WBC middleweight champ Carlos Adames, who was ill from weight drain on the day before his defense with Austin "Ammo" Williams in January, is better and the two will now fight March 21st in Orlando, FL.
WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames has recovered from complications trying to make weight on the day before his January title defense and will now meet Austin "Ammo" Williams in a rescheduled main event on March 21st.
Matchroom Boxing made the announcement that they will promote the card and it will stream live on DAZN from the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida.
The Adames-Williams bout was originally set for January 31st at Madison Square Garden in New York on of the undercard to the high-profile main event between Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson. However, the fight was abruptly canceled on the day before, when Adames became ill and actually passed out during his weight cut. The Dominican champion was taken to a hospital, forcing his withdrawal and leaving challenger Williams without a fight, despite having made the 160 lb. limit himself.
Rather than have that wasted, Williams opted to stay active on the card and moved up to the super middleweight limit by Saturday afternoon and faced Wendy Toussaint, who accepted the fight on just one day’s notice. Williams then dominated Toussaint scoring a knockdown in the fourth round and cruising to an easy 10 round unanimous decision victory
Following the win, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn vowed to quickly re-book the title clash and has now fulfilled that promise, securing Williams his long-awaited shot at the famous green and gold WBC belt.
“I am delighted to be able to deliver Ammo this fight so quickly,” Hearn said in the Matchroom announcement. “Ammo was devastated in New York, but he stayed focused, got 10 valuable rounds in, and now he has the chance to headline and fight for a world title. It’s a tough challenge in Carlos, but I know he will give everything to achieve his dream.”
As for Dominican Adames, 24-1-1, 18 KOs, his last fight was in February in Saudi Arabia, when he seemingly won but the bout was scored a 12 round split draw against unbeaten Hamzah Sheeraz. The hard-hitting champ got the better of the exchanges, especially late in the fight and has established himself as one of the division’s most rugged and durable competitors.
In the case of the Floridian Williams, 20-1, 13 KOs after the Toussaint win, he enters the contest riding a four-fight winning streak. His lone defeat came in June 2024, when Sheeraz stopped him in the 11th round. Since then, Williams has rebounded impressively, sharpening his skills and positioning himself for this world title opportunity.
“This is the moment I become WBC champion of the world and begin my reign,” Williams said. “Ten years of dedication all boiling down to one night.”
The undercard will feature unbeaten junior middleweight Omari Jones, a 2024 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist, and Australian heavyweight Teremoana Teremoana, also a 2024 Olympian, each competing in their first scheduled eight-round bouts against opponents to be announced.