Top Middleweight Carlos Adames Defends Interim Title Against Former Unified Champion Julian Williams Live on SHOWTIME® From The Armory in Minneapolis Tonight
Three showdowns featuring the return of two former world champions and an exciting rising prospect will highlight the SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN live streaming presentation today from The Armory in Minneapolis in a Premier Boxing Champions event.
Action live on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT and is topped by former world champion Caleb “Golden” Truax taking on Burley Brooks in a 10-round light heavyweight clash. The lineup will also see former world champion Jerwin Ancajas duel Colombia’s Wilner Soto in an eight-round super bantamweight attraction, and all-action super lightweight prospect Mickel Spencer facing Lyle McFarlane in a four-round bout. The live stream is hosted by award-winning MORNING KOMBAT live digital talk show hosts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell.
WHAT TIME IS ADAMES VS. WILLIAMS?
- Date: Saturday, June 24
- Time: 2 a.m. BST / 9 p.m. ET
- Main event ringwalks (approx): 4 a.m. BST / 11 p.m. ET
- Fans in the U.S. can watch this fight live on Showtime
- The fight will take place at the Armory, Minneapolis, in the United States.
- The main card is set to get underway at 2 a.m. BST / 9 p.m. ET with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 4 a.m. BST / 11 p.m. ET.
These fights precede a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader headlined by top middleweight Carlos Adames defending his Interim WBC Middleweight Title against former unified champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams in a telecast beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster. Lubin vs. Arias is co-promoted with Mayweather Promotions.
A native of Osseo, Minn., Truax (31-5-2, 19 KOs) will return to fight at The Armory for the third time on Saturday night, as he looks to thrill his hometown fans in his first action since dropping a January 2021 world title fight to Caleb Plant by decision. Truax captured a 168-pound world title in December 2017, traveling to the U.K. to upset James DeGale and bring the belt back to The Gopher State. He will be opposed by the 27-year-old Brooks (6-2-1, 5 KOs), a Dallas-native who is guided by award-winning trainer Derrick James. Brooks began his career with six victories before losing narrow decisions to Marco Delgado and Cameron Sevilla Rivera. Most recently, Brooks fought Rivera to a split-draw in August 2021.
The 31-year-old Ancajas (33-3-2, 22 KOs) steps back into action after dropping a pair of decisions in world title fights against Fernando Martinez February and October of 2022. Fighting out of Panabo City, Davao Del Norte, Philippines, Ancajas won the 115-pound title in a lopsided unanimous decision victory over McJoe Arroyo in 2016 where he dropped his opponent in the eighth round and cruised to victory.
Ancajas would go on to make nine successful defenses of the title before running into Martinez. He will take on the 32-year-old Soto (22-12,12 KOs), who most recently lost a decision to Jonathan Rodriguez in March. A native of Canalete, Colombia, Soto has faced a slew of top fighters throughout his career, including former unified 122-pound champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
Spencer (3-0, 2 KOs) is the younger brother of exciting super welterweight Joey Spencer and turned pro in August 2021 with a unanimous decision victory over Eliseo Villalobos. The 19-year-old from Linden, Mich., most recently wowed the crowd at The Armory in February with a sensational first-round stoppage of Margarito Hernandez. He faces the 26-year-old McFarlane, who fights out of Tulsa, Okla., and enters this fight having won back-to-back contests.
The non-televised undercard will feature super middleweight Shawn McCalman (12-0, 6 KOs) in an eight-round fight taking on Bo Gibbs Jr. (23-3, 9 KOs), super featherweight prospect Robert Meriwether III (3-0, 2 KOs) battling Ezra Rabin (1-1, 1 KO) in a four-round attraction, and Cincinnati’s Ray Robinson (1-0) dueling Ryan Raglin (3-9-1, 3 KOs) in a four-round featherweight showdown.
SHOWTIME SPORTS has released a video feature showcasing rising middleweight star Carlos Adames’ hunger to achieve new heights and former unified world champion Julian Williams’ burning desire to return to his dominant ways. The two square off in the 12-round main event for Adames’ Interim WBC Middleweight strap live on SHOWTIME tomorrow night, June 24, from The Armory in Minneapolis in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
In the video feature produced by Alexis Arguello, Jr., Adames opens up about the heartbreaking loss of his unborn child prior to his fight against Juan Macias Montiel last October and how that pain fueled him to go on to win the belt.
“Life will come full of surprises,” says the 29-year-old Dominican who has risen to become one of the most feared punchers in the division. “For me, that was a surprise. I was very disciplined and I continue to be disciplined. I think that big things are coming my way.”
On the other hand, Philadelphia’s former unified 154-pound world champion Williams, finds his motivation in becoming a champion once again.
“Once you become a world champion, you don’t want nothing else,” says the 33-year-old ‘J-Rock’. “I persevered through all the naysayers – ‘he can’t do this and he can’t do that’ – I proved them wrong and I shut them up. Getting my hand raised and being the new WBC Interim Champion, that’s all I’ve really been thinking about. That’s all I’ve really been dreaming about. I’ve been working towards it and I’m going to go get it.”
The video feature will air on Saturday night’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast that begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
ADAMES VS. WILLIAMS FIGHT CARD
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Interim WBC Middleweight Title – 12 Rounds
Carlos Adames – 159.6 lbs.
Julian Williams – 159.2 lbs.
Referee: Mark Nelson; Judges: John Mariano (Minn.), Nathan Palmer (Ind.), Raymundo Perez (Nev.)
Super Welterweight Bout – 10 Rounds
Erickson Lubin – 156.6 lbs.
Luis Arias – 155.8 lbs.
(Note: Contracted weight is 157 pounds)
Referee: Zac Young; Judges: Scott Erickson (Minn.), Jerome Jakubco (Ill.), Ludy Webster (Minn.)
IBF Junior Bantamweight World Championship – 12 Rounds
Fernando Martinez – 114.6 lbs.
Jade Bornea – 115 lbs.
Referee: Charlie Fitch; Judges: Mike Fitzgerald (Wisc.), Jerome Jakubco (Ill.) Zac Young (Calif.)
Light Heavyweight Bout – 10 Rounds
Caleb Truax – 174.8 lbs.
Burley Brooks – 174 lbs.
Referee: Mark Nelson; Judges: Raymundo Perez (Nev.), Brian Cosgrove (Minn.), Ludy Webster (Minn.)
Super Bantamweight Bout – Eight Rounds
Jerwin Ancajas – 121.8 lbs.
Wilner Soto – 120.8 lbs.
Referee: Charlie Fitch; Judges: Nathan Palmer (Ind.), Brian Cosgrove (Minn.), Scott Erickson (Minn.)
Super Lightweight Bout – Four Rounds
Mickel Spencer – 141.4 lbs.
Lyle McFarlane – 141.4 lbs.
(Note: Contracted weight is 142 pounds)
Referee: Zac Young; Judges: Brian Cosgrove (Minn.), Scott Erickson (Minn.), Ludy Webster (Minn.)
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