By Keith Idec

Julian Williams dismissed Nathaniel Gallimore as a nobody Thursday, an unknown fighter fishing for attention.

A confident Gallimore promised Williams and everyone else that attended a press conference in Las Vegas that boxing fans and media will take notice after he knocks out Williams on Saturday night. Their IBF junior middleweight elimination match will be one of three bouts broadcast by Showtime from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

“You looking at me?,” Gallimore asked Williams. “Saturday night, I’m gonna wipe that smile off your face. You think Charlo hit hard? Heh. You’re gonna see. This opportunity’s mine and this division is mine. All that talking don’t mean nothing. It’s all about action. And I say what I mean, and I mean what I say.”

Williams (24-1-1, 15 KOs, 1 NC) contended it has been Gallimore, not him, that has done all the trash talking in the buildup toward their 12-round, 154-pound fight. The contender from Philadelphia also claimed Gallimore (20-1-1, 17 KOs) has been “stalking” his social media pages.

“You was talking today, for your birthday,” Gallimore said, referring to Williams turning 28 on Thursday. “You’re gonna get an early birthday gift. You’re gonna get an early birthday gift. Stop tripping. I study my opponents. I stalk ‘em. I stalk ‘em. That’s what I’m gonna do in the ring. Keep on talking. Keep on running your mouth. You know, you had a big mouth when you was fighting Charlo, and what happened?

“You said I got knocked down four times? Wow! I think that stuff messed up your head when he chin-checked you. I hope you’re doing your chin push-ups, because I told you what’s gonna happen. How you like it? On your face, on your back, doing a tap dance when the referee stopping the fight?”

Gallimore mocked Williams’ lone loss – a fifth-round knockout defeat to Jermall Charlo in December 2016. Houston’s Charlo (26-0, 20 KOs) then owned the IBF junior middleweight title, which he vacated to move up to middleweight following his victory over Williams.

The Jamaican-born, Chicago-based Gallimore has won seven straight fights since Virgilijus Stapulionis beat him by split decision in their 10-rounder in June 2016.

“I’m not playing with you, boy,” Gallimore told Williams before walking away from the microphone. “You think I’m playing with you, talking about you’re a rock. You ain’t no rock. You ain’t solid. You a pebble. I’ll eat you. And that’s what I’m gonna do Saturday night. So I want each and every one of y’all to tune in. Y’all don’t wanna miss this.”

The Williams-Gallimore match will start Showtime’s tripleheader at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday night.

It’ll be followed by a 12-round immediate rematch that’ll send in new IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Truax (29-3-2, 18 KOs), of Osseo, Minnesota, against former champ James DeGale (23-2-1, 14 KOs), of St. Albans, England. In the main event, IBF junior middleweight champ Jarrett Hurd (21-0, 15 KOs), of Accokeek, Maryland, and IBO/WBA super welterweight champ Erislandy Lara (25-2-2, 14 KOs), of Houston, are set to square off in a 154-pound title unification fight.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.