Bob Santos is still shaking his head at what occurred moments after his fighter Carlos Adames’ 9th round knockout win over Julian Williams in Minneapolis. 

Immediately after the fight, Williams’ trainer and BoxingScene.com contributor Stephen “Breadman” Edwards complained that the stoppage was too early. 

Williams had received several hard shots and was visibly hurt when the referee decided to pull the plug on the fight.  He was also visibly hurt in the fourth round, but the referee allowed him to continue, and he was able to weather the storm.

Santos believes the stoppage was correct and saved Williams from potentially serious injury. 

“You got beat up and hurt 4-5 times. The ref could have stopped it in the fourth. He got hit with 20 straight punches and didn’t punch back.  All the stoppage did was rob us of a highlight reel knockout,” Santos told BoxingScene.com.

“That being said, for his sake I am glad they stopped it and Williams is healthy and can continue his career.  He took a hellacious beating.”

The world class trainer’s stable of fighters also includes WBA 130 pound champion Hector Luis Garcia who scored a major upset win over the previously undefeated Chris Colbert in 2022. 

Furthermore, he doesn’t believe that Adames is a fighter who would be given any favors anyway. 

“You say A side/B side but I took Hector Luis Garcia against Colbert as the B side and won. Since when is a non-English speaking Dominican fighting an American former unified champion considered the A side and getting preferential treatment?

“When Williams went into Jarrett Hurd’s backyard he was the B side and won and they didn’t complain then. Now all of a sudden their guy gets beat up bad and they want to complain. It doesn’t make any sense,” Santos stated.   

The respected trainer didn’t stop there and doubled down on why he felt Team Williams’ complaints are without merit. 

“Let’s take it a step further, in the 9th round gun to your head if you have to make a bet with your hard earned money on who’s going to win, who would pick Williams? Nobody. 

He would have to finish rounds 9, 10, 11 and the 12th and was taking serious punishment. He was getting broken down and it was very evident he wasn’t going to last 4 more rounds. I will give Williams credit for this though, he is game and showed a lot of heart. Williams is a warrior,” he explained. 

Santos also is part of 168 WBA champion David Morrell’s team and was present when the Cuban gave Aidos Yerbossynuly a life altering beating that put him a coma and is thankful that another similar situation didn’t occur on Saturday night. 

“The ref did you a favor. I was there when Morrell put Aidos in a coma.  I thought the Aidos fight could have been stopped and we wouldn’t be talking about him being in a coma and his career over,” said Santos. 

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