The worst night of Carlos Adames’ career may have been his most productive night.
Adames, the 160-pound contender to face Julian Williams on Saturday, hit the mark and narrowly lost, but agreed to future champ Patrick Teixeira to contest the “interim” 154-pound belt in September. 11/2019.
The first failure of Adames’ career was disappointing but it changed his life. The New York Dominican realized he couldn’t belittle anything or anyone and changed his boxing approach accordingly.
As a result, he is on the verge of winning his first world championship title.
“That game taught me a lot,” Adames told me through an interpreter on the Podcasts of PBC. “It made me who I am today. I am grateful for that fight. You can 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 competitor seriously. It also allows me to see that the people in my corner are no longer the people I need. They don’t fit my philosophy, what are my goals.
“That allowed me to change that and be with the team (including coach Bob Santos) that got me on the path I’m on today.”
Adames (22-1, 17 KOs) took a break for over a year after his defeat to Teixeira, around the time he was already out of the Top Rank of the promoter. He then racked up four straight wins, including his first two as a full-fledged middleweight boxer.
In December 2021, he appointed slick, tough veteran Sergey Derevyanchenko, a breakthrough for him. He followed that up with a brutal knockout of Juan Macias Montiel last October.
As a result, he became the WBC’s top challenger for Jermall Charlo’s title. Victory over Williams on Saturday at The Armory in Minneapolis (Showtime) could directly lead to a fight with Charlo, though the rumored champion is a potential rival to 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez.
“Like I mentioned before, that match against Teixeira was the before and after of my life. It divides the waters,” said Adames, who goes by the nickname ‘Bronco’. “… Now I’m a problem for the 160 pound class. It’s because of all the work I’ve put in since then [the loss].
“Believe me, Bronco is ready to gallop. The 160 pound part better be ready because I will cause all kinds of havoc. I am here to stay.”
Yes, Adames is very confident. Perhaps that’s one reason he’ll be fighting a talented former champion at Williams instead of a suitable opponent as his team works to give him a fighting chance for a major title. world.
Williams (28-3-1, 16 KOs) has recently had his career-threatening setbacks – a knockout loss to Jeison Rosario in 2020 and a decisive defeat to Vladimir Hernandez in 2021 – but everyone Everyone agrees that he’s an excellent fighter when he’s at his best.
Why is there such a potentially difficult fight?
“It’s about pursuing the biggest challenges,” Adames said. “I always say to my promoter, my company: Give me the hardest challenges. That’s the only way you can tell if you’re here for the long term.
“That’s what I want to do. I want to see if I’m here long term. … I want to prove myself, I want to see what I have.”
He believes fans will see that he has plenty on Saturday.
He stressed that he did not underestimate Williams, who once outplayed Jarret Hurd. However, he noticed an obvious weakness in the Philadelphia fighter that he wanted to exploit. He suggested that those watching the match should not blink.
“[He has] really a weak chin,” says Adames. “It will be interesting to see what a weak chin like him does against a strong puncher like me. It will be an explosive combination. I’m really curious to see how he reacts when that kind of explosion happens in the ring.”
