Julian Williams makes statement with KO 1 of Luciano Cuello; Austin Trout next?
Julian Williams made a big statement in his PBC debut.
The Philadelphian needed only one round to blast out veteran Luciano Cuello; Williams stopped his foe on his feet at 93 seconds of the main event of Toe-to-Toe Tuesdays on Fox Sports 1 from the Sands in Bethlehem, Pa.
J-Rock drilled Cuello with a one-two, a combination that discombobulated the Argentine and made him shuffle to the ropes. Cuello, 31, covered up but Williams managed to land at least 10 clean shots before referee Gary Rosato waved it off.
"I'm looking to make a statement for the junior middleweight division; that I'm here, I've arrived," Williams, 25, said. "That they can't turn the other cheek around. I want Austin Trout but it seems like he don't want to fight me. I'll fight anybody in the division. I'll go to Houston and fight (Jermall) Charlo.
"I'm the best junior middleweight in the world but I also know I'm the strongest and I can walk through any of these guys. I'm ready for anybody at the top level."
Fortunately, Trout was ringside as the expert commentator on the broadcast, and was able to respond himself to the challenge, one that's been issued several times by Williams this year.
Trout said: "I really respect his hunger, I respect his attitude and we can definitely make it happen."
Just then, Williams (21-0-1, 13 KOs) leaned over the top rope to interrupt Trout, and the Miguel Cotto conqueror responded, saying, "I'll fight you next, that's no problem."
Trout (30-2, 17 KOs) is coming off his own knockout victory, a beatdown of Joey Hernandez earlier this month on the same network. The 29-year-old has a big edge in experience, with a razor-thin loss to Canelo Alvarez also on his resume, but the matchup looms as one of the most intriguing in the sport.