Carlos Adames obtained a beautiful birthday current this yr: He obtained the reward of being elevated to outright WBC middleweight titleholder.
On June 15, Adames will make his first protection, in opposition to 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha, as a part of the pay-per-view undercard of the Gervonta Davis-Frank Martin battle on the MGM Grand Backyard Area in Las Vegas.
Adames (23-1, 18 KOs) had been the interim titlist since October 2022, when he knocked out Juan Macias Montiel within the third spherical of their vacant interim title battle, which was organized as a result of WBC titleholder Jermall Charlo’s inactivity. Adames made one protection final yr, in a stoppage of former unified junior middleweight titleholder Julian Williams. Charlo was arrested for DWI on Could 7 and stripped of his title. This was the identical day Adames turned 30.
“I used to be actually completely happy to be elevated to world champion on my birthday,” Adames stated. “That information was simply the cherry on prime of my birthday. What I actually needed was for Jermall Charlo to battle me, however he made his alternative.”
Adames waited for a consolidation bout with Charlo, however that second by no means got here. His first outright protection of the WBC title will likely be in opposition to Gausha (24-3-1, 12 KOs), who misplaced his earlier title battle at junior middleweight to then-WBA titleholder Erislandy Lara. Gausha, 36, will enter subsequent week’s bout on a two-fight profitable streak after shedding a unanimous resolution to Tim Tszyu, regardless of Adames having dropped Tszyu within the first spherical. Adames, an influence puncher, famous that Gausha has by no means been stopped.
“Gausha has the status of a man who’s arduous to knock down, however he hasn’t felt my energy but,” Adames stated. “I’ll tip my hat to him if he can go the gap. Both approach, I’m not specializing in the knockout. I’m ensuring I’m prepared for something that occurs within the ring.”
Since shifting as much as middleweight, Adames has been on a roll, profitable 4 consecutive fights within the division, together with a majority resolution victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Some would possibly view the competitors Gausha has confronted – corresponding to Lara, Tszyu, Erickson Lubin and Austin Trout – as superior. Adames doesn’t take note of that, as he feels he’s higher and has improved since his lone loss, to Patrick Teixeira, in a 2019 interim WBO junior middleweight title battle.
“I’m not involved about Gausha’s resume or who he’s fought, as a result of I’m the very best fighter he’s confronted,” Adames stated. “I’m the very best fighter within the 160-pound division, so he higher be prepared for what he’s arising in opposition to. I’m not underestimating anybody, however I’m not apprehensive about his expertise.”
