It was the fourth fight in 2010 for Tomasz Adamek and the previous three were all solid victories, all steps up the ladder toward eventually gaining that elusive chance at fighting for the heavyweight championship of the world.
So it should have been no surprise whatsoever that the top heavyweight contender who trains regularly in Jersey City would dispose of Vinny Maddalone last Thursday night at the Prudential Center, by virtue of a fifth-round technical knockout.
“I’m very happy with it,” Adamek said after the fight. “I fought four times this year and won all four. I feel I’m very close now to a title fight. I am ready.”
The win enabled the Polish-born Adamek to continue his quest toward a possible heavyweight championship fight in the future against either of the Klitschko brothers, Vitaly or Vladimir, who both own a share of the world heavyweight crown.
However, there doesn’t seem to be any negotiations for a title fight for Adamek, who just turned 34 at the beginning of the month and lived in Jersey City for several years after arriving here from Poland.
Instead, the post-fight discussions were all about people like former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield (who is still fighting for some reason at age 48) and former middleweight champ Roy Jones Jr. (who at 41 is hanging on now to a career as a heavyweight).
“If I don’t get the title fight, we’ll keep fighting anyone,” Adamek said. “I can fight Roy Jones. I can fight anyone. I’m a heavyweight now. That’s what I’ll do.”
Adamek predicted that his next fight would be in April of 2011.
“But I don’t know against who,” Adamek said. “We have to wait and see.”
Adamek (43-1 with 28 knockouts) dominated the fight from the outset, but put the challenger away with a series of hard punches in the fifth round. He floored Maddalone (33-7) with a hard left uppercut, but Maddalone survived the count and got to his feet.
But sensing Maddalone was in trouble, Adamek kept the pressure on and unleashed a host of undefended punches with both hands that forced Maddalone’s corner to signal to referee Steve Smoger to stop the fight at the 2:17 mark of the fifth round.
“I have more balance now and I can throw that punch,” Adamek said of the left hook that floored Maddalone. “I felt he was going down, but he got back up. I thought maybe I could hit him a few more times and he would go down again. I watched the referee and then they stopped it.’’
Adamek was in control from the outset against the underdog Maddalone, a former pro baseball player and bar owner from Queens, N.Y.
Adamek utilized a persistent left jab to score at will over the first three rounds. In the fourth round, Adamek severely hurt Maddalone with a series of 16 uncontested punches with both hands, staggering Maddalone across the ring. However, the game Maddalone survived the round and fought on.
But Maddalone could not survive the fifth round flurry, especially after hitting the canvas.
“He has really quick hands,” Maddalone said. “I was surprised with how quick his hands were. He caught me with that left hook and I never saw that punch coming. That’s what happens when you don’t see it. He hit me with about a thousand jabs. It wasn’t just one punch. It takes a toll on you. It was a boxer against a puncher and I kept waiting for that punch. He just outboxed me.”
Adamek just thought his quickness against Maddalone was the difference.
“Vinny was a tough opponent, but I was faster than him,” said Adamek, who didn’t look like he was touched at all after the right, while Maddalone looked like a truck hit him. “I have to be quick to fight. Being fast is the key. I’m happy with where I am now as a heavyweight. I can eat. When I was a light heavyweight, I was hungry all the time. I’m just going to keep moving up so I can get that title fight.”
After four straight wins as a heavyweight in 2010, Adamek is definitely ready for that challenge. Whether it happens remains another question…
In the undercard, impressive and promising welterweight Patrick Majewski, who trains regularly out of the Global Boxing Gym in North Bergen, won via an eighth-round technical knockout over Eddie Caminero to improve to 15-0 overall, 10 by knockout.
Majewski, another Polish-born boxer, was fighting on the same card with Adamek for the first time.
“Tomasz is a big champion and a hero in Poland, so this was a big thing for me to fight on the same card with him,” said Majewski, who is just a little more fluent with his English than Adamek. “I want to get my name out there and it was great to be part of a big show. I’m starting to gain some recognition now.”
Majewski was hurt early by a nasty cut over his left eye, one that looked as if the doctors might stop the fight early on. But he received great medical attention between the second and third round and was able to continue on.’
“I know I made a lot of mistakes and I have things to work on,” Majewski said. “I got a chance to show I can fight to the Polish people in attendance and the Americans. It was a great and exciting night. I was a little concerned with the cut, but I just kept fighting. I learned that I have to move my head more. If you don’t move your head, then the opponent will move it for you.”
Good observation…
Congrats to St. Peter’s Prep’s Savon Huggins and Sheldon Royster for being selected to the MSG Varsity All-Metro Top 25, considered to be among the top 25 players in the New York Metropolitan area. Huggins and Royster were the lone local products to be selected…
There’s an up-and-coming star from Jersey City in the world of professional kick boxing.
Sadee LeJon Monserrate-Williams, who competes under the easier moniker of “Lady S,” won her debut in the world of kick boxing last Friday night in Rhode Island. “Lady S,” born and raised in Jersey City and a graduate of Lincoln High School, earned her first win in the lightweight division, winning all four rounds….—Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.