Former two-time welterweight titlist Paul Williams faces his biggest fight, this one outside of the ring, after he was paralyzed from the waist down in a motorcycle accident Sunday morning in Atlanta.

George Peterson, Williams' trainer, manager and father figure, said on Monday that Williams' doctors said he would never walk again and that his boxing career is over.

"They're saying he won't walk again or box again," said Peterson, who flew to Atlanta from Washington, D.C., where they were training for Williams' next fight, on Sunday. "Paul is in denial right now. It's been that way with him. You tell him he can't or won't do something, and he wants to prove you different. So whatever the doctors say, he's not listening. But they say that (walking and boxing) is not going to happen."

Paul Williams, shown here at right in an Atlantic City fight in July 2011, has been paralyzed in a Georgia motorcycle crash and will have surgery Wednesday. AP Photo/Rich Schultz

Just last week Williams had signed for a major fight. He was due to challenge junior middleweight titlist Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on Sept. 17 in the main event of a pay-per-view card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Peterson said Williams, who lives about an hour outside of Atlanta, had ridden his motorcycle from his home to Atlanta to attend the Sunday wedding of one of his brothers.

Peterson said that the accident occurred around 8 a.m. as Williams was riding to another brother's home to get ready for the wedding, which took place later in the day.

Peterson said Williams, who was wearing his helmet, rode out of his lane to avoid a car that was moving into his lane, but that another car was coming toward him in the other direction. Peterson said Williams swerved to avoid the oncoming car, wound up riding up a steep embankment and lost control of the motorcycle before flying several feet in the air and landing on his back on the road. Peterson said one of the drivers of the other cars called 911.

Marietta, Ga., police released a statement Tuesday morning saying that Williams was driving too fast for conditions.

Peterson said Williams, 30, is scheduled to have surgery Wednesday to stabilize the portion of his spinal cord that is intact and allows him to move his hands, arms, torso and head.

"The other part of his spinal cord is damaged and has eliminated his lower body movement," Peterson said.

Peterson said he saw Williams at the hospital on Sunday several hours after the accident and that he was not in pain and was telling jokes.

"He's telling jokes and saying if he doesn't box again, he'll do stand-up comedy. He's in good spirits but he is also in denial," Peterson said. "But he's coherent. I had an excellent conversation with him. When I walked in the door (on Sunday) about 5:30 in the afternoon, he said he'd be ready to go back to camp on Monday. I guess I'm in denial, too, because I have seen him overcome so much adversity before and come back. We'll pray about the situation."

Peterson said if Wednesday's surgery goes well, Williams would remain hospitalized for a few weeks before moving to a rehabilitation center.