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Boxing Craft - by johnmichael-bric

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Boxing Craft - October 2007

Tomasz Adamek: Can He be a Force In The Cruiserweights?

October 21st 2007 01:43

Former WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Tomasz "Goral" Adamek (32-1, 22 KOs) of Poland will be challenging champion Steve "USS" Cunningham of the USA for IBF Cruiserweight belt in January 2008. This will be Adamek's second fight in the 200 pound division. He moved up in weight last June and fought Luis Pineda of Panama for his Cruiserweight debut. Luis Pineda may not be a top 20 Cruiserweight but he his certainly seen as tough challenge for the Polish boxer as he has 18 KOs in 21 wins which means he has power in his punches but has 4 losses in which two are from top guys like Wayne Braithwaite and Valery Brudov. Many Adamek fans were worried that he will be smaller in stature compared to the other Cruisers and the increase in weight may have an effect in his performance in the ring. The worries were wiped away as Tomasz Adamek fought like way he he has in the Light Heavyweight Division. He came in at 197 pounds but was still quick and the added weight never bothered as he was very light on his feet. He avoided most of the wide punches Pineda threw at him and retaliated with 3 or 4 punch combinations. He used his jab effectively in this fight, keeping Pineda at a distance to set up his combos. I don't how to rate Adamek's punching power in the Cruiser division yet because Luis Pineda's four losses were all by knockouts which means he does not have a sturdy chin. The fight was completely one-sided as the man from Panama never amounted a meaningful offense to help him. The end came in round 7when Adamek landed a left hook that badly stunned Pineda. Sensing his opponent is in danger, Tomasz proceeded to corner Pineda to the ropes and unleashed ten to fifteen unanswered punches forcing the referee to stop the bout by TKO. Adamek claimed the vacant IBO Cruiserweight belt (a lesser belt) for his win and impressed many fans. But the question still remains; Can he be a force in the Cruiserweight division?

Prior to his fight with Pineda, he was coming of a very bad loss to current WBC Light Heavyweight Champion, Chad Dawson. Adamek was completely dominated by his younger foe and gave him the first loss in his career. His handlers mentioned that coming down to the 175 lb weight limit was becoming harder for him and it is one of the reasons why he lost the fight. Tomasz was forced to lose 23 pounds in two days and eventually brought his weight down to 174 pounds just in time for the weigh-in and was drained during the fight. His move to the Cruiserweight division was expected since he naturally weighs 197-200 pounds. Many of his fans are still not sure how would he handle the top guys in the bigger division. I think he can last long in this weight class because Adamek is a gifted fighter with excellent boxing skills and has decent pop in his hands. He also fights strategically, selectively picking his opponent's apart with accurate punches and he is also defensively sound. But his hands will surely be full when his fight with Steve Cunningham starts. Cunningham has a record of 20 wins and 1 loss, with 10 KOs. He is a very busy fighter, constantly pressuring his opponents and throws hard body punches. He may have a 50% KO percentage but from the fights I have seen him in, he hits hard and stuns his opponents with clean shots to the head. Steve's height will also be problem for Adamek as he stands 6'3" with an 82 inch reach. This is definitely an intriguing match for boxing fans. I predict this will be a back-and-forth action packed fight and leaning towards Cunningham since he is proven in the Cruiserwight division, physically bigger and has the skills to match his challenger. Adamek can still win if prepares a good game plan in that fight. But in my opinion, this fight is too soon for him. His promoter should have given him another tune up fight against a contender before throwing him in with the IBF Champion because Steve Cunningham is no joke.

IBF Cruiserweight Champion, Steve Cunningham

But what about facing other guys top guys like Jean-Marck Mormeck, O'neil Bell, Enzo Maccarinelli, Darnell Wilson, David Haye and certainly many more? It all comes to his skills and experience in the ring coupled with a with a good fight plan. Adamek's chin will be tested even more this time. Light Heavyweights Paul Briggs and Chad Dawson scored knockdowns against him when he was hit flush. Chances of him losing by a stoppage increases because his opponents now generally hit harder than their Light Heavyweight counterparts. Right now, I see Tomasz Adamek as a great addition for the 200 lb division and he can be a formidable foe for any of the top Cruiserweights. He has a good jab that he uses effectively in each of his previous fights and he should use it even more to offset his opponent's offense. He also moves quick enough to dodge incoming punches which can potentially frustrate the opposition and it can help to gain momentum in his favor.

Adamek's standing in the Cruiserweight division is still not quite clear but all of this will be answered when he fights with Steve Cunningham. If he beats Cunningham, he will definitely be a fighter to watch out for and be considered as a force among the 200 pounders. If he loses but puts up a good fight, he will certainly be still looked up by many fans and will considered a tough opponent for everyone. But if he loses badly, he better fight a contender or a journeyman and build his way up again.

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Posted By: Wilfredo A. Estrada III - Category: No Category

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