Bolo Punch Boxing Hour News

Very interesting, to say the least. Tomasz Adamek, former lightheavyweight champion, and current cruiserweight challenger, has rather lofty goals these days. Forget about his Chicago wars with Paul Briggs that brought the entire house down in 2006. Forget about his ESPN fights in 2007 and 2008, with thousands of Polish and Polish-American fans cramming stadiums to see their hero dispose of yet another cruiserweight opponent. And you can forget all about his upcoming cruiser battle with Steve Cunningham (although Cunningham might have something to say about that.) 

They say to NEVER look past an opponent. Worry about the man in front of you. Well, Adamek IS looking past Cunningham, right past the entire weight division, in fact, and into the heavyweight division! As recent as last week, Adamek has been quoted as saying he’d like to get in the ring with Andrew Golota, once Golota’s arm heals from his recent tendon-tearing injury against Ray Austin in their one-round affair, ending with Golota having to pull out of the fight. Talk about a guy who can’t get a break!

But for Adamek to call out Golota, who easily outweighs him by fifty-plus pounds, and has challenged for the heavyweight title at least three times (winning two of them, in my opinion). . . . is just silly. Maybe he’s been watching youtube, saying to himself, “Well, if Roy Jones could move up against Ruiz and win a heavyweight strap, then so can I.”

This is flawed thinking. Golota loses against fighters that pound him with power shots. Golota loses when fighters intimidate him. Golota even loses when he, himself, isn’t psychologically “ready” to fight. But against a man THAT much smaller than him? Only one shot would end the fight for the “Foul Pole”.

Remember, this is the man who twice had Riddick Bowe down and out (only to lose due to DQ). He has stood with Tyson and Lewis, he lost a terrible decision to Ruiz, and was robbed with a dubious “draw” against Chris Byrd. Byrd is as mobile and jab-happy as a heavyweight has been in the last 30 years, so what is Adamek going to show Golota that he hasn’t seen, and in many eyes, overcome?

Golota even recently won a lopsided unanimous decision over a young powerhouse named Mike Mollo in a battle of Chicago-based heavies. Mollo was heavily favored in that fight, and Golota acted as if Mollo didn’t even belong in the ring with him.

If you want to wait for Golota to heal up his arm, then go ahead, Tomasz. If you want to challenge him, go for it. But remember, he’s got tons more experience than you, and has stood with the best for over a decade. His record might be deceiving, though.

But if you do, in fact, fight him. . . .PLEASE do it in Chicago!

***Chris Guzman has hosted The Bolo Punch Boxing Hour since 2002.