Photo:soboxing.com
From the city of purple rain, and the area code where Kirby Puckett injected a chapter of history into a Midwestern city, emerges a new favorite son. He is Phil Williams, and if you consult his adamant fan base, they’ll tell you that this product of Minneapolis’ North side is more than a boxer to them.
Phil can be found most days of the week cutting hair at his Broadway Avenue barber shop Dimensions in Hair, but on April 18 Phil will take on the role that molded him into an embraced asset in his community, 10-1 light heavyweight boxer “The Drill”. “Phil the Drill” will be taking on fellow prospect Reggie LaCrete(4-0) of Brooklyn, New York. A fight at the Target Center means an easy drive for friends and fans of Williams, who notes that fighting in Minneapolis is always a special experience.
“It always feels good to fight at home, show everyone what you got going on…It’s a good thing to have a good following and give people something to look up to around town.”
Although Phil is a headline fighter on the local scene, and perhaps even a celebrity in his part of town, he will be fighting in the middle of the card on April 18, a night sprinkled with local boxing mystique. With local names such as Matt Vanda, Jason Litzau, and a main event grudge match between Wilton Hilario and Allen Litzau, Phil has no problem fighting on the undercard of what has become an all-star event. Phil made his name by providing eye popping knockouts on undercards for the likes of Vanda in the past, but has made it clear that he intends to have fans buzzing about “The Drill” on April 18.
“I’m going to steal the show, but I don’t mind being on the undercard, just have to pay my dues. I always do respect it when I get the main event, but I’m going to steal the show”
One fight that would certainly be a main attraction in the Twin Cities, and worthy of televised coverage would be a bout with Zach Walters (23-4) of Duluth. A Williams-Walters dream match has been a hot topic amongst local boxing fans for years, and with the Target Center signed for a series of boxing shows, a venue is in place for the light-heavyweight super-fight.
“We have to fight. There are no hard feelings, I like him, but he understands the game, if we want to be the best we have to fight the best. We’re cheating Minnesota if we don’t fight“
Fighting Walters would give Phil an opportunity to shoot onto the world stage, and represent Minneapolis at the same time. To understand what representing this City means to Williams, you need not look any further than his nickname. Drill: Directly Relating to the Inner city with Love, and Loyalty.
“It’s the kids I’m trying to get a hold of, the ones that aren’t in school. They can talk to the kids that are in school, but not when they’re out of school”
With his aim to point lost youth in the right direction, Phil is also aware that his status as a professional athlete can’t get in the way of a greater goal.
“I watch some of the things I do now, because I didn’t know I was that much of a role model. A lot of kids come in here and take pictures and get autographs and take them to show and tell. So I cleaned up a little bit because you never know who is looking”
If Phil can attain the ultimate status he strives for, impacting the lives of those around him, his involvement in the community may reach a new high. Citing his love, and knowledge for the city, Phil has hinted at a possible future in politics, and ultimately a campaign for mayor of Minneapolis. Could a professional boxer really be the next mayor of Minneapolis? Phil believes so.
“I definitely want to run for mayor later on. If someone is going to do something around this city it needs to be someone who grew up here, and understands the science, and chemistry of what’s going on. I think that because I live and work around here I understand a little more than someone who watches from the outside”
A Mayoral bid actually may not be far-fetched should William’s hometown popularity spread any further. Before Phil’s political campaign can begin, however, his boxing campaign must continue. The next stop is Target Center where Reggie LaCrete will stand across the ring from him, undoubtedly prepared to give him the fight of his life. To the fans in the seats on April 18, Phil is more than a boxer, and to the man they call “The Drill” this is more than a fight. When Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” blares over the loud speakers at Target Center, and Phil Williams makes his way to the ring, the man who cuts hair on Broadway Avenue will become the man that captures imaginations, and gives his community something that they can believe in.
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