Julian Williams shocks by defeating Jarrett Hurd in 12

Jarrett Hurd was supposed to defend his title against Julian Williams easily, but Williams had a different plan. Williams shocked the world in the process.

Jarrett Hurd (23-1, 16 KOs) was the hottest super welterweight in the world entering his Saturday, May 11 bout with challenger Julian Williams (27-1-1,16 KOs). Unfortunately for Hurd, Williams had other plans and disrupted what was a perfect career.

Hurd possessed the WBA, IBF, and IBO super welterweight titles before his fight with Williams. Both men had a penchant for producing action bouts, but Hurd’s physicality and strength made him the favorite. Williams lost to Jermall Charlo in 2016 by KO in the fifth round, so he was the underdog automatically. However, he defied the odds with heart and conditioning.

When the fight started, Hurd looked like the champion. The fight was a feel out round, but Hurd’s right hand made an impact early on. Williams was passive and didn’t land anything significant.

Round 2 changed the course of the fight. It didn’t take long before Willaims hurt Hurd with a right hand. They ended up in a clinch and Williams threw a left hook that strafed Hurd’s head, but he went down despite not feeling the brunt of the blow. He was disorientated and went down due to previous strikes. Hurd got to his feet but ate more punches for his trouble. The champion was in danger.

Hurd recovered in the third round in the face of Williams’ aggression. It was a back and fourth round that saw Willaims ahead early, but Hurd battled back.

The fourth and fifth rounds were controlled by Williams, but Hurd mounted an offensive in the sixth. He looked like the champion that was advertised before the fight, but Williams had his moments. It started as a Hurd round, but Williams changed the tenor with his activity.

Hurd was the bigger man at 6-foot-1, but Williams pushed him around the ring for the remainder of the night. It was a competitive contest, but Hurd couldn’t combat Williams’ aggressiveness and accuracy. Hurd looked to be a beat behind Williams all night.

It was no surprise when the scores were read. There were two cards of 115-112, with one of 116-111 all for the winner and new IBF, IBO, and WBA super welterweight champion Williams. The outcome was fair and well deserved.

Don’t be surprised if we see the rematch between Williams and Hurd this year. It was reported on FOX’s live broadcast that Hurd has a mandatory rematch clause in the contract. It was a fight of the year candidate, and hopefully, we’ll be able to see it go down again. Hurd may have taken Williams lightly, or he might be having problems making weight. Fans will welcome the rematch, but Hurd might be better suited for the middleweight division. Regardless, Williams is the new super welterweight force, and Hurd is a loser for the first time.