Austin Williams looks good in step-up fight
In his latest outing, the hard-hitting middleweight prospect Austin “Ammo” Williams (8-0, 6 KO’s) defeated Denis “Mama’s Boy” Douglin (22-8, 14 KO’s) by way of unanimous decision. While it is true that Douglin has lost and been stopped on numerous occasions, he was still a notably more experienced fighter than Williams. To date, Douglin has already faced elite level boxers such as former world champions Anthony Dirrell and David Benavidez. True, he lost to both. Yet, there is no substitute for on-the-job learning.
For his part Williams has done everything that a young fighter is supposed to do in the ring. He has displayed poise, shown consistent incremental improvement and finished most of his opposition in style. Along with being a crowd-pleasing fighter, Ammo has proven not to be a one-dimensional power puncher. In the ring, he has shown patience and an atypical dedication to a withering body attack.
His penchant for torso torture was especially on display in his October 23, 2020 dustup with Esau Herrera. The early-fight agony that he caused the Mexican’s organs directly preceded Williams collecting a fifth round stoppage. In against Douglin, Ammo did not deviate from his love of body blows, and just like before, he was well rewarded.
LIVE OUT THE GATE
Right from the start, the bout was tense and competitive. Neither fighter had any desire for a feel-out process. Both came out throwing hard, mean-spirited shots. Overall, Ammo handled himself well as he predictably went to the body with regularity. His opponent enjoyed his fair share of success as well. In particular, the southpaw found a happy home for his right hook.
While the action remained lively and steady, Williams most certainly took over in the second round. Ammo chose to forgo his jab and pour his energy into battering Douglin’s rib cage with a two-fisted attack. Williams punctuated the round by clocking the Mama’s Boy with a stiff left hook that knocked his mouthpiece out.
For the next several periods, the bout took on a repetitive template. A slightly tiring but still very game Douglin did his best work on the inside, yet not enough to win the rounds. Conversely, Williams landed the greater volume of punches, flashier combinations and more visually impactful power shots.
STEP-UP COMPLETE
The Mama’s Boy had his best round of the fight in the fifth. As Williams appeared to be fatiguing a bit himself, Douglin caught a second wind. Throughout the round, Douglin pushed Ammo back and even hammered him with a left hook that snapped his head back. To his credit, Williams had a great bounce back round. Ammo managed to hurt his veteran foe with a thudding right hook of his own at the top of the sixth.
Williams nearly stopped Douglin in the seventh when he cold-cocked him with a hybrid hook/uppercut that left him stunned and stumbling backwards to the ropes. The young gun pounced on him and flurried trying to end the contest. In the midst of his attack, Ammo ate a hard hook that cooled his assault off a bit. Mama’s Boy was able to finish the round without any other major calamities. The eighth and final round was fought at a brisk pace but nothing overly engrossing took place. When the scorecards were read, Williams won by way of unanimous decision.
By: Bakari Simpson
