Carlos Adames Receives Middleweight Title Boost on His Birthday
Carlos Adames received an exceptional birthday present this year, as he was elevated to the outright WBC middleweight champion. The 30-year-old Dominican boxer will make his first title defense on June 15, taking on 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha in the pay-per-view undercard of the Gervonta Davis-Frank Martin fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Adames (23-1, 18 KOs) had been the interim WBC middleweight titleholder since October 2022, when he knocked out Juan Macias Montiel in the third round to claim the vacant interim title. The elevation to full champion came after the previous titleholder, Jermall Charlo, was arrested for DWI on May 7 and stripped of the belt, coinciding with Adames’ birthday.
“I was truly happy to be elevated to world champion on my birthday,” Adames said. “That news was just the cherry on top of my celebration. What I really wanted was for Jermall Charlo to fight me, but he made his choice.”
In his first defense, Adames will face the experienced Gausha (24-3-1, 12 KOs), who has faced notable opponents such as Erislandy Lara, Tim Tszyu, Erickson Lubin, and Austin Trout. Despite Gausha’s resume, Adames remains confident in his abilities.
“Gausha has the reputation of a guy who’s hard to knock down, but he hasn’t felt my power yet,” Adames said. “I’m not concerned about his resume or who he’s fought, because I’m the best fighter he’s faced. I’m the best fighter in the 160-pound division, so he better be ready for what he’s coming up against.”
Since moving up to middleweight, Adames has been on a roll, winning four consecutive fights in the division, including a majority decision victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko. He believes his improvement since his lone loss to Patrick Teixeira in 2019 will be the difference-maker against Gausha.
“I’m not underestimating anyone, but I’m not worried about his experience,” Adames said. “I’m making sure I’m ready for anything that happens in the ring.”
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