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Julian Williams
“J Rock”RECORD
29 - 4 - 1
KOs
17
Philadelphian Julian “J-Rock” Williams proved he was as tough as his Philly roots—working all the way to the top of the 154-pound division to become a unified world champion. Read Bio
Last Fight
Win vs Gustavo David Vittori
Jan 12, 2024 / Showboat Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Gustavo David Vittori by TKO in Round 2 of 8
Videos
Latest News
Julian Williams News
Carlos Adames Stops Julian Williams In A Thriller
Adames and Williams go back and forth in a spirited PBC main event Saturday on SHOWTIME.
Carlos Adames vs. Julian Williams: A Must Win in Minneapolis
Expect a war to break out when Carlos Adames and Julian Williams throw down Saturday night on PBC on SHOWTIME.
David Morrell Scores Statement KO Win Over Aidos Yerbossynuly
The WBA Super Middleweight Champion remains unbeaten with masterful and brutal victory over previously-undefeated Aidos Yerbossynuly Saturday night on PBC on SHOWTIME.
Fights
Julian Williams Fights
Win vs Gustavo David Vittori 29-15-1
Jan 12, 2024 • Showboat Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Gustavo David Vittori by TKO in Round 2 of 8
LOSS vs Carlos Adames 24-1-0
Jun 24, 2023 • The Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Carlos Adames WINS against Julian Williams by TKO in Round 9 of 12
Win vs Rolando Wenceslao Mansilla 18-11-1
Nov 05, 2022 • Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Rolando Wenceslao Mansilla by UD in Round 8 of 8
Loss vs Vladimir Hernandez 15-6-0
Oct 09, 2021 • T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Julian Williams LOSES to Vladimir Hernandez by SD in Round 10 of 10
Win vs Brian Mendoza 22-4-0
Jun 26, 2021 • State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Julian Williams WINS against Brian Mendoza by in Round of 10
Loss vs Jeison Rosario 24-4-2
Jan 18, 2020 • The Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Julian Williams LOSES to Jeison Rosario by TKO in Round 4 of 12
WIN vs Jarrett Hurd 25-3-1
May 11, 2019 • EagleBank Arena, Fairfax, Virginia
Jarrett Hurd LOSES to Julian Williams by UD in Round 12 of 12
Win vs Francisco Javier Castro 28-8-0
Dec 01, 2018 • Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Francisco Javier Castro by KO in Round 2 of 8
Win vs Nathaniel Gallimore 20-1-1
Apr 07, 2018 • Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Nathaniel Gallimore by MD in Round 12 of 12
WIN vs Ishe Smith 29-11-0
Nov 18, 2017 • The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas, Neveda
Ishe Smith LOSES to Julian Williams by UD in Round 10 of 10
Win vs Ishe Smith 29-11-0
Nov 18, 2017 • Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Ishe Smith by UD in Round 10 of 10
Win vs Joshua Conley 16-3-1
Jun 30, 2017 • Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Joshua Conley by TKO in Round 7 of 10
LOSS vs Jermall Charlo 33-0-0
Dec 10, 2016 • Galen Center, Los Angeles
Jermall Charlo WINS against Julian Williams by KO in Round 5 of 12
Win vs Marcello Matano 21-4-0
Mar 05, 2016 • Sands Bethlehem Event Center, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Julian Williams WINS against Marcello Matano by TKO in Round 7 of 12
Win vs Luciano Cuello 35-3-0
Sep 22, 2015 • Sands Casino, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Julian Williams WINS against Luciano Cuello by TKO in Round 1 of 10
Win vs Luciano Leonel Cuello 35-3-0
Sep 22, 2015 • Sands Bethlehem Event Center, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Luciano Leonel Cuello by TKO in Round 1 of 10
Win vs Arman Ovsepyan 14-4-0
Jun 13, 2015 • Bartow Arena, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Arman Ovsepyan by TKO in Round 6 of 10
Win vs Joey Hernandez 27-5-1
Apr 04, 2015 • Pepsi Coliseum, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Julian Williams WINS against Joey Hernandez by UD in Round 10 of 10
Win vs Jamar Freeman 13-3-2
Dec 20, 2014 • Little Creek Casino Resort, Shelton, Washington, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Jamar Freeman by TKO in Round 8 of 10
Win vs Eliezer Gonzalez 14-0-0
Sep 11, 2014 • Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, The Joint, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Eliezer Gonzalez by UD in Round 8 of 8
Win vs Michael Medina 26-4-2
May 24, 2014 • Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Julian Williams WINS against Michael Medina by KO in Round 8 of 10
Win vs Freddy Hernandez 30-6-0
Mar 17, 2014 • House of Blues, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Freddy Hernandez by KO in Round 3 of 10
Win vs Orlando Lora 29-4-2
Dec 07, 2013 • Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Orlando Lora by TKO in Round 3 of 10
No Contest vs Hugo Centeno Jr 19-0-0
Sep 12, 2013 • MGM Grand, MGM Conference Center, Premier Ballroom, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Julian Williams Hugo Centeno Jr by NC in Round 4 of 10
