{"id":58642,"date":"2016-03-06T22:44:55","date_gmt":"2016-03-07T03:44:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=58642"},"modified":"2016-03-06T22:45:15","modified_gmt":"2016-03-07T03:45:15","slug":"julian-williams-destroys-marcello-matan-calls-jermall-charlo-a-turkey-a-girl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=58642","title":{"rendered":"Julian Williams Destroys Marcello Matano: Calls Jermall Charlo a Turkey & a Girl!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"200px-JulianWilliams\"<\/a>Julian Williams secured the IBF\u2019s No. 1 position at 154 pounds and called out Junior Middleweight World Champion Jermall Charlo after an impressive seventh-round TKO of Italian Marcello Matano Saturday on SHOWTIME from Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, Pa. VIDEO OF WILLIAMS CALLING OUT CHARLO: http:\/\/s.sho.com\/1UJo5bp<\/p>\n

The undefeated Philadelphia native put on a clinic, breaking down his opponent from the opening bell until referee Gary Rosato stepped in to protect a defenseless Matano (16-2, 5 KOs) at 2:24 of the seventh. Williams (23-0-1, 14 KOs) utilized a steady diet of combos, jabs and body shots in the middle rounds to weaken Matano and set up the big shots to close the show in the seventh. VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: http:\/\/s.sho.com\/1QzbBBb<\/p>\n

Williams landed 59 percent of his power shots, including a staggering 76 percent in the deciding seventh.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe people will think they saw a chink in the armor tonight,\u201d Williams said. \u201cMaybe guys will come out from under the rock and get some of this West Philly work.<\/p>\n

\u201cJermall has been watching my performances. Him and his brother know exactly who I am. He needs to fight or vacate now. He needs to step up, but he\u2019s already laying his groundwork and making excuses.<\/p>\n

\u201cStep up and fight me. It\u2019s two of the best junior middleweights in the world. It\u2019s about greatness. I want to be great. All of you turkeys at 154 pounds, let\u2019s fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the fight, Matano took issue with the stoppage.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was pretty fast with his jab, but I felt like I was just getting into the fight,\u201d Matano said. “I felt the punch, but I felt like I could have kept going. I have a warrior heart and I never want to quit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m going to go back to Italy and take a little rest, then I’ll be right back in the gym. It was a wonderful experience coming here to America. I got to fight a top-echelon fighter and I feel like I belong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Avtandil Khurtsidze, a human brick wall barreling forward, upset previously unbeaten middleweight contender Antoine Douglas with a thoroughly dominating 10th-round TKO. VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: http:\/\/s.sho.com\/21er63g<\/p>\n

The 35-year-old \u201cmini-Mike Tyson\u201d plowed forward from the opening bell until the TKO at 0:33 of the 10th. The 6-foot Douglas had no answer for his 5-foot-4 opponent, a Brooklyn-based native of Georgia who is looking to become the first world champion from the former Soviet nation.<\/p>\n

Khurtsidze (32-2-2, 21 KOs) hurt Douglas (19-1-1, 13 KOs) with a big left in the opening seconds of the third round, sending the 23-year-old face forward through the ropes. Somehow, Douglas recovered from the first knockdown of his career and fought himself back into the fight. The Washington, D.C., native rallied to win the fourth and the fifth rounds, and the all-action sixth could have gone either way.<\/p>\n

Khurtsidze opened the seventh with a monstrous one-punch left to floor Douglas, who again somehow survived the round on failing legs as Khurtsidze threw over 100 total punches. Khurtsidze, who showed unbelievable stamina to push the pressure throughout, started the 10th with a relentless attack, forcing referee Benjy Esteves to stop the fight at 0:33 of the with Douglas defenseless against the ropes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew he was going to get tired,\u201d said Khurtsidze, who took the fight on less than three weeks notice. \u201cI felt like I was going to catch him. He’s a good fighter, but he’s not strong.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew he was going to be hungry. But I also knew that I was going to beat him. It was short notice but I did everything I could in the time we had. I stayed in the gym and stayed sharp.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoever they put in front me, I’m ready for them. I love fighting. I’ll fight anybody.”<\/p>\n

Douglas had entered the fight as a fast-rising 160-pounder on the cusp of a title shot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel OK,\u201d Douglas told SHOWTME Sports analyst Steve Farhood after the fight. \u201cHe definitely dictated. He definitely had a better day today. It\u2019s not discouraging, we just weren\u2019t able to execute. Naturally, I\u2019m crushed. It\u2019s back to the drawing board.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the opening bout of the telecast, middleweight contender Tony Harrison looked impressive in a sixth round TKO over former world title challenger Fernando Guerrero.<\/p>\n

Harrison (23-1, 19 KOs) was the aggressor from the outset, jabbing at range to set up his favorite weapon \u2013 a powerful right. The Detroit native floored Guerrero with a big right with 15 seconds to go in the second round. The southpaw got up, but looked hurt and was saved by the bell.<\/p>\n

Guerrero (28-4, 20 KOs) had his moments in the fourth and fifth rounds after some heedful advice from his corner, but he couldn\u2019t get inside to escape Harrison\u2019s powerful right. It was a clean left hook midway through the sixth that ultimately finished Guerrero. After Harrison dropped Guerrero with the left, the Dominican Republic native beat the count but had no legs and went back to the canvas after four more consecutive shots from Harrison, forcing referee Gary Rosato to stop the bout at 1:56 of the sixth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI threw punches back and I finished the rounds stronger than him,\u201d said Harrison, who landed 57 percent of his power shots. \u201cI dominated the fight. My dad kept telling me to put the hook behind the right hand and if I had listened to him better I could have gotten the knockout much quicker.<\/p>\n

“I was backing him up. My game plan was to take advantage of the fact that southpaws don’t fight well going backwards. I tried to just keep putting him back and discouraging him. I told everyone I was taking the fight to him. What’s not to like about me? I’m exciting.<\/p>\n

“I want big fights, I want to go back to Detroit and I want the Willie Nelson rematch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Said Guerrero: \u201cI wasn’t on today. He wasn’t faster than me, stronger than me or more skilled. I just locked up. I wasn’t listening to my corner, I didn’t do anything tonight.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just happens. Sometimes you have a bad day. Today was as bad as I could ever imagine.<\/p>\n

“We’ll go back to the drawing board. I didn’t do what I was supposed to do. We trained so hard. He wasn’t as fast or strong as we thought he’d be. Today was a bad day for me to have a bad day.\u201d<\/p>\n