Though the WBC interim world champion at 160 lbs, Carlos Adames, will have to wait a while longer for his opportunity against the full holder of the belt, Jermall Charlo, the Dominican must now focus on defending his interim champion status against a potentially dangerous opponent. Adames’ next foe will be Julian Williams, also known as ‘J Rock’, who is getting another crack at the top after a short stint as the unified champion of the Junior Middleweight division from 2019 to 2020.
Julian Williams (28-3-1, 16 KO’s) will be fighting just his second fight at Middleweight after making his first leap to the division in November of 2022. Following an up-and-down career at 154 lbs which saw him become a unified champion by beating the then-undefeated Jarrett Hurd, Williams lost all his titles in his very next match in a title defense against Jeison Rosario ― who himself would end up losing his belt to Jermell Charlo who eventually became the undisputed champion of the division.
Though a victory against Adames can catapult Julian Williams back to the peak of the boxing world if he becomes an interim champion at 160 lbs, his future challenger will then be Jermall Charlo who decisively handed him his first career loss all the way back in 2016 by knocking him out.
Carlos Adames (22-1, 14 KO’s) will be a massive obstacle to overcome for Williams given he has been in excellent form over the past four matches in which he stopped or knocked out three of his last four opponents, culminating his efforts with a knockout win over former world title challenger Juan Macias Montiel (23-6-2, 23 KO’s) to become the WBC interim champion of the Middleweight division.
Though Carlos Adames is just two fights in at 160 lbs himself, yet the Dominican’s form looks much better than Julian Williams’ given the American has lost two out of his four last fights, with his last loss in 2021 coming by way of a split-decision against a noticeably low-ranked and virtually unknown fighter in Vladimir Hernandez (13-5, 6 KO’s).
After missing out on a world title opportunity when he lost to Patrick Teixeira in a contest for the WBO Junior Middleweight interim title, Carlos Adames will now be looking to hold onto his chance at becoming a full world title with the knowledge that he might not receive such an opportunity again given he has arguably now entered his prime.
The two are set to headline at The Armory venue in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 24 in what will surely be a spectacle to witness given the elite world-level abilities that both fighters have displayed throughout their careers.
