A boxer with 27 knockouts may never walk again after a serious motorcycle accident.

Paul Williams, 30, was set to fight super-welterweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez this September. The fight was cancelled after Williams’s promoter Dan Goossen told the media that Williams has no feeling below the waist after an accident near Atlanta.

Police say that speed may have been a factor in the accident. Officials said Williams was riding too fast for conditions when he swerved to avoid hitting a car and crashed into an embankment. The boxer flew from his motorcycle and landed on his back and neck, severing his spinal cord. He was on his way to his brother’s wedding.

Many boxers kept their distance from Williams, a.k.a “The Punisher,” after a string of decisive victories in the past few years. His 6-foot-2 height and unusually long arms made him a fearsome competitor.

Williams’s trainer George Peterson said that Williams’s spirits are still high.

“He said if it he wasn’t going to be boxing, he’s going to be a standup comedian,” Peterson said.

We hate to see such a talented athlete’s abilities forever altered by a motorcycle accident. Speed is a factor in many motorcycle accidents. Always ride at or below the speed limit when operating a motorcycle.

The Metier Law Firm, LLC – Denver injury attorneys