paul williams (born july 27, 1981) is an american former professional boxer who competed from 2000 to 2012. he held the wbo welterweight title twice between 2007 and 2008, the wbo interim junior middleweight title in 2008, and challenged once for the unified middleweight title in 2010. nicknamed "the punisher", and standing at a height of 6 feet 1 inches, williams was unusually tall for the three divisions in which he competed. his career was cut short in 2012 after a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the waist down.