Philippines, 29 Jun 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Julian "J-Rock" Williams Scores Unanimous Decision Victory Over "Swift" Jarrett Hurd

PhilBoxing.com




Williams Takes Unified Super Welterweight Championship in Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes from EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Va.

SENSATIONAL SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT MARIO BARRIOS STUNS JUAN JOSE VELASCO WITH SECOND ROUND KO VICTORY IN CO-FEATURE MIDDLEWEIGHTS MATT KOROBOV AND IMMANUWEL ALEEM FIGHT TO A MAJORITY DRAW

FAIRFAX, VA. (May 11, 2019) ? Julian ?J-Rock?? Williams knew he was walking into the lion?s den when he traveled from Philadelphia to Virginia to face undefeated unified super welterweight champion ?Swift? Jarrett Hurd in his backyard. But Williams (27-1-1, 16 KOs) wasn?t afraid.

He came. He saw and he conquered Hurd (23-1, 16 KOs), scoring a 12-round unanimous decision, handing Hurd his first loss and taking the IBF, WBA and IBO championships before a hometown crowd at the EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University.

The crowd and the primetime audience, which tuned in to FOX and FOX Deportes, witnessed a valiant performance from both Williams and Hurd in what will certainly be a ?Fight of the Year?? candidate. The judges had Williams handily defeating Hurd with scores of 116-111 and 115-112 twice.

Williams had come up short in his previous attempt at a world title when he was stopped on via TKO by Jermall Charlo in 2016. He was overwhelmed by emotions after his upset victory over Hurd, who was a presumptive favorite over the 29-year-old Williams.

"I am just overwhelmed. This is such a great feeling. I outclassed him. I am one of the best fighters in the world,? said Williams. ?Maybe I wasn't ready for the title the first time I got the shot. I took the loss. I took it like a man and the whole world doubted me. I went into this fight a five to one underdog.??

"This is a dream come true. I have been waiting for this for years. I never ditched the gym. I never got into girls or left the gym. I am from the streets, but I was never in the streets. I was in the gym practicing my craft.

"The only people that believed in me were my team, but all I can say is 'and the new'!"

Hurd is often a slow starter and Williams made him pay for that. He jumped on the defending champion right out of the gate, throwing crisp punches behind a pistol-like jab. Williams dropped Hurd in the second round with a shot to the temple.

?It didn?t really change my strategy. It was just a flash knockdown. It caught me by surprise. I wasn?t really hurt,?? Hurd said.

Sensing he had stunned Hurd, Williams came out firing in the next round. He picked up the pace and Hurd decided to match the ferocity of the attack rather than wither under it. Midway through the third round, Hurd landed a blistering left uppercut that snapped Williams? head upward and slowly started to regain his form.

Hurd and Williams went to the trenches in the middle rounds, closing the distance and fighting in tight quarters. Conventional wisdom would seem to favor Hurd in that space, because he is physically bigger than Williams. But Williams did more than hold his own.

By the seventh round, the fight had become a war of attrition and a test of wills. Hurd was cut over his left eye in the eighth round. By then, Williams was completely in control.

Williams said he was well prepared for everything that Hurd threw at him, but it was by no means a cakewalk.

"He wasn't easier to hit than I thought. He was crafty and he had heavy hands. I just stayed poised. I listened to my coach and I just worked,?? Williams said. "He couldn't hurt me. I saw everything he was throwing. I knocked him down. The game plan was to win however I could. I adapted on the fly. We knew he had certain tendencies and worked on his tendencies. ??

Hurd said he didn?t feel like himself in the fight against Williams. Fighting in front of a raucous hometown crowd filled with family and friends as he hails from nearby Accokeek, Md.

?I wasn?t able to get off. I can?t really call it right now. I have to go back and watch. I was loading up on my shots instead of just letting my hands go,?? Hurd said. ?J-Rock was just the better man tonight. There?s definitely a rematch clause in our contract and I?m going to go for it. I?m going to come back better than I was tonight.??

Super lightweight sensation Mario Barrios (24-0, 15 KOs) scored a devastating second round knockout victory over Juan Jose Velasco (20-2, 12 KOs) in the co-feature. Barrios of San Antonio, Texas kept his undefeated record intact when he landed a crushing body shot that sent Velasco to the canvas midway through the second round. Referee Hugo Spinola counted out Velasco at 1:16 of the second round as the Argentine was on his hands and knees trying to catch his breath.

Barrios said he was trying to be patient and use his jab to set up the perfect shot.

"I saw him opening up every time he would step in. I knew one of the body shots was going to do it and I found the sweet spot,?? Barrios said. "We weren't expecting it to end that quickly. I wasn't predicting a knock out, but I knew I had the power to do it and stop him."

