Julian Williams vs. Jarrett Hurd rematch on Dec.14 on FOX in Brooklyn, New York

By Boxing News - 08/07/2019 - Comments

Image: Julian Williams vs. Jarrett Hurd rematch on Dec.14 on FOX in Brooklyn, New York

By Matt Lieberman: Julian ‘J-Rock’ Williams and Jarrett Hurd have inked contracts for a rematch on Premier Boxing Champions on Fox at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Former IBF/IBO/WBA junior middleweight champion Hurd (23-1, 16 KOs) lost to Williams (27-1-1, 16 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision three months ago in an upset defeat on May 11 in Fairfax, Virginia. Hurd used his rematch clause for the fight to get the rematch with Williams.

This is great news for boxing fans that Hurd and Williams will be doing it again, because there’s a lot of interest in seeing these two fight a second time. The winner of the Williams vs. Hurd fight will likely look to face the Tony Harrison vs. Jermell Charlo winner in a unification fight. Unfortunately, there’s still no date for when those two will be fighting again.

Julian Williams wants Hurd to enroll in VADA testing

“It will NOT be a fight on December 14th if Jarrett Hurd doesn’t enroll in VADA testing ASAP,” said J-Rock on his Twitter. “Everyone wants to drag they feet when it’s time to test 💉what’s the hold up bro 🤔”

It’s entirely possible that WBC 154 pound champion Harrison (28-2, 21 KOs) won’t be facing Charlo (32-1, 16 KOs)  until 2020. Harrison, 28, hasn’t fought since his 12 round unanimous decision victory over Jermell on December 22 at the Barclays Center. That was eight months ago. Charlo came back recently and destroyed Jorge Cota (28-3, 25 KOs) by a third round knockout last June. That wasn’t much of a fight.

Williams, 29, knocked down a lethargic looking Hurd in the second round, and then was able to hold him off in the second half to get the win. ‘J-Rock’ edged it in winning by the scores 116-111, 115-112 and 115-112.

“Julian Williams and Jarrett Hurd have signed contracts for a unified junior middleweight title fight. It will headline a PBC on FOX card Dec. 14 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Williams upset Hurd in May, and the ex-champ exercised his rematch clause,” said Mike Coppinger at @MikeCoppinger.

Hurd has a lot of work to do before rematch

The way that Hurd has fought in his last two fights, he’s going to have to make some changes to his training, because he won’t beat Williams if he doesn’t.  Hurd’s style of coming on late in his fights is no longer working for him, and he’s going to have to change that for him to be successful against Williams. In the first half of the fight against Williams, Hurd gave away the fight by starting too slowly. This allowed Williams to build up a sizable lead, which he sat on, and was able to cruise to a close but decisive 12 round decisive victory.

Without making a change in how he fights, Hurd will likely come up empty in the rematch with Williams. Hurd is too slow of a starter, and he doesn’t have that one-punch power that Jermall Charlo possesses to get ‘J-Rock’ out of there. Jermall knocked Williams down in the second and twice more in round five to get a fifth round stoppage in their fight in 2016.