Unified 154-pound world champion “Swift” Jarrett Hurd and top contender Julian “J-Rock” Williams went face to face on Friday afternoon, as they made weight, before they headline Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes tonight, May 11, from EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia.
The undefeated Hurd, 23-0 (16 KOs), hails from neighboring Accokeek, Maryland, and will be fighting in his region for the first time since he won a world title. He faces a tough test in Philadelphia’s Williams (26-1-1, 16 KOs), who has been supremely focused during the build-up to the fight.
Hurd is no stranger to tough fights. In April 2018, his thrilling war with long-time world champion Erislandy Lara garnered Fight of the Year awards from multiple publications, including the Boxing Writers Association of America. Hurd won that fight via 12-round split decision to unify the 154lb. belts.
Should he get by Williams, certainly no easy task, he’ll look to unify versus the winner of the anticipated June 23rd rematch between WBC World Super Welterweight Champion Tony Harrison and former titlist Jermell Charlo.
Harrison, who Hurd stopped in nine rounds back in February 2017, was a heavy underdog versus the then-unbeaten Charlo when they first met last December. Charlo was expected to win and set up a huge fight against Hurd.
Instead, Harrison shocked experts with a controversial 12-round unanimous decision win. Now, he’ll look to do it again when the two square off at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas—and he too has his eyes on a rematch, wanting to avenge the prior loss to Hurd.
The action tonight begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Also on the card, unbeaten super lightweight contender Mario “El Azteca” Barrios and Argentina’s Juan “The Pitbull” Jose Velasco will meet in a 10-round fight.
Middleweight contenders Matt Korobov and Immanuwel Aleem will battle in a 10-round attraction. This fight may steal the show as the skilled Korobov gave undefeated Jermall Charlo all he could handle in losing a decision last December, and Aleem is an athletic boxer-puncher who is never in a bad fight.
And finally, undefeated super bantamweight Stephen Fulton will take on former world champion Paulus Ambunda of Namibia in a classic prospect versus veteran bout.
