By Jim Dower: Heavyweight contender Tomasz Amdaek (43-1, 28 KO’s) dispatched Vinny Maddalone (33-7, 24 KO’s) in the 5th round on Thursday night at the Prudential Center, in Newark, New Jersey. Adamek using power shots, put Maddalone down with a nifty looking uppercut in the 5th. Maddalone wasn’t going to quit and got right back and gamely tried to continue fighting. Adamek then let loose with an avalanche of punches that caused referee Steve Smoger to stop the bout at 2:17 of the 5th.

The win, an important one for Adamek, keeps his ranking high in the heavyweight division and ready for a shot against one of the three heavyweight champions. However, Adamek’s choices are limited in who he faces. WBA heavyweight champion David Haye is mostly milking his title right now and seems not to want to take on any dangerous opponents until he takes on IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko at some point in the future. Haye probably won’t want to take a risky right with Adamek and possibly blow his big chance.

Vitali Klitschko has to fight the winner of the December 17th bout between heavyweight contenders Ray Austin and Odlanier Solis next. That takes Vitali away for at least until halfway through 2011. That leaves on Wladimir, who recently pulled out of a fight with Dereck Chisora due to a abdominal muscle tear on the left side of his midsection.

Wladimir has 180 days to fight Chisora, but that leaves enough time for Wladimir to squeeze in one more fight before the Chisora fight. Since Haye is saying that he doesn’t plan on fighting until mid 2011, that means that he won’t be available to fight Wladimir anytime soon. As such, Wladimir is likely going to be Adamek’s next opponent if he wants to fight for the world title. Of course, Adamek could go ahead and take an easy fight against Roy Jones Jr. next but that fight might not do very well, because Jones is totally shot and has been beaten twice recently.