Dannie Williams never had to adapt quite like he did in his last fight at the Covelli Centre in early July.
"This time it's [hair] going to be secure, and it's not going to come down," said Williams with a big smile. "I'm not worried about my hair. If it has to get cut off then it has to get cut off. I'm going to handle my business with no distractions, and I can do my thing in the ring."
Williams is referencing his fight against Oscar Cuero. He won the fight by unanimous decision; however, Cuero was able to land some shots in the early to middle rounds because Williams' dreadlocks were clearly in his eyes.
"If there are any problems with Dannie's hair Friday night I will take care of that," assured his trainer, Jack Loew. "I will have some sharpened scissors. Dannie assured me if it does happen then the dreads are gone. For his sake I hope they stay tied up. If not, I will be Jack the barber that night."
Williams plans to improve on more than just his hair when he steps in the ring against Antonio Cervantes (16-5, 3 KOs) Friday night.
"My focus is on staying patient and trying to move a lot more, moving my head," said Williams (18-1, 14 KOs). "Then I can just wait on that one punch."
The fight will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 as part of Friday Night Fights. It's scheduled as a ten-round bout.
"When you get on TV, you have to win. A loss here would be tremendously detrimental," said Loew. "He has to win a fight like this, and he has to look good. If he does, his career will move to a different level."
From there, Williams could potentially earn a fight on ShowBox which would move him closer to his overall goal of fighting for a lightweight title on HBO some time in 2012.
The broadcast begins at 9 p.m. Williams is the first scheduled fight of the night.
