By Dan Ambrose: Former two division world champion Tomasz Adamek (48-2, 29 KO’s) will be facing Tony Grano (20-3-1, 16 KO’s) on August 3rd in a scheduled 10 round bout at the Mohegan Sun Casino, in Uncasville, Connecticut. Adamek, #10 WBC, #11 IBF, saw his heavyweight ranking drop recently after he chose not to fight unbeaten Kubrat Pulev in an IBF heavyweight eliminator bout for a shot against IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.
Adamek didn’t see the Pulev fight as a good financial move for him, as he felt he had bigger money fights to take. However, it’s very difficult to see a fight between Adamek and Grano as being a big money fight.
Adamek is now ranked as a fringe contender instead of a top 5 contender like he was before. He’d been better off taking the fight with Pulev to try and get a quick shot against Wladimir. Facing Grano, who isn’t ranked in the top 15, isn’t going to get him a fight against one of the Klitschkos and it’s not going to get moved up the rankings quickly.
Adamek needs a solid opponent to do that and Pulev would have been perfect for him. Some boxing fans think Adamek ducked Pulev because the 6’4” Bulgaria was too big and too talented for Adamek. It’s difficult to say what Adamek’s reasons were for him choosing not to take the quickest path to a title shot against Wladimir.
Grano is coming off of a 12 round unanimous decision loss to Eric Molina from last April. Molina knocked Grano down in the 5th round and really punished him with big power shots in this fight. Grano was game but he didn’t have the talent to beat Molina. Chris Arreola destroyed Molina in two rounds in February 2012. Grano has recent knockout wins over DaVarryl Williamson and Brian Minto. Grano also has knockout losses to Nicolai Firtha and Mark Brown.
Adamek is coming off of a controversial 12 round split decision win over Steven Cunningham from last December. A lot of boxing fans had Adamek losing that fight. Adamek also has a controversial 12 round decision win over Eddie Chambers last year in June.
Adamek seems to have slipped a notch since his 10th round TKO loss to WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko in September 2011. Adamek looks slower and easier to hit now
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