Julian Williams' worst nightmare came true.
After boxing 17 years to become a world champion, Williams lost his unified junior middleweight titles Saturday night in a shocking upset. Making matters worse, it happened in Williams' hometown, Philadelphia. Jeison Rosario, a 33-1 underdog, pummeled Williams en route to a fifth-round TKO in a nationally televised bout from the Liacouras Center.
The beginning of the end came when Rosario blasted Williams with a lunging left hook in the fifth round. The shot badly hurt and wobbled "J-Rock." Rosario kept the barrage going. He measured Williams up for a pulverizing right uppercut-left hook combination that had the champ reeling before the referee stepped in to wave off the fight. Just like that, Rosario snatched the IBF and WBA world titles.Rosario put Williams on notice about his power early by opening a gash over his left eye in the second round. Although Williams bounced back nicely in the third, Rosario took over in the fourth and never looked back.
The upset caught the attention of WBC junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo and former world champ Tony Harrison.
Chris Colbert def. Jezreel Corrales by unanimous decision to win vacant WBA interim junior lightweight title
"Prime Time" chose the right time to come alive Saturday. A relatively low-action fight gave way to fireworks in the seventh round as both fighters slugged it out. Those exchanges seemed to light a fire under Colbert, who rocked Corrales with a huge left hook in the eighth and used the same punch to drop him in the 10th.
Colbert went on to record the victory on the judges' scorecards (117-110, 117-110, 116-111).
"Prime Time" (14-0, five KOs) was all smiles and oozing confidence after his victory.