WBC Special Preview – Carlos Adames vs Austin Williams

WBC STATISTICS
WBC Middleweight World Championship
January 31, 2026 / New York, New York / Madison Square Garden

MATCHROOM BOXING PRESENTS:

CARLOS “El Caballo Bronco” ADAMES (Dominican Republic)
· WBC Middleweight World Champion, 2 defenses
· Former WBC Interim Middleweight Champion, 1 defense
· Former NABF Super Welterweight champion, 1 defense
Age: 31 / Date of birth: May 7, 1994
Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada / Birthplace: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Record: 24-1-1, 18 KOs / Total rounds: 139 / World championship fights: 1-0-1, 0 KOs
Height: 5’10” – 178cm / Reach: 72.5” – 184cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Self-managed / Trainer: Bob Santos

AUSTIN “Ammo” WILLIAMS (USA)
· Ranked WBC No. 6 at Middleweight
Age: 29 / Date of birth: May 3, 1996
Residence: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida / Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Record: 19-1, 13 KOs / Total rounds: 116
Height: 6’0” – 183cm / Reach: 78” – 198cm / Stance: Left-handed
Manager: Sam Katkovski / Trainer: Kevin Cunningham

WBC MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
1. Dick Tiger (Nigeria) 1963
2. Joey Giardello (USA) 1963 – 1965
3. Dick Tiger (Nigeria) * 1965 – 1966
4. Emile Griffith (Virgin Islands) 1966 – 1967
5. Nino Benvenuti (Italy) 1967
6. Emile Griffith (Virgin Islands) * 1967 – 1968
7. Nino Benvenuti (Italy) * 1968 – 1970
8. Carlos Monzon (Argentina) 1970 – 1974
9. Rodrigo Valdez (Colombia) 1974 – 1976
10. Carlos Monzon (Argentina) * 1976 – 1977
11. Rodrigo Valdez (Colombia) * 1977 – 1978
12. Hugo Corro (Argentina) 1978 – 1979
13. Vito Antuofermo (Italy) 1979 – 1980
14. Alan Minter (Great Britain) 1980
15. Marvin Hagler (USA) 1980 – 1987
16. Ray Leonard (USA) 1987
17. Thomas Hearns (USA) 1987 – 1988
18. Iran Barkley (USA) 1988 – 1989
19. Roberto Duran (Panama) 1989
20. Julian Jackson (Virgin Islands) 1990 – 1993
21. Gerald McClellan (USA) 1993 – 1995
22. Julian Jackson (Virgin Islands) * 1995
23. Quincy Taylor (USA) 1995 – 1996
24. Keith Holmes (USA) 1996 – 1998
25. Hassine Cherifi (France) 1998 – 1999
26. Keith Holmes (USA) * 1999 – 2001
27. Bernard Hopkins (USA) 2001 – 2005
28. Jermain Taylor (USA) 2005 – 2007
29. Kelly Pavlik (USA) 2007 – 2010
30. Sebastian Zbik (Germany) Interim 2009
31. Sergio Martinez (Argentina) 2010
32. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (Mexico) 2011
33. Sergio Martinez (Argentina) * 2012 – 2014
34. Marco Antonio Rubio (Mexico) Interim 2014
35. Gennady Golovkin (Kazakhstan) Interim 2014 – 2016
36. Miguel Cotto (Puerto Rico) 2014 – 2015
37. Canelo Alvarez (Mexico) 2015 – 2016
38. Gennady Golovkin (Kazakhstan) 2016 – 2018
39. Canelo Alvarez (Mexico) * 2018 – 2019
40. Jermall Charlo (USA) 2018 – 2024
41. Carlos Adames (Dominican Republic) 2024 –
*Regained title

WBC TOP 10 MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONS
1. Ray Leonard (US)
2. Bernard Hopkins (US)
3. Carlos Monzon (Argentina)
4. Marvin Hagler (US)
5. Nino Benvenuti (Italy)
6. Gennady Golovkin (Kazakhstan)
7. Emile Griffith (Virgin Islands)
8. Gerald McClellan (US)
9. Sergio Martinez (Argentina)
10. Rodrigo Valdez (Colombia)

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY
32 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, nine of whom have regained the title: Dick Tiger (Nigeria), Emile Griffith (Virgin Islands), Nino Benvenuti (Italy), Carlos Monzon (Argentina), Rodrigo Valdez (Colombia), Julian Jackson (Virgin Islands), Keith Holmes (US), Sergio Martinez (Argentina), Canelo Alvarez (Mexico).

