My first reaction was shock.
Then it was extreme sadness when I first heard the news that Williams was paralyzed from a motorcycle accident. I have met Williams a few times and while his boxing career has had ups and downs, he was always a gentleman and nice guy.
You wouldn’t wish for this to happen to anyone, but when it happens to someone you have gotten to know on a casual level it just hits close to home.
The good news is that Williams is in good spirits, he has a long battle in front of him and could use all of our prayers.
“From the waist down, he has absolutely no movement. He’s in very good spirits, though,” Peterson told The Associated Press from his home in Aiken, S.C. “He still believes he’s going to fight again.”
Williams severed his spinal cord after falling on his back and head when he was thrown from his motorcycle Sunday morning in Marietta, Ga., Peterson said. Williams has been listed in serious but stable condition on Monday at an undisclosed hospital.
“I know he’s going to make a statement after surgery on Wednesday, because he’s that kind of person,” Peterson said. “He’s 100 percent coherent and still has the will to want to get back on the motorcycle.”
He said he continues to hope with Williams that the boxer’s career isn’t over.
“I want to think along with him, ‘cause I’ve seen him do things in his boxing career that shouldn’t have happened,” he said.
The crash happened Sunday morning in Marietta after Williams tried to avoid another car in the next lane that was negotiating a curve and then had to maneuver to avoid an oncoming car. Williams was in the area to attend his brother’s wedding Sunday afternoon, Peterson said.
“We want his fans to know he’s going to be all right and he’ll be back,” Peterson said.