To quote or not to quote, that is the question

When should I use a...

...direct quote?

 I want to argue with the author.

 I want to attack the specific words chosen.
 I want to attack the idea, and the words used by the author are important to do so.
 The quote is famous and I want to sound erudite.
BEWARE! Punctuation, relevance

Example:
As stated by the author, “[o]ver 1000 boxers have died during or just after fights in the
past one hundred years and many more have been damaged for life by injuries in the
boxing ring. Some of these victims were professional boxers who made their living from
the sport…” How could a professional, who chooses to practise a sport following certain
rules and regulations, who supposedly intends to practise it for as long as possible and
trains hard to be in perfect shape, be regarded as a “victim”? Who is the “perpetrator”
then?

...paraphrase?
 I want to show off my reading comprehension skills.
 I want to show that I can reinterpret the author’s ideas in my own words.
 I want to show my command of the language.
 I want to “spin” the idea of the author to support my argument (that is, show it in a
positive or negative light).
BEWARE! Overinterpretation, wrong word choice

Example:
“Over 1000 boxers have died during or just after fights in the past one hundred years and
many more have been damaged for life by injuries in the boxing ring.”

Agreeing with the author:

“As stated by the author, a staggering one thousand boxers have lost their lives—and
countless more have lost their health and therefore their livelihoods—in the past century
alone, as a result of this so-called sport.”

Disagreeing with the author:

“As stated by the author, a thousand boxers have lost their lives in the past century; that
is to say, approximately ten boxers a year. How many people die every year when
practising other sports, such as motor racing, parachuting or simply jogging?”