Williams, Martinez not ducking each other

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. were the major topic of conversation at another boxing news conference yesterday for all the wrong reasons. Not only did negotiations for a fight between them fall apart, but also neither would entertain a challenge from Sergio Martinez or Paul Williams.

So HBO did the next best thing by putting Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs) and Williams (39-1, 27 KOs) together for a rematch of their thrilling fight Williams won by a majority decision on Dec. 5, 2009. That was a fight-of -the-year candidate, and Williams and Martinez promised the rematch on Nov. 20 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City will be just as good.

Martinez was a last-minute replacement for Kelly Pavlik, who twice canceled dates with Williams. Since then, Martinez defeated Pavlik for the WBC and WBO middleweight titles. He retained the WBC belt, and it will be on the line even though he agreed to fight Williams at 157, three pounds below the middleweight limit.

"Nobody wanted to fight Paul Williams, and nobody wanted to fight Sergio Martinez,'' Martinez said. "We have no choice. We have to fight each other.''

Williams added: "I can't wait to get in the ring and do it again. This is the biggest fight besides Mayweather-Pacquiao, but they're not fighting. Who else is there to see?"

Last time, each man was knocked down in the first round, setting the tone for a slugfest. Williams wasn't as sharp as hoped because he prepared for Pavlik to stand in front of him and wound up facing Martinez, a slick lefthander with better hand speed.

Williams says he would have no trouble going down to the 147-pound welterweight limit to face Pacquiao or Mayweather, but neither is anxious to fight a 6-1 opponent with power.

"They couldn't compete with this guy,'' said Williams' trainer, George Peterson. "If one or the other would fight, it would be Pacquiao. We all know what Mayweather does. Paul is not old enough yet or short enough for him to fight.''

In contrast, Martinez and Williams aren't afraid to risk all. Peterson wants Williams to stay outside and box, but that probably won't happen.

"If he hits me with a great shot, it will probably all go out the window and we'll go back to banging,'' Williams said. "It might be bad for me to be banging with him, but for the fans, it will definitely be good.''

You know, a real fight.