'The Drill' to operate in 10-round bout against Vanda

Fighting was nearly Phil Williams' ruin. Now, it has him on the precipice of stardom.  

A product of Minneapolis' Northside, Williams— "The Drill" to his friends and fans— will face local brawler Matt Vanda in the 10-round super middleweight feature bout of a six-fight card tonight at Grand Casino in Hinckley.  

A victory for the granite-fisted Williams is expected to propel him from the periphery of the national boxing scene squarely into the conversation of potential title contenders.  

"This is for sure my biggest fight to date," said Williams, whose 10 knockouts are the spike in his 11-1 career record. "If I win this, it will open up a lot of doors for me."  

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Doors that Williams, 32, has seen from afar but, until recently, never has been able to reach.  

Born in New York, Williams, who never has known a father, bounced around with his family until finally settling down in Minneapolis in his early teens.  

It was there that his story became that of a garden-variety street hustler, laden with petty crime, fights and repeated trips to jail.  

"Man, you name it, I did it, "Williams said. "I must have been to jail 20 times."