By Andrew Meggers-Lloyd: As 2010 draws to a close, Boxing fans around the world will be wondering what 2011 holds for us. Will we eventually get to see Mayweather v Pacquiao? Will David Haye fight a Klitschko brother? Will Carl Froch face Andre Ward in the “Super Six” final? All these questions will be answered in due course, but what, if like previous years, we are left with that sour taste of dissatisfaction in a sport that has had question marks around it quite evidently in recent years? One fight that would certainly keep the pot simmering until the main course is served, would be between WBA Heavyweight champion and former Cruiserweight master David Haye and IBF International and NABO Heavyweight champion, and former Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight maestro Tomasz Adamek of Poland.
Let’s look at the facts : Both men have competed at a lower weight level and faired extremely well, both have been Cruiserweight champions in recent times, both have similar weight and height, both have a fanbase within their respective countries, the UK and Poland, plus Adamek has the backing of the Polish ex-pat community around the World. HBO have already shown a willingness to televise this event, according to recent reports and based on recent form, it could well be used as a final eliminator for a Klitschko fight. Both have speed, aggression and determination in their favour, aswell as cagey Boxing ability to fight on the outside. Also, neither of these warriors is scared of going into the trenches when needed. They’ve both fought much bigger and stronger men on their Heavyweight journey, Haye obviously destroying Valuev, Bonin, Ruiz and although the victory against the much maligned Audley Harrison has been disputed in it’s level of quality, Haye still showed extremely fast hands and an overwhelming desire once the uneventful first two rounds had passed. Adamek’s route has been decidedly tougher, based on his size and weight differential to every Heavyweight he’s fought to date. Firstly he fought Andrew Golota in his home country, winning in five completely one sided rounds, but in a fight that didn’t prove anything, based on Golota’s age and his obvious decreased level of conditioning and fitness. Since then he’s fought younger and fitter Heavyweights, working mostly on the outside but not afraid to go to war when needed, especially against Chris Arreola, who was evidently stronger than “Goral”, but again, not as fit and without the endurance. His other Heavyweight victories to date have been against former US Olympian Jason Estrada in twelve hard-fought rounds, and his most recent fight to date, against the slow and ponderous, yet hard-punching Michael Grant, showed to the Boxing fraternity that even when it gets difficult in the latter stages, and the pressure against him increases, he can find a way to stay on his feet and box his way to victory.
As soon as Adamek’s upcoming fight is over against challenger Vinny Maddalone, presuming he wins, his advisors could do worse than try to match him up against the “Hayemaker”, a fight where we could see who is the man to remove the Klitschko’s from their throne.
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