WBC middleweight champ Carlos Adames is back after having issues making the middleweight limit in January and now, he'll fight his rescheduled defense with Austin "Ammo" Williams Saturday night in Orlando, FL.
Coming up Saturday night in Orlando, FL, WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames is ready to make his rescheduled defense against Austin "Ammo" Williams as it headlines the Matchroom Boxing fight card.
Adames (24-1-1, 18 KOs) was originally to have fought Williams in January on the undercard of the Shakur Stevenson Teofimo Lopez PPV in New York. However, he became ill on the morning of the weigh-in while trying to make the 160 lb limit and had to be hospitalized. So, obviously, the defense was off.
As it turns out, Williams (20-1, 13 KOs) went ahead and fought on the January card to keep some sort of payday and activity against a last minute replacement Wendy Toussaint. Williams won the fight by 10 round decision
As for Adames, he was last seen in action against previously undefeated Hamzah Sheeraz in February 2025. That bout ended controversially in a majority draw that many believed Adames had won. Yet, the scorecards were 118-110 for Adames, 115-114 for Sheeraz, with the final judge scoring it 114-114.
However, while the Dominican champion is a fierce body puncher with a couple of quality wins, including over former junior middleweight champ Julian "JRock" Williams, he has had trouble with staying active over the past few years. This is illuminated by Adames having fought just four times since 2021.
As for Williams, Milwaukee native, now living and training in Florida, he has only one defeat and that came against the common opponent Sheeraz who kayoed him in the 11th round of June 2024 contender fight. However, off the Toussaint win, he has won four fights in a row against lower-quality opposition.
At the final press conference Thursday, Adames addressed the weight problems from January,
“It was a surprise for me and my team,” Adames said through a translator. “We were 100% prepared, but my body wouldn’t respond at that time.”
But, when it was his turn, Williams pointed out that Adames was not in duress apparently two days before the bout,
“This dude, a day before he pulled out of the fight, was saying easy work for the fight,” Williams said pointing at Adames. “Then, the next day, he was so sick that he had to call 9-1-1.”
Williams then called Adames "soft" and continued to question why Adames actually pulled out of the original bout.
“It is very easy to speak when you are in front of a microphone, but I do my talking in the ring,” the champion fired back. “If that's what you think, let’s do it right now.”
In the end, Wiliams knows it a large step up in competition and it's a chance to hold the prestigious WBC green belt that the likes of Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar De La Hoya have held before him.
“It is going to be a real fight,” Williams continued Thursday. “It is no thinking. I am just going to fight him." And, he added "Bro, I am going to hurt you.”
Now, can we get the title fight in the ring some 60 days since it was supposed to happen? We shall see