Julian Williams would not describe his fight with Carlos Adames on Saturday as life-or-death for him.
The previous 140-pound belt holder needed no such pressure. However, the reality is clear: He won’t get many more opportunities like this one at The Armory in Minneapolis (Showtime).
Williams (28-3-1, 16 KOs) plummeted from a weight class contender after defeating Jarret Hurd for the title in 2019 following a knockout loss to Jeison Rosario on the first defense and losing out. decisive defeat to Vladimir Hernandez in his next fight.
The fight with Adames is an opportunity – perhaps his last – to take back what he once had.
“That’s exactly how I’m looking at it,” he told Boxing Junkie on Tuesday.
What happened in those losses?
Williams didn’t want to discuss it, other than saying it was “an accumulation of a number of things.” He just wants you to know that he made the necessary adjustments in his preparation.
“Ultimately what happened in the past doesn’t really matter,” he said. “The important thing is that I didn’t get the ‘W’ that I should have. What matters is what happens after that.
“…I didn’t let it let me down too much. No one cares who is down, who is depressed. You must keep going.
Williams is only 33 years old, an age at which most boxers are still near their peak abilities.
He says he feels good physically. Why not? He’s only fought four times in the last four years. And while he has been stopped twice (Jermall Charlo in 2016 and Rosario in 2020), he has never been hit.
How does he feel? He admits that his failures have been disappointing. At the same time, as he said, there is no point in living in the past.
He worked hard to get his form back. That was evident in his most recent bout, which decided to knock Rolando Mansilla out in his first match as an official 160-pound athlete in November at The Armory.
Still, he says it’s just the first step, a chance to get rid of rust after a 13-month shutdown. The best is yet to come, he said. He hopes to beat Adames and eventually become a two-division belt holder.
“I think it’s all going to come together on Saturday night,” he said.
One more thing: He doesn’t care what his doubters think.
“If I had listened to people in the past,” he said, “about what people thought of me, the ups and downs, I would never have been a world champion in the first place.”
