Tag: Julian Williams

Julian Williams to make hometown defense against Jeison Rosario on Jan. 18

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.

5 things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving holiday

There is a lot to be grateful for in boxing. Here are five things that make me feel fortunate on Thanksgiving.

We all have a lot to be grateful for on this Thanksgiving. Here are five things in the boxing world that make me feel fortunate.

  1. A heavyweight who can knock out a Tyrannosaurus rex. I can understand where the purists are coming from. Deontay Wilder doesn’t have the sublime skill set that normally separates the great fighters from the rest. All I know is how I feel when Wilder lands those bombs to end his fights instantly. There is nothing like it in sports. I’m going to enjoy him as long as he’s around.
  2. The spirit of the underdog. The oddsmakers generally know what they’re doing when they make one fighter a favorite – sometimes a prohibitive favorite – over another fighter. Thank goodness not every underdog buys into the prevailing wisdom. I think we’re all inspired by the fighters who overcome the odds, the “Rockys,” if you will. I’m thinking of you Andy Ruiz Jr. and Julian Williams.
  3. The talent at the top: Non-fans ask me occasionally, “What happened to boxing? Where are the great fighters?” They’re there. Uber-talents like Vassiliy Lomachenko, Terence Crawford, Canelo Alvarez, Naoya Inoue, Oleksandr Usyk, Gennadiy Golovkin, Errol Spence, et al would’ve been successful in any era and are a joy to watch. I just wish more sports fans were aware of that.
  4. An abundance of dates. The dying sport certainly produces a lot of shows, both on television and streaming services. ESPN, ESPN+, Fox, Showtime, DAZN and others have made major investments in the sport. And the quality of the cards has generally been very good. If we could only keep MMA fighters and YouTubers out of the picture.
  5. The fighters themselves. They will always be what I’m most grateful for. These young (sometimes not-so-young) men and women risk their very well being to pursue their dreams and entertain us every time they step through the ropes. From the superstars to the journeymen, they need to know that we appreciate them and what they do. I’ll always admire them.