113 WBC middleweight world championship fights have been held in WBC history.

MEMORABLE WBC MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS:
Feb. 22, 2025 Carlos Adames D12 Hamzah Sheeraz – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
June 15, 2024 Carlos Adames W12 Terrell Gausha – Las Vegas, Nevada
June 19, 2012 Jermall Charlo W12 Juan Macias – Houston, Texas
Sep. 26, 2020 Jermall Charlo W12 Sergiy Derevyanchenko – Uncasville, Connecticut
June 29, 2019 Jermall Charlo W12 Brandon Adams – Houston, Texas
Sep. 15, 2018 Canelo Alvarez W12 Gennady Golovkin – Las Vegas, Nevada
Sep. 16, 2017 Gennady Golovkin D12 Canelo Alvarez – Las Vegas, Nevada
Mar. 18, 2017 Gennady Golovkin W12 Daniel Jacobs – New York, New York
Sep. 10, 2016 Gennady Golovkin TKO5 Kell Brook – London, England
Nov. 21, 2015 Canelo Alvarez W12 Miguel Cotto – Las Vegas, Nevada
June 7, 2014 Miguel Cotto TKO10 Sergio Martinez – New York, New York
Sep. 15, 2012 Sergio Martinez W12 Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. – Las Vegas, Nevada
Dec. 3, 2005 Jermain Taylor W12 Bernard Hopkins – Las Vegas, Nevada
July 16, 2005 Jermain Taylor W12 Bernard Hopkins – Las Vegas, Nevada
Sep. 18, 2004 Bernard Hopkins KO9 Oscar de la Hoya – Las Vegas, Nevada
Sep. 29, 2001 Bernard Hopkins TKO12 Felix Trinidad – New York, New York
Feb. 24, 1989 Roberto Duran W12 Iran Barkley – Atlantic City, New Jersey
June 6, 1988 Iran Barkley TKO3 Thomas Hearns – Las Vegas, Nevada
Apr. 6, 1987 Sugar Ray Leonard W12 Marvin Hagler – Las Vegas, Nevada
Apr. 15, 1985 Marvin Hagler TKO3 Thomas Hearns – Las Vegas, Nevada
Nov. 10, 1983 Marvin Hagler W15 Roberto Duran – Las Vegas, Nevada
July 30, 1977 Carlos Monzon W15 Rodrigo Valdes – Fontvielle, Monaco
June 2, 1973 Carlos Monzon W15 Emile Griffith – Fontvieille, Monaco
Nov. 7, 1970 Carlos Monzon TKO12 Nino Benvenuti – Rome, Italy
Mar. 4, 1968 Nino Benvenuti W15 Emile Griffith – New York, New York
Sep. 29, 1967 Emile Griffith W15 Nino Benvenuti – Queens, New York
Apr. 25, 1966 Emile Griffith W15 Dick Tiger – New York, New York
Dec. 14, 1964 Joey Giardello W15 Rubin Carter – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Aug. 10, 1963 Dick Tiger TKO7 Gene Fullmer – Ibadan, Nigeria

Carlos Adames and Austin ‘’Ammo’’ Williams fired up for the Rounds

By James Blears

As part of a spectacular night of Championship Boxing, Carlos ‘’Bronco’’ Adames, defends his WBC middleweight Crown against the free-wheeling Austin ‘’Ammo’’ Williams, on Saturday January 31^st at Madison Square Garden, the Cathedral of Boxing, as an integral part of The Ring V1 gilt edged Card.

On a recent visit to Mexico and during the first Martes a Café of the year, new Interim Champion Jesus Ramos Jr, praised Adames saying he wants to fight the winner of this upcoming bout between Bronco and Ammo, saying Adames is highly skilled, intelligent, has subtle head movement and a great team in his corner. He also prudently and diplomatically mentioned Ammo is a dangerous and capable challenger for the Green and Gold Belt. Both possess many qualities, but depending on strategy as well as the ability to adjust to any given situation, this fight could well be balanced upon a knife edge, via a hair trigger.

In his epic poem IF, Rudyard Kipling advises to maintain composure and self-control, by keeping calm, urging: ‘’If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs` If you can trust yourself, when all men doubt you. Then yours` is The Earth and everything in it. And what is more- you`ll be a Man my Son.’’

In A thousand And One nights, Sheherazade literally kept her head, when all around her, were losing theirs` by enticing the interest of Sultan Shahryar conjuring cliff-hanger stories, maintaining plus balancing the plot on a knife edge, to retain his attention until the next episode, as the ultimate spin doctor… long enough to win him over and avoid being axed. The Sword of Damocles, was a wonderful way to concentrate her thoughts and sharpen her story telling skills. A forerunner of the tele novela?

