We are just hours away from an intriguing middleweight bout between an interim champion on the way up and a veteran who may be leaving his physical prime window. Carlos Adames (22-1, 17 KOs) will defend his interim WBC title against former unified junior middleweight champion Julian Williams (28-3-1, 16 KOs) live on Showtime tomorrow night.
The talking is done. @BroncoAdames will be defending his Interim WBC Middleweight Title against former unified champion @Jrockboxing on tomorrow's @ShowtimeBoxing main event. #AdamesWilliams pic.twitter.com/dxBJOOoEZy
— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) June 23, 2023
The fight is intriguing as Williams tends to surprise fans and produce unexpected performances (both good and bad), as he did against Jarrett Hurd (24-3, 16 KOS) in 2019. On the other hand, he hasn’t looked so great in more recent fights against former champion Jeison Rosario (23-4-1, 17 KOs) and Vladimir Hernandez (13-5, 6 KOs). With that being said, we are in for a fight that will have a lot of eyes on it, especially those that contend in the middleweight division.
Speaking of the middleweight division, Adames is the interim WBC champ, and it’s only because the full champion Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs), hasn’t fought anyone in two years. The frustration continues growing as Charlo is rumored to face Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs) in September. So where does that leave Adames? Who knows, but for now, he doesn’t feel like he is getting the respect he deserves. “I don’t feel as though I have been given my respect at middleweight. The other middleweights aren’t seeing what’s about to happen, and when they do, it’ll be too late for them,” said the 29-year-old middleweight.
Super middleweight king @Canelo 👑 vs. middleweight champion @FutureofBoxing 🏆
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) June 22, 2023
(via @MikeCoppinger) pic.twitter.com/z2N4pF8rRd
While being in training camp allows him to focus on his opponents, when he is not in camp, Adames has other things to occupy his time, like his clothing stores. Adames has a few clothing stores in the Dominican Republic, which he runs with his wife. It’s a skill (being a business owner) that he learned from his mother, and he has been able to open up multiple locations because of it. Although he spends his time away from the ring being an entrepreneur/business owner, it doesn’t take him away from the mission at hand, which is Williams. Although there is a level of respect between the two, Adames told ProBoxTV, “I’m always learning something new at every training camp, but Williams has no clue what’s about to happen on Saturday night.”
Interim WBC Middleweight Champion @BroncoAdames has predicted a KNOCKOUT over @Jrockboxing in their clash this Saturday on @ShowtimeBoxing. Fight fans, what's YOUR prediction?#AdamesWilliams Fight Night Details: https://t.co/xacyGxfQTx pic.twitter.com/u09Ya37qnH
— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) June 23, 2023
Those things Adames learns each camp are a credit to the bond he has built with trainer Bob Santos over the years. “The relationship has grown a lot, and you can say it’s a Father/Son type of relationship. The way he treats and protects me is why I feel we have a great relationship,” said Adames. Santos has a solid stable of fighters that keeps growing, and if you ask any of them that question, they’d answer it the same way. It’s the reason Santos’ fighters are successful. That bond he builds with them is priceless, and they buy into everything, including the game plan he has developed for his fighter’s opponents.
On Saturday night, it won’t be any different as the team of Adames and Santos look to come away with the victory. Adames knows a win over Williams may get him a few notches higher on the rankings and the type of attention needed to lure in the rest of the middleweight contenders. In the end, what should fans expect when they go to the Armory in Minneapolis, MN, or watch the fight on Showtime? “Fans are going to see the new face of boxing, and we are going to continue to work hard towards that.”
