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Philadelphia junior middleweight Julian Williams beats Jarrett Hurd in world championship bout

The 29-year-old scored the first knockdown of the fight in the second round en route to his convincing win on national television.

Julian Williams smiles after defeating Jarrett Hurd for the IBF, WBA and IBO super welterweight boxing titles in Fairfax, Va., Saturday, May 11, 2019. Williams won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Julian Williams smiles after defeating Jarrett Hurd for the IBF, WBA and IBO super welterweight boxing titles in Fairfax, Va., Saturday, May 11, 2019. Williams won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)Read moreJose Luis Magana / AP
    by EJ Smith
    Published 

West Philadelphia fighter Julian Williams claimed the unified junior middleweight title Saturday, beating Jarrett Hurd in Fairfax, Virginia in a 12-round unanimous decision.

Williams, who was homeless for a time growing up, unified the International Boxing Organization, International Boxing Federation, and World Boxing Association junior middleweight belts. The scores were 115-112, 115-12, and 116-111.

The unification comes roughly three years after Williams lost his first world championship opportunity in a TKO loss to Jermall Charlo.

"I am just overwhelmed. This is such a great feeling. I outclassed him. I am one of the best fighters in the world,” Williams said in a statement. “Maybe I wasn’t ready for the title the first time I got the shot. I took the loss. I took it like a man and the whole world doubted me. I went into this fight a five to one underdog.’

“This is a dream come true. I have been waiting for this for years. I never ditched the gym. I never got into girls or left the gym. I am from the streets, but I was never in the streets. I was in the gym practicing my craft.”

The 29-year-old got the first knockdown of the fight in the second round en route to his convincing win on national television. He moves to 27-1-1 (16 knockouts), while handing Hurd (23-1, 16 knockouts) the first loss of his professional career.

As a 13-year-old, Williams was homeless as his mother struggled with drug addiction. They lived in a shelter on the first floor of a Roosevelt Boulevard motel.

Fellow Philadelphia fighter Stephen Fulton (16-0, 7 KOs) will also be leaving Maryland with a belt. The 24-year old beat Paulus Ambunda (27-3, 11 KOs) for the IBO super bantamweight title by a unanimous score of 120-107.