UNDEFEATED middleweight boxer Austin Williams has had some rise to get to where he is today.
The 28-year-old fighter has gone from hiding from gunshots in his basement as a kid to earning a spot on this weekend’s Matchroom 5v5 card.
Williams, who boasts an 16-0 record since turning pro in 2019, faces Hamzah Sheeraz in Riyadh on Saturday.
And as much as 16 wins from 16 in a five year period might seem like a breezy rise to the top, getting to this point has been anything but easy for the Milwaukee born star.
Williams moved to Houston, Texas when he was just 10 but saw those early years in Wisconsin shape his life and his career as fighter.
The star, nicknamed “Ammo”, previously recalled spending New Year’s Eve in his basement as a youngster as his house had been shot up that night.
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Speaking to Ring TV in 2019, he said: “Milwaukee was a very tough place.
“I’m happy about my beginnings because it gave me a different type of hunger. Knowing where I come from – it made me like to fight.”
Williams carried that passion for fighting with him to Houston where he would take on gang members in one-on-one fights to build up his skills.
He explained: “It was like I was a vigilante taking these guys out but in reality, I just really liked to fight.
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“It was a win-win situation for me and it kept me out of gangs because I would do it solo.
“Sometimes people would think it was out of anger but it definitely was because I loved the challenge of it. I loved the thrill of it.
“No other sport or anything could match that thrill that I got from it.
“That should’ve told me and my parents right away that I should’ve done something like boxing but nobody in my family did it.
“When I look back, it’s so crazy that I didn’t begin fighting at a young age because I really loved it.
“I love the build-up; I love the nerves before the first punch is thrown and things of that nature.”
There’s huge build up for Williams on the horizon as he faces losing his undefeated record against Sheeraz, who has also never been on the receiving end of a loss.
Sheeraz has a 19-0 record himself and at least one fighter will be losing their perfect record come Saturday night.
Williams, who only stepped into the ring for the first time at 19 years old, is now aiming for a world title.
Should the six-foot southpaw get the better of Sheeraz then he will likely set up a fight for the WBC championship belt against the winner of Carlos Adames and Terrell Gausha.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s bout, Williams said: “One win away [from a world title fight].
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“I didn’t do boxing for popularity or money; I came in it for greatness, and to be one fight away from the middleweight championship of the world is everything.
“I’ve been a middleweight since the beginning, I’ve been disciplined to stay there, and for this to be right there on the horizon is a dream come true.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