Win vs Joachim Alcine 33-4-1
Jun 22, 2013 • Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Joachim Alcine by UD in Round 8 of 8
Win vs Dashon Johnson 14-10-3
Apr 20, 2013 • Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Dashon Johnson by TKO in Round 3 of 6
Win vs Jeremiah Wiggins 10-1-1
Jan 26, 2013 • Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, The Joint, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Jeremiah Wiggins by TKO in Round 7 of 8
Win vs Jonel Tapia 8-2-1
Nov 17, 2012 • Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Jonel Tapia by TKO in Round 7 of 8
Win vs Hector Rosario 7-1-2
Apr 28, 2012 • Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Hector Rosario by UD in Round 8 of 8
Win vs Eberto Medina 5-6-1
Sep 30, 2011 • National Guard Armory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Eberto Medina by UD in Round 6 of 6
Win vs Raul Rodriguez 2-5-1
Jul 22, 2011 • Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, Cabazon, California, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Raul Rodriguez by UD in Round 6 of 6
Draw vs Francisco Santana 12-2-0
May 13, 2011 • Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, California, USA
Julian Williams DRAWS with Francisco Santana by PTS in Round 6 of 6
Win vs Marteze Logan 26-44-2
Mar 19, 2011 • Fitzgerald's Casino & Hotel, Tunica, Mississippi, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Marteze Logan by UD in Round 4 of 4
Win vs Allan Moore 2-9-0
Jan 29, 2011 • Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Allan Moore by TKO in Round 1 of 4
Win vs Mario Evangelista 3-7-0
Dec 03, 2010 • Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, California, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Mario Evangelista by UD in Round 6 of 6
Win vs Wes Parkhurst 0-1-0
Nov 09, 2010 • Remington Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Wes Parkhurst by TKO in Round 1 of 4
Win vs Dean Peters Jr 1-2-0
Oct 01, 2010 • Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, California, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Dean Peters Jr by TKO in Round 1 of 4
Win vs Antonio Chaves Fernandez 0-4-0
May 07, 2010 • South Philly Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Julian Williams WINS against Antonio Chaves Fernandez by TKO in Round 1 of 4
Stats
Julian Williams “J Rock”
- WINS 29
- LOSSES 4
- DRAWS 1
- KOs 17
Weight 159.5 lbs (72.27 kg)
Height 5'10" (1.78 m)
Reach 72½" (184 cm)
-
Born
April 05, 1990 -
Age
34 -
Country
USA -
Born in
Philadelphia, PA -
Trains in
Philadelphia, PA
-
Stance
-
Rounds Boxed
205 -
KO Percentage
58.62% -
Boxing Hero
Bernard Hopkins
Fighter data provided by BoxRec Ltd. View disclaimer
Julian Williams Bio
Philadelphia has a rich boxing history, with the City of Brotherly Love producing dozens of world champions in the sport. Julian “J-Rock” Williams is adding to that legacy, becoming the unified super welterweight world champion and remaining one of the best fighters in the world.
Another Philly fighter is born
Williams initially was into basketball as a kid, but he began boxing at the age of 12 after talking to a fighter who he saw running every day. That meeting led Williams to visit the gym, where he soon began training and competing in amateur bouts.
“I stepped in the ring and I knew I was going to be a champion. Right there, I knew I wanted to box,” Williams told MaxBoxing.com in 2014. “I can’t explain it. It was just a feeling when I got in the ring that this is what I wanted to do and I’ve been boxing ever since.”
He won the 2005 Silver Golden Gloves Regional title at 15 years old, then the Junior Olympic Regionals the following year, but he couldn’t break through on the national level. Williams began working in 2007 with trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, who encouraged the fighter to get serious about his training and diet.
Competing at 152 pounds, Williams lost to Errol Spence Jr. in the 2009 U.S. National Championships, and then to Miroslav Lokes at the 2009 National Golden Gloves. He then decided to turn professional, ending his amateur career with a record of 77-10.
A knockout from the start
Williams opened his pro career with three straight first-round TKOs, beginning with Antonio Chavez Fernandez in May 2010.
Under the guidance of Edwards, Williams honed his ring skills as began his climb within the 154-pound division. After going 4-0-1 in five fights in 2011, Williams was less active in 2012, winning a unanimous decision over Hector Rosario in April before gaining a seventh-round TKO of Jonel Tapia in November.
Williams increased his profile in 2013 with bouts against five veteran opponents with a combined record of 105-18-7. After earning third-round stoppages of both Jeremiah Wiggins and Dashon Johnson early in the year, Williams then won an eight-round unanimous decision over former 154-pound world champion Joachim Alcine in Brooklyn, New York, in June.
