The last time Joe Williams stepped into the ring, he ended up flat on his back early in the second round after walking into a big left hook from Central Coast boxer Brendan “The Bomber” Batty.
The local product and former NRL halfback said at the time the loss inside two rounds in front of family and friends in Cowra last October would only make him more determined to succeed in the fight game.
Williams will get his first chance to atone for that loss at the State Sports Centre on February 19 on the undercard to the much-hyped bout between Sam Soliman and Garth Wood, winner of the reality television program The Contender.
“It’s a good opportunity being on a high profile card, but also a great opportunity to fight on the same card as Garth,” Williams said.
“I played with Garth back at Souths [in 2006] and all the Souths boys are going to be there. So it’s a bit of a home coming, not so much for him, but for me and a good chance to put on a show in front of some people. I’m looking forward to it.”
Williams has been back in training for eight weeks spending time in Sydney doing work with Billy Dib under the tutelage of Billy Hussein and is ready to return to the winner’s circle.
“I used to train with Billy when I lived in Sydney. It’s always good to go back. It’s like playing in Group 10 or 11 and then going to play in the NRL. It’s a world apart as far as preparation and conditioning goes. It was a massive eye opener for me. It gave me a good chance to get home and work on some things before I go back again this weekend to do my final sparring sessions.”
Williams believes he has learnt a lot from the knockout loss incurred in his return to the sport.
Although it was the first blemish on his record (6-1), he is determined to keep it that way knowing that you’re only one punch away from losing a fight you have in control.
“If you don’t learn the lessons when you get beat, that’s when issues start to creep in. Obviously I need to be patient and work for the win and not try and rush it. I think I was guilty of that in the last one and then got caught because I got a little untidy. It’s the old rule; always protect yourself. This fight I’ve worked on being a little bit tighter in my defence and making sure I’m a lot fitter than last time.”
The unpredictability of the fight game also dealt Williams a blow when his Newcastle based opponent had to withdraw with a hand injury suffered during a sparring session.
“With the boxing game it is hard. You can prepare for three months and in the last week someone gets injured. I was setting myself up for this guy but now I’ve got a new opponent Jacques Hendrisson and he’s just as tough and as durable. He has gone the distance with all his opponents, he’s extremely tough. It’s a good fight for me coming off a pretty bad loss the last one.”
With the fight not televised, Williams has organised a supporters bus that will depart Dubbo to ensure he has parochial supporters in his corner.
“We still have seats on the bus that goes from Dubbo through Orange and Bathurst. They’ll get a special limited edition Team Williams shirt, entry into the annual Charity Shield match between Souths and St George-Illawarra the night before, the fights, accommodation and bus for $180.
“It would be great to get home town support down there and people that I know in my corner to come and support me.”
The second Williams Fight Night to be held in Cowra proposed for March this year has been put back.
“We’re still trying to work through venues and lock in dates at the moment. Talking to everyone around town, they definitely want it to happen again and I definitely want to bring it here again. It’s a matter of making it fit with things in town and my commitments in Dubbo as well.”
Anyone interested in securing a seat on the bus can contact Joe Williams by emailing jwboxing01@gmail.com
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