Ex-Bunny Joe Williams a real knockout in boxing debut
By Paul Kent
FORMER Souths and Penrith halfback Joey Williams has opened his professional boxing career in KO style, stopping Thailand's Sing Sor Supakan with a devastating body shot.
He continues what has become a well-worn path of former NRL footballers stepping into the ring.
After his football career fizzled out earlier this year, Williams made the once-unorthodox move of stepping into the prize ring just as Anthony Mundine, Solomon Haumono and John Hopoate have done in recent years.
Taking advantage of his footballer strength - different from a boxer's - Williams hit Supakan with a vicious body blow in the second of their four scheduled rounds to bring the crowd alight at Punchbowl's Croatian Club.
"He looked great," said promoter Barry Raff. "He knocked him out with a body punch. I thought they stopped it a bit early but he was just too good."
Williams was a shooting star in the NRL before his career fizzled out last year. He failed to have his contract renewed at Souths and switched to Penrith before that also faded out, switching to the Bulldogs during this season. But that was also short-lived, prompting Williams to retire and take up boxing.
Trainer Johnny Lewis has begun working with Williams and has been excited by his prospects.
"You couldn't ask for a better debut," Lewis said last night. "What he done tonight, I was very happy with. It's still very early days but to win the first fight and win so well was great.
"He's a very good kid who does the training and said he was happy with what he had achieved in a 32-game league career, despite never realising his full potential, is prepared to put in the hard work and I've got a lot of time for Joey."
Williams lost 13kg in three months to prepare for his first fight at junior middleweight.
He's far more disciplined now than during his league career, rising at 5am and running 8km every morning and sticking to a strict diet that's helped his weight drop from 82kg to 69kg.
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