Unbeaten Jermall Charlo to take on Brandon Adams for interim WBC middleweight title on ITV4 this Sunday

Unbeaten WBC Interim Middleweight Champion Jermall Charlo will return to his hometown to defend against middleweight contender Brandon Adams Sunday, June 30 (Saturday evening) live on ITV4 from NRG Arena in Houston and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Coverage will start at 2:00am and also on the card we will see Erickson “Hammer’’ Lubin taking on French contender Zakaria Attou in a 12-round WBC title elimination bout in the co-main event.

28-year-old Charlo (27-0, 21 KOs) won a world title at 154-pounds when he scored a devastating third-round knockout of Cornelius Bundrage to win the IBF Junior Middleweight Title in 2015.

He successfully defended his 154-pound title three times, including a devastating knockout of top contender Julian Williams, before moving up in weight to campaign at middleweight.



Jermall proved to be just as dominant at 160 pounds as he was at 154 pounds when he made his middleweight debut by stopping Jorge Sebastian Heiland in the fourth round of their July 2017 bout.

He became the interim WBC middleweight champion with a second round knockout victory over Hugo Centeno, Jr. Jermall is one-minute older than his identical twin brother, former champion Jermell Charlo, and most recently defeated Matt Korobov to retain his interim title in December.

“It’s time for me to put up for my city of Houston,” said Charlo. “George Foreman is back and he’s in the middleweight division.

"That’s the way I feel about fighting in my hometown. You know how hot it gets down here in the summer and no one is going to be able to take this heat that I’m about to deliver.



"I’ve been working hard with Ronnie Shields and making some adjustments and now you’re going to see me back with the knockout power. I know Brandon Adams is looking at this as a big opportunity, but it’s a big step up for him.

"The pressure isn’t on him. It’s on me, because I’m fighting in my hometown and I’m going to deliver what the fans have come to expect from me.'' The Los Angeles-native Adams (21-2, 13 KOs) shot up the middleweight rankings by winning the 2018 reboot of The Contender.

He is currently ranked fifth by the WBO and seventh by the WBA after beating Ievgen Khytrov, Tyrone Brunson, Eric Walker to make the series’ final, where he defeated Shane Mosley Jr. by unanimous decision in a 10-round fight.

The 28-year-old’s current run came after a three-year absence from the ring following a loss to John Thompson in 2015. He was 17-1 in his first 18 pro fights after turning pro in 2011, with his only loss coming to Willie Monroe Jr.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity and ready to prove that I belong in the conversation as one of the top fighters in the middleweight division,” said Adams.

“This is an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down. They must feel that I am beatable, and want to use my name that I built up on The Contender, so now I need to show why I won The Contender and continue my winning ways.

"Charlo is a solid fighter and he’s a champion for a reason. I look forward to matching skills with him and showcasing my ability.”

https://www.itv.com/news/2019-06-24/...4-this-sunday/