By Dan Ambrose: There are two different views on this Saturday’s bout between top heavyweight contender Tomasz Adamek (43-1, 28 KO’s) and Kevin McBride (35-8-1, 29 KO’s). The patient and loving fans of the 34-year-old Adamek see the McBride fight as a well-deserved tune-up fight and one that will get Adamek prepared for the monstrous power and size of the 6’7” Vitali Klitschko, who Adamek will likely be facing in September.

The other view on the Adamek-McBride fight by fans is that this is a stupid fight, and that it won’t get Adamek at all ready for the bludgeoning he’s going to take against Vitali later on in the year. They see this as a fight where Adamek I slipping in one more fight to milk an easy payday before he goes to what they see as his execution against Vitali.

These fans think that Adamek stopped taking risks after his fight with Chris Arreola in April last year and has been playing it safe ever since with fights against 2nd tier fighters Michael Grant, Vinny Maddalone and now McBride. It’s hard to know which fans are right. While Adamek does deserve an easy payday against McBride after beating Arreola last year, he’s already had two soft fights in a row with Grant and Maddalone.

Why is a third easy fight needed? And how can a fighter that has lost four out of his last five bouts against B level opposition really help Adamek deal with the threat that Vitali will be presenting to him in September? If I were to pick out a fighter that could help me get ready for Vitali, the last person I would choose is McBride. That’s no slight on him, but you got to be logical about this. You don’t pick out a slow, lumbering fighter without speed or power and think that he’s going to help you get ready for Vitali.