(Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME) By Jeff Arananow: Undefeated #5 IBF, #7 WBA, #7 WBC Julian “J-Rock” Williams (22-0-1, 14 KOs) defeated an over-matched but game Marcello Matano (16-2, 5 KOs) by a 7th round technical knockout on Saturday night in their International Boxing Federation 154lb title eliminator bout televised on Showtime from the Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Williams, 25, hurt Matana in the 7th round. The fight was then halted by referee Gary Rosato at 2:24 of the round.
After the fight, Williams called out IBF junior middleweight champion Jermall Charlo. Williams is ranked #5 by the IBF now.
“Jermall has been watching my performances. Him and his brother know exactly who I am,” WIlliams said. “He needs to fight or vacate now. He needs to step up, but he’s already laying his groundwork and making excuses.”
Williams did not look very good tonight against Matana. Jermall Charlo appears to be a much better fighter than Williams. If a fight between them were to take place right now, I would have to pick Charlo and even his bother Jermell Charlo to beat Williams. Those fighters appear to be fighting at a higher rate than Williams, and I don’t think that’s something that will change in the near future now matter how much improvement Williams makes in his game. He’s a decent contender, and probably can pick up a world title at some point, but just not by beating the Charlo brothers.
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In a surprise upset, 36-year-old #9 WBC, #12 IBF middleweight contender Avtandil Khurtsidze (32-2-2, 21 KOs) stopped the previously unbeaten and highly ranked #3 WBO, #6 WBA, #11 IBF Antoine Douglas (19-1-1, 13 KOs) in the 10th round to remove any chances of the 23-year-old Douglas getting a title shot. Khurtsidze threw over 100 punches in the 1st round alone and had Douglas wilting right off the bat. Shortly after that, the 5’4″ Khurtsidze knocked the 23-year-old Douglas down in the third with a left hand to the head. Douglas continued to take punishment after he got back up, and he was fortunate not to be knocked out in that round.
In the 7th, Khurtsidze knocked Douglas down again with a left hand to the head.
Khurtsidze finished Douglas off in the 10th round in unloading on him with a storm of big power shots. Referee Benji Esteves stopped the contest at that point rather than allow Douglas to take more punishment.
It really wasn’t that surprising that Douglas was stopped. He had looked poor in many of his other fights, and he was held to a 10 round draw by Michel Soro in 2014. That fight showed clearly that Douglas was a million miles away from the top level of the middleweight division in terms of talent. Khurtsidze really did Douglas a favor by beating him, because Douglas would have been seriously over his head if he ever fought the likes of Gennady Golovkin, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Miguel Cotto, Daniel Jacobs, Peter Quillin or Billy Joe Saunders.
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Other boxing results on the card:
Tony Harrison TKO 6 Fernando Guerrero
Ievgen Khytrov UD 10 Kenneth McNeil
Joey Dawejko draw 8 Ytalo Perea
Anthony Miller RTD 4 Terrance Williams
Amir Shabazz TKO 1 Hakeem Atkinson
Chordale Booker TKO 2 Anthony Allen
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