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Julian Williams and Jarrett Hurd will vie for vacant Ring junior middleweight championship in December rematch

Julian Williams (right) cracks huge odds and then-media favorite Jarrett Hurd with a right hand. Photo by Stephanie Trapp/Trappfotos
Fighters Network
07
Aug

It doesn’t get much better than this.

When Julian Williams and Jarrett Hurd come together for their rematch at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Dec. 14, there will be more at stake than just the IBF and WBA junior middleweight titles.

Williams and Hurd, rated No. 1 and No. 2 by The Ring at 154 pounds respectively, will also throw down for the vacant Ring junior middleweight championship.

In May, the 29-year-old Williams (27-1-1, 16 knockouts) scored one of the biggest upsets of the year when he dropped and outpointed Hurd in Fairfax, Virginia. It was an inspired performance from the Philadelphia native, who previously fell short in a world title bid against Jermall Charlo in December 2016.



Hurd (23-1, 16 KOs) won the vacant IBF title in February 2017 when he outpointed Tony Harrison. The Maryland-based pressure-fighter added Erislandy Lara’s WBA belt to his collection in April 2018 in a terrific fight and was on his way to establishing himself a pound-for-pound player prior to his first professional setback.

The Williams-Hurd II winner will be the first Ring junior middleweight champion since Floyd Mayweather Jr., who held the title between September 2013 and August 2015.

Since 1974, The Ring has crowned 16 world champions at 154 pounds, including Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Shane Mosley and Canelo Alvarez.

 

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