Adamek: I will not move back down to cruiserweight

By Boxing News - 09/15/2011 - Comments

Image: Adamek: I will not move back down to cruiserweightBy Dan Ambrose: Heavyweight contender Tomasz Adamek (44-2, 28 KO’s) may not have the size, the power or the talent needed to compete with the Klitschko brothers, but he refused to move back down to the crusierweight division where he at least has a chance to regain a world title and make something out of the remainder of his career.

At heavyweight, Adamek’s only options are to try and get other payday fights against the Klitschkos or else try and wait them out and maybe get lucky once they retire at some point. However, the 34-year-old Adamek is gettng up there in age himself and is too old himself to wait out Wladimir Klitschko.

Speaking with fightnews.com, Adamek said this about moving back down to cruiserweight: “It will not happen. I will not starve myself and lose 20 pounds. I’ a different fighter now…What else would I have to prove there?”

Well, given that Adamek only fought a handful of fights at cruiserweight, he would do well if he could prove that he could beat Marco Huck and Denis Lebedev, two of the best fighters in the division. He never fought them in the past and his experience at that weight class was limited to Bobby Gunn, Steve Cunningham, Johnathon Banks, Gary Gomez, O’Neil Bell, Josip Jalusic and Luis Andre Pineda.

Those are decent fighters, especially Cunningham, but I don’t consider them as good as Huck or Lebedev. Why didn’t Adamek at least fight those two guys before moving up to heavyweight? Adamek does have a lot to prove still at cruiserweight in my view. He was getting out-boxed by Cunningham in his 12 round split decision win over him in December 2008, and had he not scored some flash knockdowns, Adamek would have lost the fight. Those were balance shots, and the better fighter was Cunningham. Adamek didn’t want any part of a rematch with Cunningham, giving some boxing fans the impression that Adamek lacked the confidence that he could repeat the win against Cunningham a second time around.

Adamek needs to move back down because Wladimir wants nothing to do with him and neither does Vitali. It was too easy, and it’s going to take Adamek a long time to get another title shots. He wants a fight with Wladimir, but was flatly rejected. Adamek will have to actually fight some contenders if he wants another title shot instead of the rag tag bunch of old fighters that Adamek fought to get the shot against Vitali. I’m not sure that Adamek can beat some of the top contenders in the division. He’s too small and weak.



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