Julian Williams has signed a contract to fight the winner of Harrison-Charlo II, according to his trainer Stephen Edwards.
The 154-pound division is the gift that keeps giving.
Stephen Edwards, the manager and trainer of junior middleweight titleholder Julian Williams, said on the Showtime boxing podcast that should his fighter defeat Jeison Rosario on Jan. 18 in Philadelphia, he is expected to face the winner of the Dec. 21 rematch between Tony Harrison and Jermell Charlo.
Williams holds two of the four major 154-pound titles, Harrison one.
“We’ve already signed a unification match to fight the winner of Jermell and Tony,” Edwards said.
Williams (27-1-1, 16 knockouts) is expected to beat Rosario (19-1-1, 13 KOs), a Miami-based Dominican who enters the fight as a heavy underdog.
After the title-unification bout, Edwards said that a rematch with 160-pound titleholder Jermall Charlo would be appealing. Charlo blitzed Williams with a vicious fifth-round knockout in 2016.
Most of the top 154-pounders are aligned with Premier Boxing Champions, including former titleholders in Erislandy Lara and Jarrett Hurd.
Julian William, who owns two of junior middleweight belts, will take on Jeison Rosario at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia on Jan. 11.
Julian Williams will make the first defense of his two junior welterweight titles at home.
Williams is scheduled to face Jeison Rosario on Jan. 18 at Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, it was announced Wednesday in a release. The fight will be televised on Fox.
Williams had been slated to fight in December in a rematch against Jarrett Hurd, whom he dominated in a thrilling fight to win two of the four major belts in the division. But Hurd, for reasons that remain unknown, decided to pull out. (Hurd has hinted that he might move up to middleweight.)
“This is going to be great having a homecoming fight back in Philadelphia,” said Williams (27-1-1, 16 knockouts). “I haven’t fought in Philadelphia since 2011, so I can’t wait to get back in the ring in front of all my people.”
Rosario (19-1-1, 13 KOs) is a notch or two below Hurd, but Williams isn’t looking past the Dominican challenger, who is 7-0-1 since his knockout loss to Nathaniel Gallimore in 2017.
Julian Williams (right) won his titles by upsetting Jarrett Hurd in May. AP Photo / Jose Luis Magana
“Rosario is a good fighter and I’m very familiar with him,” Williams said. “I know he packs a solid punch and that he’s been on a tear ever since his lone loss to Nathaniel Gallimore. So he’ll be a stiff test for me. But I’m prepared to win. Most of all, I’m just excited to defend my titles … as a unified champion in front of my hometown crowd.”
Some had written Williams off after a brutal knockout loss to Jermall Charlo in 2016. But Williams kept his head down the next couple of years, putting together four consecutive victories, before getting another opportunity to challenge for the title against Hurd in May.
The junior middleweight division boasts some of the best talent and matchups in the sport. On Dec. 21, another intriguing 154-pound title rematch will take place between titleholder Tony Harrison and Jermell Charlo. The winner of that fight sets up a potential clash with the winner of Williams-Rosario.
