Can J-Rock Williams Upset Carlos Adames?
Former unified 154-pound champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams (28-3-1, 16 KOs) has a chance to reestablish himself as a relevant name in boxing again. To do so, he must defeat WBC 160-pound Interim champion Carlos Adames (22-1, 17 KOs) in their twelve-round bout on June 24.
It’s been quite an up-and-down career for the Philadelphia native. After suffering his first setback in 2016, getting stopped by then-IBF 154-pound champ Jermall Charlo in five rounds, Julian Williams would go on a five-fight winning streak. During that stretch, he would accomplish his goal of becoming a world champion by dominating then-unified champion Jarrett Hurd.
However, his title reign wouldn’t last long. In his very next fight, J-Rock would be stopped by Jeison Rosario in front of his hometown crowd. After taking over a year and a half off, he would return against Vladimir Hernandez and lose a split decision. That surprising loss had many boxing fans and pundits questioning whether or not it was time for the former champion to hang up the gloves. Ultimately, that didn’t happen, and he picked up a unanimous decision win over Rolando Mansilla last November.
Now campaigning at middleweight, Williams has a chance to prove he still has gas left in the tank. He’ll surely be the underdog against the hard-hitting and talented Adames. Still, he has a wealth of experience and skills to get the job done. But will his chin hold up to the firepower it’ll be facing come fight night? We’ll find out on June 24.
