The Tribune

NOW that he’s back in his comfort zone, Bahamian professional boxer Rashield Williams said he intends to take his frustrations from the Commonwealth Games out on American Daniel Arriaga when they meet on Saturday night.

Williams, eliminated on points in his first and only bout at the games in Birmingham, England in August, is scheduled to square off against Arriaga in a welterweight match at the Alessi Gym Fitness Center in Tampa, Florida.

The 33-year-old Williams will be taking a 5-1-4 win-loss-knockout record into the match against Arriaga, a 32-year-old American southpaw, who is 2-4-2 with two draws.

“I feel good. I think this is a good opportunity for me because I just signed with a professional boxing company, so I am ready to show them what I can do,” said Williams, who indicated that they have expressed a desire for him to be fighting on a regular basis.

After he returned to Florida from the Commonwealth Games, Williams said he got right into his training camp and has been working on getting ready for his return to the pro ranks. During the games, as a pro, he was afforded the opportunity to compete with the amateurs.

“I had to build my weight back up because at the Commonwealth Games, I had to lose about 11 pounds just to make the weight for the fight,” Williams said. “Now I’m much stronger because I’m right where I need to be for this fight.”

Williams said he doesn’t know much about his opponent, except for the fact that Arriaga is a southpaw.

“There’s a way to work around fighting a southpaw,” he said. “I want to go in there and knock him out. He’s not going to be any match for me.”

Williams’ last pro fight was on January 28 when he won a TKO over Daniel Molina at the Hialeah Park Racing & Casino in Hialeah, Florida.

He had one fight in 2021 on September 18 when he won a KO decision over Dylan Dodds at the Alessi Gym Fitness Center in Tampa, Florida.

Williams made his pro debut in 2019 when he won over Carlos Monroy on February 9 at the Restaurant Los Olvidados in Playa del Carmen. He lost his second bout on March 22 to Javaune James at the Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort in Miami, Florida, before he got back on the winning track with a decision over Jurland Ceniza on December 21 in Tipanoy, Iligan City.

Arriaga, who resides in San Antonio, Texas, is coming off a TKO loss to American Xavier Madrid on November 20, 2021 at the Inn Of The Mountain Goods in Mescalaro.

Williams, along with Carl Hield, represented the Bahamas at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August.

Williams had to shed about 11 pounds to make the weight for the light welterweight division where he lost on points to Namibia’s Jonas Jonas. Hield, 35, got stopped in the first round against Nigeria’s Abdul-Afeez Osoba after he slipped and fell when his opponent countered with an onslaught. Hield is hoping to join Williams in fighting as a pro next month. He’s just waiting on the deal to be sealed.