MTK Global New Beginnings: Liam Williams vs. Craig Nicholson & Jacob Robinson vs. Jules Phillips RBR

Liam Williams vs. Craig Nicholson, 8 rounds @ middleweight

 

FFS, I'm in (much) better nick than Nicholson.

 

Williams has three prior KO1 victories, large chance he nabs a fourth here.

 

Round 1

Williams is squatting and jabbing the body as Nicholson performs a deep lead knee bend in and rattles a few light jabs against Williams' guard. They circle together and clinch after some missed jabs both ways. Pawing double jab by Williams from outside, rushing in and scraping the chest of Nicholson with a quick uppercut. Leaping jab by Williams, mildly stunning Nicholson, who ties up. Williams now pecking from outside, moving counterclockwise around Nicholson who attempts to square up to him and extend a long snaky jab. Williams lands a left-right-left hooking combo and has Nicholson shelling up. Right hand by Williams hurts Nicholson and the bigger man flops in to clinch Williams. Quick break ordered by the ref. Williams is stalking, jabbing the wrists. Nicholson jumps off the ropes with a weak flurry, a ruse to get close enough to wrap up Williams in a clinch. Double jab by Williams.

10-9 Williams

 

Jesus, how tall for middleweight is Nicholson?!??!

Liam Williams is 5'10", so this guy must be like 6'3". Wtf is he doing at 160lbs, seriously?

 

Round 2

Williams is chasing with the jab, looking to find a home for the right hand. Williams rushes Nicholson into the ropes pumping jabs and 1-2s at his face and Nicholson bends his long torso backward across the uppermost one, spilling both men outside the ring and dangling off the apron. The ropes have broken. What a shambles this card is. Several crew members up there fixing the ring now while the boxers mill about in their corners, thankfully neither was too hurt in the fall to continue. A bunch of men duct taping the turnbuckle to keep the ropes taut and then manually screwing pieces of the supporting structure in place. This is bananas. Alright, after a full 4 or 5 minutes delay, time in. Williams is jabbing after his man and Nicholson is keeping a high guard while buoying across the ring, lots of spring in his knees. Some very amateurish slapping counter hooks and looping rights on the body from Nicholson as Williams charges in with jabs in a speedy crab-walk. Williams is chasing Nicholson into the ropes and nearly pinning him there before Nicholson bounces off and bounds away. 1-2 on the mouth by Williams and Nicholson is hurt. Williams chases, scores a left hook on the liver just below the guard, game over.

KO2!

 

Literally exactly half my beer.

 

So is the next logical move for Williams to chase a third match with Beefy Smith?

Typically hard to justify a third installment when a rivalry is already 2-0 in either direction, but this might be the sort of rare context where it makes sense...especially with LS coming off the Munguia loss and thus brought down a peg back closer to Williams' level.