Both Carlos Adames and Austin ‘’Ammo’’ Williams have similarly exotic name in common and that is…Hamzeh Sheeraz. Austin fought him in last year`s 5 Vs 5 event between Queensberry and Matchroom in Riyadh. It was a WBC Eliminator and oh boy it was a slugfest. Austin is six foot and Hamzeh`s six foot three, but Ammo paradoxically has a three- inches reach advantage. Yet he got caught with some sweeping uppercuts, plus solid body shots and this began to take its toll, as the fight wore on.

A wicked right hook to the head dropped him hard in round ten, and he showed extraordinary bravery to get up and survive until the bell, but in the eleventh, he was driven across the ring by a long right and a right to the body sank in deep, obliging the referee to save him at the forty-five seconds point.

Carlos also had plenty of problems to try and resolve with Hamzah this February, also in Riyadh when they fought a barnstormer to a split draw. The scores of two judges had each fighter winning by a relatively wide margin, but in different directions. The third saw it as even. A dead heat, in the heat of the night.

Since his sole defeat Austin has fought his heart out, winning three times with two TKO victories and one UD win. How much did the gruelling Hamzah fight take out of him? For that matter, how did it affect Carlos, who fought him more recently?  Hamzah has now moved up to super-middleweight, so for the moment, he`s no longer an immediate problem or threat to either.

Carlos Adames 24-1-1, 18 KO`S who is the hero of the Dominican Republic is an accomplished boxer.  His only loss thus far was to southpaw Brazilian Patrick Teixeira for the Interim WBO super-welterweight title, who outsmarted him, but the lesson was astutely learned. He then overcame tough Sergiy Dervyanchecko by UD, KO`d Juan Macias Montiel in three for the WBC Interim title, stopped Julian Williams in nine and when Jermall Charlo was stripped of the title, Carlos was deservedly elevated. He successfully defended winning a UD against Terrell Gausha and then the test of fire, fit and wit against Hamzah Sheerez.

Southpaw Austin explains his nickname by saying that rich or poor, you have to make the best of what`s in your hands, to shape your destiny and gain a winning hand. It`s his first major title challenge and he`s aiming for the bullseye. He comes to it on the heels of knocking out Ivan Vazquez last July. He`s two years younger than the champion, an inch and a half taller, yet with a five- inches reach advantage. Carlos` pro debut was in 2015. Austin`s was five years later. Carlos has a seventy five percent KO ratio and has fought one hundred and thirty- nine rounds.

Austin`s pro start was five years later. He has fought one hundred and sixteen rounds and his KO percentage is 68.42 percent. His record is 19-1, 13 KO`s. impressive TKO of Chordale Booker in one round.  A UD over Kieron Conway, dropping him in nine and a UD over Steve Rolls for the IBF North American middleweight, but he fell at the first hurdle against Sheeraz. Time to prove he can get up and step up.

Austin would be wise to use his appreciable reach advantage to box on the outside and avoid being clobbered to the body. But sooner or later, he`s be standing toe to toe with the champion and it`s then that nerve, willpower, guile and the will to win will be truly tested. This will be an intense fight and its pace is likely to be demandingly red hot.

These two have got a tremendous tradition to live up to. Middleweight is a glamour division.  Some of my particular favourite standard bearers are: Sugar Ray Robinson, Tony Zale, Marcel Cerdan, Carlos Monzon and Marvin Hagler. Dedication is the key, but in boxing, there`s no such thing as the name of the game. No play time.

Each would do well to take a wintery leaf out of Marvin Hagler`s bleak and oblique preparation book, when he used to isolate himself monastery style on Cape Cod out of season. The searing winds howled as they rippled and wrinkled the beaches with sand storms, the rain lashed the outer layer of the track suit and the blistering cold necessitated a wholly hat to protect the ears from chapping, preventing frost bite before the fight.

Marvin sent a shiver down the spine as he said: ‘’I trained in Provincetown. Back then they didn`t have all the tourists on Cape Cod. Very isolated, very good spot. All you could do was train, run, walk and talk boxing.’’

This middleweight championship bout will test the skills, abilities and the conditioning of Bronco and Ammo to the limit, but it`s also going to be a battle of willpower, determination and sheer grit. As so often…who wants it most and who is prepared to do what it takes to get there?

As the poem Fight Nights Bright Lights stresses: ‘’The ring is a place where there`s nowhere to hide and never any pretend. It`s a clash of wills, in which one must finally break or bend.’’