Carlos Adames will now be out of the ring for 12 months. Had it not been for an illness, the middleweight champion from the Dominican Republic, who earned plaudits for taking the formidable Hamzah Sheeraz to a hard fought draw on the Beterbiev-Bivol card last February, would have broken the streak that mirrored the break following his 2023 interim title defense. Unfortunately, that was not to be the case. Adames lost an opportunity to strengthen his hold on a division that is currently undergoing noticeable changes.

The WBC 160-pound titleholder was slated to face contender Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams on the undercard of the Ring VI card headlined by the Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson title fight. Initial reports suggested Carlos Adames fell ill due to dehydration. However, as it appears now, the truth was more complicated. The latest update, based on information received from his trainer, reveals that Adames’ situation was far more serious.

Carlos Adames’ unexpected exit from the Teo-Shakur card explained

A tweet from World Boxing News indicated that Carlos Adames suffered from food poisoning. After the middleweight champion pulled out, his scheduled opponent, Williams, was paired against light middleweight contender (IBF #14) Wendy Toussaint. The development sparked a strong reaction among fans who had been looking forward to the Adames-Williams clash.

Responding to the fans’ understandable frustration, Adames’ trainer, Ismael Salas, reportedly revealed that the champion’s condition worsened to the point where he had to call 911 and be taken to a hospital. The incident occurred before the final weigh-ins.

That Adames was whisked to a nearby hospital for treatment has been confirmed by BoxingScene as well. “Carlos Adames, the WBC middleweight belt holder, fell ill with apparent dehydration and was taken by ambulance to a nearby medical facility,” their report read.

Regardless of the finer details about Adames’ illness, the fact remains that fans were denied a fight that promised a compelling 12-round contest.

Adames: Breakout performance in Feb’25, followed by missed opportunities

Their anticipation likely stemmed from the impressive and unexpected performance Adames delivered last February against Hamzah Sheeraz. Though Adames held the belt—he was elevated to full champion in May 2024 – most outlets had considered 26-year-old Sheeraz the clear favorite to win.

But Adames exceeded expectations, forcing Sheeraz to a draw, a decision questioned by many, which allowed him to retain his belt.

In the months that followed, Adames exchanged words with middleweight unification champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, hinting at a potential unification bout that had boxing fans excited. At one point, the matchup even seemed imminent. However, the Kazakh titleholder’s failure to clear VADA-mandated anti-doping tests appears to have delayed those plans.

That left Adames to chart his next steps independently. A win over a crafty contender like Ammo Williams, who claimed victory against the last-minute replacement Toussaint, would have strengthened Adames’ position. Considering the recent shifts in the middleweight division, such a win could have positioned him for unification matchups against Erislandy Lara or set up a bout with interim champion and mandatory challenger Jesus Ramos.

Fans will have to stay tuned as more information emerges about Adames’ condition and the decisions he and his team make moving forward.