Renard Jones at the Arizona Charlie’s in Las Vegas, Nevada, Williams said he’s had his hands full, facing competitors who are much taller than his 5-foot, 11-inch frame.

But he said he has not allowed anybody‘s size to intimidate him and he doesn’t expect to start now as he faces Parker, who is 6-4.