Joel Julio is focused and feels he has had the best training camp of his career. With a fight that many critics feel is a must-win match just two days away, Julio is displaying a level of maturity, confidence and physical conditioning never seen before. Julio, 35-3, 31 KO’s, is facing Alfredo Angulo, 17-1, 14 KO’s, in a 12 round WBO Interim Jr. Middleweight Championship this Saturday, on the undercard of the Cristobal Arreola-Tomasz Adamek heavyweight fight, on HBO’s Boxing After Dark..
You only need to look at Julio to know he has taken his physical conditioning to a new level. Julio has a new point of view, a new approach to training. He says this camp was his toughest, most challenging camp to date – and he seems excited when he tells you that! He has added a strength and conditioning coach, Jeremy Fedoruk, to his team this time around; something he feels had made a difference.
He has worked untiringly with boxing trainer Anthony Hamm. Hamm explains, “This camp made a big difference. The Joel Julio you see today is different than the Joel you knew before. He’s improved on all the good things he was capable of, but also added so much more. He’s like a sponge. He really wants to work hard; you don’t have to push him to do more. He pushed himself harder than even I did!” Hamm added, “What this team did together in the last 3 months is amazing. I told Joel he is capable of much more than he even realizes. We are going to beat Angulo no matter what!’
Joel does not hesitate a second when he tells you, “I am ready. I feel energized, strong. I feel like I am already a winner. I worked extremely hard to get ready for this fight. I deserve this shot. I will show everyone that I am a champion. I thank God for the opportunity.”
In spite of being 2 years younger, Julio is clearly the more experienced fighter. He has had nearly twice as many professional fights as Angulo. All of his losses have come at the hands of southpaws. Angulo, a right-handed, come forward fighter affords Julio the opportunity to showcase his talents. A win here puts him in the middle of the deepest, most talented division in the sport.
Kathy Duva, CEO, Main Events, expressed her thoughts, “We adore Joel. It’s obvious this camp has made a big difference, given him a new point of view. This is a terrific match, it could be a main event on it’s own. Winning this fight will allow us to negotiate a truly great championship match for Joel in the hottest division in boxing at this time. We have faith that Joel will win.”