Williams vs Rosario FULL FIGHT YT

ByPremier Boxing Champions



Heavy underdog Rosario spoils Williams’ Philadelphia homecoming to claim the WBA and IBF World Super Welterweight titles.

Julian Williams changed faces with each step he took up Section 109 at Temple University’s Liacouras Center. One stride, the Philadelphia super welterweight champion wore a fight-mode glare that could break cinderblock. The next stair, the sneer was gone, replaced by a beaming smile while glad-handing well-wishers he had not seen ringside in years.

Mingling and taking pictures was highly unusual for the stoic Williams, who usually bunkers down before a fight in his dressing room.

It was the dichotomy of his evening.

Meanwhile, Jeison Rosario was hunkered down. The 24-year-old from the Dominican Republic wore a narrow focus and vowed he would shock the world Saturday night.

Then, he did just that.

Rosario pulled off the first major upset of 2020, stopping Williams at 1:37 of the fifth round to capture the WBA and IBF World Super Welterweight titles.

Up on two scorecards 39-37 at the time of the stoppage, Rosario (20-1-1, 14 KOs) finished Williams (27-2-1, 16 KOs) by outlanding him 17-6 in Round 5 and 35-24 overall in power punches.

“I’m so emotional in this moment right now,” Rosario said. “When I lost my last fight, I said I will never lose again until I become champion of the world and that’s what happened tonight. I came prepared. I knew before the fight that I was going to win it.

“I didn’t see my family and all I did was train. The main motivation are my children.”

At the outset, Rosario showed no fear of Williams, who worked well behind his jab, though Rosario did drop a left to Williams’ body in the last minute of the first.

“As soon as I stepped into the ring, I knew he could not hurt me,” Rosario said. “I knew that my power was affecting him right away. This is a big victory for me and for the whole Dominican Republic.

“I have to give a lot of credit to my team. I had a 16-week training camp and that prepared me for this. My life is changed forever and I can support my family in a whole new way.”

Williams pushed the same strategy in the second, snapping off the jab again, and plowing a right off of Rosario’s ribs. But Rosario caused a huge welt to form under Williams’ left eye and then a cut on Williams’ left eyelid that leaked into his eye.

Sensing Rosario would be eye-hunting, Williams held his guard up high in the third. He slammed a right uppercut into Rosario, and about a minute later, landed a cross that forced the 24-year-old from the Dominican Republic acknowledged with a nod.

Rosario began poking Williams with the jab in the fourth. Rosario also landed a counter right off a missed Williams’ uppercut. Rosario then followed a theme with a left to the body, and you began to wonder whether or not Williams could continue to take the body shots.

After four, it was very possible to see the fight 2-2.

In the opening minute of the fifth, Williams came forward and backed Rosario into the ropes. But Rosario unfurled a left hook that buckled the legs of “J-Rock.” That started it.

Sensing Williams was in trouble, Rosario pursued Williams, who was shaky. Williams stumbled, but referee Benjy Esteves generously called it a slip, giving Williams some time to recover.

It didn’t help.

Rosario continued his assault, landing a right and then a left hook, forcing Esteves to wisely step in and stop it at 1:37 of the fifth round.

“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.”

The partisan Philadelphia crowd wasn’t ready to accept the verdict—which was a quality stoppage. Water bottles and debris rained down on the canvas minutes after the fight was halted.

“Rosario was the better man tonight,” Williams said. “It was a great homecoming for my fans and I’m sorry I let them down. What went wrong tonight needs to and will be fixed. We’re going to an immediate rematch and we look forward to returning the favor.”

#WilliamsRosario #Boxing #JulianWilliams

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