Yoenis Tellez vs Julian Williams Predictions: Cuban prospect gets ex-champ test

Unbeaten prospect Yoenis Tellez steps up on Saturday, March 1 as he takes on former unified super welterweight champion Julian Williams. The interim WBA belt will be on the line at the Barclays Center in New York. Prime Video PPV will screen the event live, with Gervonta Davis taking on Lamont Roach in the headliner.

Here are my Tellez vs Williams predictions ahead of this crossroads contest.

Yoenis Tellez vs Julian Williams Odds

Tellez is 1/16 to get the job done on the night. Williams is a long-shot at 7/1. The draw is priced at 20/1.

Yoenis Tellez vs Julian Williams Fight Preview

Tellez is the latest in a long line of Cuban amateur standouts turning pro stateside. After two knockout wins in Russia, ‘Tsunami’ has settled in Texas while doing most of his fighting in Florida. 

After the customary journeyman learning fights, since summer 2023 Tellez has been fighting a better breed of foe. Sergio Garcia was a former European champion who had taken Tony Harrison and current WBC and WBO champion Sebastian Fundora the distance. Tellez knocked him out in three.

Joseph Jackson was 19-0 until Tellez outpointed him and took his unbeaten record. Johan Gonzalez had given Magomed Kurbanov and Jesus Ramos Jr good work, but the Cuban stopped him in seven. In nine fights so far, nobody has managed to give Tellez too much to think about. 

Williams is a clear line in the sand. Now Tellez goes in with a man who has reigned as unified IBF and WBA champion in the division. ‘J-Rock’ beat Jarrett Hurd, who fights on this card, for those straps via decision back in 2019. It was a brief reign, with Jeison Rosario dethroning him via fifth-round TKO the following year.

It has been a very mixed bag since then for Williams. He followed the loss of his title with a split decision defeat to unheralded Vladimir Hernandez. A points win over Rolando Mansilla netted him a shot at Carlos Adames’ WBC interim title, but he was stopped in nine by the man we saw outperform Hamzah Sheeraz last weekend.

A second-round knockout of Gustavo Vettori put the train back on the rails, but you do feel like Williams might be coming to the end. The Philadelphia man is 34 now and is not going to return to title level. Adames was his last roll of the dice there and he came up short. Williams has reached the point of his career where taking a scalp from a hot prospect is his route back to notoriety.

This is a great learning fight for Tellez. Williams has retained his excellent defence and at times he did a better job of stopping Adames’ raids than Sheeraz did. ‘J-Rock’ is a little battleworn but he can still handle himself in the trenches. That is a byproduct of the fact his style means he doesn’t take too many clean shots. 

Tellez will have to work for this. He’s in the ring with someone who has world class know-how, even if his aging body might not obey his rapier-quick thoughts any longer. This is the first true test of the gifted Cuban. Let’s see what Tellez has got.

Yoenis Tellez vs Julian Williams Full Card

Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach

Jose Valenzuela vs Gary Antuanne Russell

Alberto Puello vs Sandor Martin

Yoenis Tellez vs Julian Williams

Jarrett Hurd vs Johan Gonzalez

Geo Lopez vs Grimardi Machuca

Cristian Cangelosi vs Jarrod Tennant

Dwyke Flemmings Jr vs Florent Dervis

David Whitmire vs Angel Munoz

Alexis De la Cerda Landin vs Sharone Carter

Nasheed H. Smith vs Tariq Green

Deric Davis vs Oscar Eduardo Gonzalez Jr.

Yoenis Tellez vs Julian Williams Prediction

I think Tellez gets it done. ‘Tsunami’ is a young fighter on the rise. Boxers like that always pick over the bones of an ex-champ or two before picking up the belts themselves.

Williams will give him something to think about, but at this stage of his boxing lifespan I don’t think it will be anything the Cuban can’t handle. Tellez to win at 1/16.

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