Boxing returns to Caribe Royale in Orlando, FL, as Matchroom Boxing hosts a fight card headlined by a WBC middleweight title fight streaming live on DAZN.
The champion Carlos Adames (24-1-1, 18 KOs) defends his title against Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams (20-1, 13 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round fight. The challenger, Williams, overcame early personal struggles to put himself in a position to fight for a title. Adames is the champion fans seem to have forgotten about due to his inactivity. With this fight originally scheduled for January 31 and then rescheduled because Adames got ill the day before, can we finally get the fireworks that were promised for the original date?
WHICH VERSION of CARLOS ADAMES WILL WE SEE on SATURDAY NIGHT?
There is no question that Adames is a legit world middleweight champion, but with all the big names around that weight class, he is hardly mentioned. Maybe it’s because he has fought only four times since December 2021. How much that is due to Adames himself, the lack of competition in the division, or his promotional situation is something only Adames and his team know. His last fight was a year ago against Hamzah Sheeraz, which resulted in a draw, but it should have been a decision victory for Adames. Now he faces the younger Williams after the original fight date had to be rescheduled. Inactivity eventually catches up to you. The question is whether Saturday night in Orlando will be the moment that it catches up with Adames.
How does Adames defeat a younger and less experienced fighter like Williams? Adames needs to dominate by controlling the fight with his front foot and keeping Williams on the back foot. Williams struggles when he moves backwards. Additionally, Adames should consistently throw his left jab at various levels to set up a left hook to Williams’s chin, especially since Williams often keeps his lead right hand low. If Adames can keep pressing the action throughout the fight, he can win a decision even if he’s not the house fighter.
THE MOMENT ‘AMMO’ WILLIAMS HAS BEEN WORKING TOWARDS IS FINALLY HERE
When ‘Ammo’ Williams turned pro in 2019, there was a lot of buzz about his potential to become a future world champion. However, after a few years as a pro, Williams began to struggle with serious mental health issues, which indirectly signaled cries for help as he started acting out against his promoter, Eddie Hearn, and others. Since then, Williams has managed to get back on track and has positioned himself for a shot at a world title. Recently, Williams has been the more active fighter of the two and has scored an impressive unanimous decision victory over Wendy Toussaint in January.
With this being his first world title fight, can Williams stay focused and beat Adames? How does the southpaw Williams defeat a seasoned veteran like Adames? Just like the champion, Williams finds success when pressing the action. There are opportunities for him to do so, as Sheeraz saw when he switched to southpaw against Adames. Williams also needs to be aware that the weight cut may again be difficult for Adames, so those hard left hooks to the body could help drain his energy. If Williams can break down Adames, it’ll be interesting to see how this fight unfolds in the championship rounds. Williams could pull off an upset decision if he presses the action and works the body early and often.
CARLOS ADAMES VS AUSTIN WILLIAMS PREDICTION
Although Williams is younger and more athletic, he still makes enough mistakes for a veteran to capitalize on. Adames hasn’t been very active, but he’s savvy enough to take advantage of Williams’ mistakes and will come away with the majority decision victory.
CARLOS ADAMES VS AUSTIN WILLIAMS BETTING ODDS
Per BETUS, Carlos Adames is the favorite at -315, and Austin Williams is the underdog at +240.
Carlos Adames: TKO/KO +150; Decision +135
Draw: +1600
Austin Williams: TKO/KO +1100; Decision +500
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