The worst night in the career of Carlos Adames might’ve been his most productive.
Adames, the 160-pound contender who will face Julian Williams on Saturday, hit the canvas and lost a close, but unanimous decision to future champion Patrick Teixeira for an “interim” 154-pound belt in November 2019.
The setback, the first in Adames’ career, was disappointing but it changed his life. The New York-based Dominican realized that he couldn’t take anything or anyone for granted and changed his approach to boxing accordingly.
As a result, he’s on the precipice of his first shot at world title.
“That fight taught me so much,” Adames told me through a translator on The PBC Podcast. “It made me the person I am today. I’m thankful for that fight. You may ask me why. It taught me to be disciplined. … Sometimes you have to learn that lesson the hard way.
“It also taught me that there are no easy or weak opponents. You have to take each and every opponent seriously. It also allowed me to see that the people in my corner were not the people I needed any more. They didn’t fit what my philosophy was, what my goals were.
“It allowed me to change that and be with the team (including trainer Bob Santos) that took me on the path I’m on today.”
Adames (22-1, 17 KOs) took more than a year off after the setback against Teixeira, a period in which he left promoter Top Rank. He then reeled off four consecutive victories, including his first two as a full-fledged middleweight.
He outpointed tricky, rugged veteran Sergey Derevyanchenko in December 2021, a break through for him. He followed that with a brutal third-round knockout of Juan Macias Montiel last October.
As a result, he became the WBC’s top challenger for Jermall Charlo’s title. A victory over Williams on Saturday at The Armory in Minneapolis (Showtime) could lead directly to a fight with Charlo, although the champion is rumored to be a potential opponent for 168-pound champ Canelo Alvarez.
“Like I mentioned before, that Teixeira fight was before and after in my life. It parted the waters,” said Adames, whose nickname is ‘Bronco.’ “… I’m a problem for the 160-pound division now. It’s because of all the work I’ve put in since [the loss].
“Trust me, Bronco is ready to gallop. The 160-pound division better be ready because I’m going to cause all sorts of havoc. I’m here to stay.”
Yes, Adames is confident. Maybe that’s one reason he’ll be fighting a talented former champion in Williams instead of a tune-up opponent as his team works on getting him an opportunity to fight for a major world title.
Williams (28-3-1, 16 KOs) has had recent setbacks that have threatened his career – a knockout loss to Jeison Rosario in 2020 and decision against Vladimir Hernandez in 2021 – but everyone agrees he’s an excellent fighter when he’s at his best.
Why take such a potentially difficult fight?
“It’s about going after the biggest challenges,” Adames said. “I’m always telling my promoter, my company: Give me the toughest challenges. That’s the only way you can find out if you’re here for the long run or not.
“That’s what I want to do. I want to see if I’m here for the long run or not. … I want to prove myself, I want to see what I’ve got.”
He believes that fans will see that he has a lot on Saturday.
He insisted that he’s not underestimating Williams, who once outpointed Jarret Hurd. However, he sees a glaring weakness in the Philadelphia fighter that he expects to exploit. He suggests that those watching the fight don’t blink.
“[He has] a weak chin, really,” Adames said. “It will be interesting to see what a weak chin like his does against a powerful puncher like me. It will be an explosive combination. I’m really intrigued to see how he reacts when that kind of explosion happens in the ring.”
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