Tomasz Adamek faces Eric Molina in April 2 in Poland

By Boxing News - 02/09/2016 - Comments

adamek54(Photo Credit: Rich Graessle/Main Events) By Dan Ambrose: 39-year-old former two division world champion Tomasz Adamek (50-4, 30 KOs) will be trying to turn his sagging career around on April 2 when he faces 33-year-old former world title challenger Eric Molina (24-3, 18 KOs) in a scheduled 12 round fight at the Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland. Adamek and Molina will be fighting for the vacant IBF Inter-Continental heavyweight title. That’s a big step down for Adamek, who has become accustomed to fighting for major belts in his long 17-year-old pro career.

Adamek could really stand to get a victory right now, as he’s lost two out of his last three fights in defeats to Vyacheslav Glazkov and Artur Szpilka. There’s no shame in losing to those guys because those are both top 10 heavyweight contenders, but the fact that Adamek was beaten by both guys tells you were he’s at in the division right now in terms of talent.

Molina gave WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder a tough time in their fight last year in June of 2015 before getting stoppage in the 9th. At one point in the fight, Molina staggered Wilder with a big left hook to the head. Deontay was able to come back and dominate the action in getting knock downs in the 4th, 5th and 9th rounds. Molina did show good power when he was getting his shots off, and he’s got the kind of power that would give anyone problems in the division.

“I am looking forward to fighting Molina and defeating him to show that I remain one of the elite fighters in the heavyweight division,” Adamek said via ESPN.com. “My victory over Molina will be a step toward another chance at the heavyweight title.”

If this were a younger Adamek from 2011 and earlier, you could say with confidence that he’ll definitely beat Molina on April 2. But with the way that Adamek has looked in the last four years, he’s vulnerable to almost any fringe contender. Adamek was battered and beaten by former WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko in losing by a 10th round knockout in 2011. After that fight, Adamek was given a controversial 12 round decision win over Eddie Chambers in 2012 in a fight that many boxing fans felt that Adamek badly lost.

“I’m at the point in my career where my back is against the wall,” Molina said. “All I’ve ever known to do is bounce back, and April 2nd I intend to do just that. The dream of becoming the first Mexican-American heavyweight champion continues April 2nd in Poland.”

Adamek also his back against the wall in this fight perhaps more than Molina.



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