Williams’ year was not without heartbreak, though, as his mother died in August, one month before he took on unbeaten Hugo Centeno Jr. in Las Vegas. The fight ended in a no contest when an early accidental clash of heads resulted in Centeno being cut and the bout being stopped.
Williams got back into the ring in December, when he stopped veteran Orlando Lora in the third round to improve to 14-0-1.
Big steps toward title contention
Williams continued his tear through the division in 2014. In March, he dropped former world title contender Freddy Hernandez with a counter right to the head in the opening minute of their bout in Boston before finishing him off with a left cross to the head in the third round.
He then scored an eighth-round KO of tough-nosed veteran Michael Medina in Montreal in May with a pinpoint series of punches.
In a battle of undefeated prospects in September 2014, Williams pitched a shutout on all three judges’ scorecards over eight rounds in Las Vegas to defeat Eliezer Gonzalez, who was 14-0 entering the fight.
Williams wrapped up 2014 with an eighth-round TKO of Jamar Freeman in Shelton, Washington, in December.
He stepped up his pursuit of a world title in April 2015, when he won a 10-round unanimous decision over seasoned southpaw Joey Hernandez in Quebec City. He then earned a sixth-round TKO over Arman Ovsepyan in Birmingham, Alabama, in June 2015 to run his record to 20-0-1.
A World Title Shot and a Lesson Learned
On December 10, 2016, Williams challenged for his world title, taking on undefeated IBF World Super Welterweight Champion Jermall Charlo at the USC Galen Center in Los Angeles.
Williams was dropped in the first by a hard, straight left from Charlo. Undeterred, he found his footing in the second and began controlling the action, landing sharp counters on the aggressive champion.
The see-saw action continued until midway through the fifth, when a momentary defensive lapse allowed Charlo to land a big right uppercut, dropping Williams a second time. He gamely rose to his feet but the ensuing combination dropped him again, forcing the fight’s stoppage.
"I just got caught. He just caught me with a shot," Williams said. "All I wanted to do is win."
Bouncing Back
Williams returned to his winning ways in his next bout, a seventh-round TKO over Joshua Conley in June 2017.
The victory set up a showdown versus former world champion Ishe Smith in November 2017. Williams’ skillset proved too much for Smith to overcome. The Philadelphia native cruised to a wide 10-round unanimous decision, serving notice to the boxing world that he was still an elite fighter.
In April 2018, Williams took on the streaking Nathaniel Gallimore in a classic grudge match. Gallimore made several big claims in the days leading up to the IBF title eliminator bout. Once the first bell rang, “J-Rock” let his fists do the talking. Williams used his superior boxing and counterpunching skills to keep Gallimore off-balance, on his way to 12-round majority decision.
Strap Season
The win set up a showdown versus WBA and IBF World Super Welterweight Champion “Swift” Jarrett Hurd on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia, live on PBC on FOX.
Hurd, who hailed from neighboring Accokeek, Maryland, was a decisive favorite to retain his belts and remain undefeated. Williams, however, had an eye on redemption. This was his second chance at a world title, possibly his last.
Williams delivered his performance on the biggest stage of his career, dropping the champ in the second round and then proceeding to outbox and outbrawl Hurd in one of the year’s best bouts. After 12 rounds, all three judges saw it in Williams’ favor, by scores 116-111, 115-112, 115, 112. Williams was now the new unified 154-pound world champion.
"I am just overwhelmed,” Williams said. “This is such a great feeling. I outclassed him. I am one of the best fighters in the world. Maybe I wasn't ready for the title the first time I got the shot (against Jermall Charlo in 2016). I took the loss. I took it like a man and the whole world doubted me.”
On Saturday, January 18, Williams returned to his hometown of Philadelphia, taking on the dangerous Jeison Rosario at the Liacouras Center, live on FOX PBC Fight Night.
However, a victory wasn't meant to be as Rosario scored a huge upset, stopping Williams in five.
“I wasn’t surprised he was so good,” Williams said. “I told everybody he’s a real fighter. I have to accept it. The cut blurred my vision a little bit but it wasn’t the reason why I lost. He was the better fighter tonight. We’ve got a rematch clause. I’ll see him again soon. I’ll be back.”
Williams returned to the ring on October 9, 2021, losing a hotly-contested split decision to Vladimir Hernandez at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Hernández won on two cards by scores of 97-93 and 96-94 respectively, while a third card read 96-94 for Williams.
Now campaigning at middleweight, Williams faced Rolando Mansilla in November 2022. Williams easily withstood the gutsy charges of Mansilla, landing the cleaner shots from the outside and in close waters to win an eight-round unanimous decision. However in June 2023, Williams suffered a ninth-round TKO loss to Interim WBC Middleweight Champion Carlos Adames in a PBC headliner at The Armory in Minneapolis, live on SHOWTIME.
“My actions will speak louder than my words.”