Julian Williams: Size is all Jarrett Hurd has, I’m about skills

Julian Williams is the underdog for Saturday’s FOX main event against WBA/IBF junior middleweight titleholder Jarrett Hurd, but the Philly challenger doesn’t have much respect for Hurd’s actual boxing ability:

“There’s nothing I like about Hurd’s game. I think I’m better at everything. (Size is) all he has. Just that he’s bigger than everybody else in the ring. That’s cool. But I’m about skills. And we’re gonna find out on May 11.”

Now, look, in our preview for the fight, we definitely talked a lot about Hurd’s size and ability to wear guys out being his main strength. That’s not a secret. Even Hurd has said he expects Williams to do what others have done, try to outbox him, and admitting that Williams is “maybe a tad sharper than me in some spots.”

Others have tried that strategy, notably Erislandy Lara, Austin Trout, and Tony Harrison. The latter two got worn out and stopped, and Lara just managed to survive all 12 rounds in a Fight of the Year level war in 2018.

So it’s a tough ask on Saturday for Williams. I don’t think anyone would really dispute that he’s a better technical boxer than Hurd, but Hurd’s size and rough-and-rugged style are a lot for anyone to handle at 154.