The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER an amateur career that allowed him to box around the world in a number of major international competition, Rashield Williams has decided to move into the professional ranks.

The 29-year-old welterweight, now training out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, under the supervision of

Norman Wilson, is preparing to make his pro debut on Saturday in Mexico against an unknown opponent in a four-rounder.

“My preparation is good. I’m in great shape,” said Williams in an interview with The Tribune from his training site where he’s been since December. “I am ready to fight.”

Although he isn’t aware of anything about his opponent, other than the fact that he’s a Mexican, Williams said he’s not certain about whoever steps in the ring. He just want to get started with a bang on Saturday.

“This is my first pro fight so I’m looking to take him out,” Williams said. “I want to go in there and my make presence felt.”

After competing at just about every level of competition except the Olympic Games as an amateur, Williams said he just feel it’s time for him to take his career to the next level as he’s certainly not getting any younger.

“There’s not much difference from the amateur to the professional ranks,” said Williams, in making the transition. “Everybody used to tell me when I fight that I have a professional style, so it wasn’t difficult for me to make the change.

“I just had to do one or two things a little different than what I did as an amateur. We were able to do that and so now I’m ready to go to the next level.”

Since making the decision to turn pro after his last amateur fight last year, Williams said the move to Florida was the next best decision he could have made.

“Right now I’m in the right hands and so far everything is going good,” Williams said. “Right now, everything is moving along very quickly, especially training with my coach here. He’s a well known guy. He’s been doing this for at least 50 years.”

Wilson, Contenders Boxing Gym in Fort Lauderdale, said Williams is on the right track to succeed.

“He has been working with some top professional fighters in Miami and as well as this gym,” Wilson said. “In our last workout on Friday, he sparred against two different guys and those guys are well into their professional careers and he’s just getting started, but I don’t want to boost or brag, but he he broke them down.”

As he heads to Mexico on Friday, Wilson said Williams will have a challenge, but he’s going to be prepared.

“When you are fighting the Mexicans, they want to take it to you, but Williams is pretty versatile. He can do a little of everything. He can bang and he can fight and he can box,” Wilson stated. “The thing is he has a beautiful boxing style, so he just have to stick to it where he’s the best at and that is at boxing.”

Over the years, Wilson said he’s had an opportunity to work with a number of Bahamians, including Williams, whenever they go to the international amateur competition and he was able to critique Williams’ ability and that is why he is so confident that he will do very well in making the transition to the pro ranks.

As a pro, Williams said his goal is to become the next Bahamian world champion, following in the footsteps of the late Elisha Obed, the only Bahamian to win a major world title. He just want to get his initial pro fight under his belt this weekend and take the next step forward.