"I was very confident. I had a great camp. I can't thank Virgil Hunter and the team for the preparation for this fight. We knew he was vulnerable with body punches and that was something I work on regardless. It is one of my favorite shots. I have been working on it since the amateurs.?

Barrios said he would build on the victory over Velasco and continue to climb the ladder at 140 pounds.

"I want a world title shot. I am always in the gym. I am always ready. I want all the smoke at 140. I want any of the champions. And I?m ready to bring a big fight to all my hometown fans in San Antonio.??

In the opening television bout middleweight contenders Matt Korobov of Orotukan, Russia and Immanuwel Aleem of East Meadow, N.Y. stalked each other for 10 rounds. They took turns pressing the action and playing the aggressor, dishing out and absorbing the best that each had to offer. In the end Korobov (29-2, 14 KOs) and Aleem (18-2-1, 11 KOs) had fought to a majority draw. One judge had Korobov winning 97-93 and two judges scored it 95-95.

In the sixth round Korobov landed a combination that rocked Aleem and had him in trouble momentarily. But Aleem weathered the storm. Aleem came out strong in the ninth round, practically running across the ring to meet Korobov, who had slowly raised his 36-year-old body off the corner stool at the last second. Sensing the close nature of the fight, both Korobov and Aleem unloaded and landed some heavy shots seeking to keep the outcome away from the judges? scorecards.

Aleem said he thought he won the fight.

?I didn't feel like he was doing enough. I was trying to use my range. He was just touching me. I realized when I started hitting him that he didnt have the gas.,?? Aleem said. "I am faster than people think. I see open shots better than people expect. I made a statement tonight and I want to keep making statements."

Korobov , who lost a unanimous decision to Jermall Charlo in his last fight, said he felt sluggish during the match against Aleem.

"I felt heavy and not totally sharp enough. It was hard to react and stop him from going inside. I have things to work on.,?? Korobov said. "He was tougher than I expected. He wasn't as strong as Charlo, but he is a really good fighter. He kept coming forward. He wasn't afraid. He just kept throwing punches."

# # #

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepageand www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.




Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Vince Paras Faces Sarawut Thawornkham Today at Venue 88 in Gensan
    , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • USA Elite High Performance Team Sets Sights on Gold at World Boxing Cup: Astana 2025
    , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Alekhine Nouri bags silver in blitz
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Paul vs. Chavez Jr: Can Julio Derail Jake Paul?
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Dr. KO: Christian Mbilli Stops Maciej Sulecki in 1
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • GOLDEN BOY SIGNS UNDEFEATED MIDDLEWEIGHT BLUE-CHIP PROSPECT AMARI JONES
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Paul vs. Chávez Jr. is a Go: All Fighters Make Weight in Anaheim Ahead of High-Stakes Bout
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • IIEE Chessmasters Overall Champion in the International Bundesliga with GM Joey Antonio
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Kittipong of Thailand Battles Bhavesh of India in Brico Santig's Exciting Show in Bangkok
    By Carlos Costa, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Weights from Philadelphia
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Alekhine Nouri and John Jerish Velarde struck gold and bronze
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Would OKC Still Win the West If Dallas Had Not Traded Doncic?
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • Asenso Ozamis Open chess tournament on July 12 and 13
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS’ JAKE PAUL VS. JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR. PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
    , Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • Guro Dan Inosanto: Guardian of the Filipino Fighting Spirit
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • Weigh-In Results: Christian Mbilili vs. Maciej Sulecki
    , Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • Unbeaten Philippines Top Prospect Criztian Pitt Laurente Signs with Sanman Boxing
    , Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • SALITA PROMOTIONS SIGNS PROMISING AMERICAN HEAVYWEIGHT SARDIUS SIMMONS
    , Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • Madoka Wada Halts Chay Rivas in Tokyo, Retains OPBF Belt
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 26 Jun 2025
  • Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimàn: The Grand Prix a Grand Concept
    By Mauricio Sulaimán, , Thu, 26 Jun 2025
  • PHOTOS: Pacquiao Showcases Vintage Form During Media Day Workout at Wildcard Gym
    By Dong Secuya, , Thu, 26 Jun 2025
  • Press Conference Notes: Christian Mbilli & Maciej Sulecki Collide for Interim Super Middleweight World Title FRIDAY in Quebec City
    , Thu, 26 Jun 2025
  • Rivas vs Wada: Battle for Women’s OPBF Supremacy Today in Japan
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 26 Jun 2025
  • Mexican boxing icon Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez Respects Cuban fighters & rivalry
    , Thu, 26 Jun 2025
  • Claressa Shields Partners with King Moore to Empower Detroit Youth with the “Follow Your Dreams” Program Presented by SMT Financial Partners
    , Thu, 26 Jun 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.