Adamek to fight Golota, then Hopkins

[Wales]

Adamek to fight Golota, then Hopkins. Should be an interesting couple of fights for the cruiserweight champion. Golota Adamek will be huge in Poland, and Hopkins Adamek should sell on both sides of the pond.

There appears to be genuine animosity between the two fighters and Adamek clearly sees Golota (41-7-1, 33 KOs) as a stepping stone on his way to the top of the division.

"Andrew is Andrew, always laughing, making jokes, some of them about my skills," Adamek said.

"No problem. Nobody ever went down from words. Let's see what will happen when we will be in the ring. Two words from me: speed kills. He will never be close enough to hit me.

"As it happens, I will be fighting two 40-year-olds, first Golota and then, hopefully, Bernard Hopkins on January 30 in Newark. I will finish both of their careers."

Don King will add extra spice to the occasion as promotes Golota and formerly promoted Adamek, having given the young Pole his first opportunity for a world championship.

[Dioufy]

Finally things are really happening for Adamek - this will get him some decent paychecks and awesome exposure (Yank TV).

[Lenny]

Agree mrrocco, if you heard a boxer was quoted with saying "speed kills. He will never be close enough to hit me" Adamek would be nowhere near your thoughts.

Although who knows what will happen in a Golota fight, expect the unexpected

[ALI]

Adamek in my opinion should stay away from the heavyweight division. However, he might get away with this venture up in weight as Golota is well past his sell by date. He is slow and ponderous and if Adamek fights smart he should be able to outbox and outwork him. The trouble with Adamek however is that his defence is really in his offence, i have never seen him in a fight where he was not getting tagged, and against such a brut as Golota, he better be damn careful in those early rounds.

I'll take Adamek to stop Golota at some point in the middle to late rounds, but would not be surprised if Golata stunned him in the first couple of rounds.

Make no mistake, a yound Golota would have taken Adameks head off!

[Poncey]

Finally things are really happening for Adamek - this will get him some decent paychecks and awesome exposure (Yank TV).

Unlikely. He's fighting Golota in Poland.

[Autobarn]

Adamek was in Catch-22. Offered the Golota fight for Oct, huge fight in Poland. But, he has to wait til September for HBO to decide if they can afford the $3.5m licence fee for a January Hopkins fight.

If he takes the Golota fight, the Hopkins fight is most likely off. HBO, GBP and of course Hopkins would want the Golota fight cancelling, to make damn sure nothing gets in the way.

BUT, if he doesn't take the Golota fight, as there's no guarantee of a Hopkins bout. So if he put his eggs all in one basket - Hopkins, HBO - then he could lose out on both matches.

Adamek seems to think he's fighting both guys, Golota in Oct, Hopkins in Jan. Methinks Adamek beats Golota and fights someone like Steve Cunningham in a rematch, maybe on an HBO undercard, or how about getting "USS" to go to Poland, if the market for fights is good?

[jamesmcdonnell]

Adamek in my opinion should stay away from the heavyweight division. However, he might get away with this venture up in weight as Golota is well past his sell by date. He is slow and ponderous and if Adamek fights smart he should be able to outbox and outwork him. The trouble with Adamek however is that his defence is really in his offence, i have never seen him in a fight where he was not getting tagged, and against such a brut as Golota, he better be damn careful in those early rounds.

I'll take Adamek to stop Golota at some point in the middle to late rounds, but would not be surprised if Golata stunned him in the first couple of rounds.

Make no mistake, a yound Golota would have taken Adameks head off!

Golota old as he is, is still a brutal puncher, I think this is a very risky fight on Adamek's part.

[Autobarn]

Adamek in my opinion should stay away from the heavyweight division. However, he might get away with this venture up in weight as Golota is well past his sell by date. He is slow and ponderous and if Adamek fights smart he should be able to outbox and outwork him. The trouble with Adamek however is that his defence is really in his offence, i have never seen him in a fight where he was not getting tagged, and against such a brut as Golota, he better be damn careful in those early rounds.

I'll take Adamek to stop Golota at some point in the middle to late rounds, but would not be surprised if Golata stunned him in the first couple of rounds.

Make no mistake, a yound Golota would have taken Adameks head off!

well, regardless. Golota isn't half the fighter Adamek is. Golota has never won a fight in which he was getting shaken, in fact he's never won a world title - despite 4 opportunities plus even bigger chances when he fought Bowe and Tyson in non title bout - whereas Adamek is already a two-weight world champ.

Golota has imploded so many times.

Adamek explodes. That 4th round against Cunningham was unbelievable. Cunningam battered him for 2 mins. Then Adamek picked a beautiful counter, a right hand rocket that sent Cunningham flying. One of the punches of 2008, and both guys still managed to go back and forth for 12 bitter rounds.

I believe Adamek will smash him. He showed smarts and patience v big punching cruiser Jon Banks, and I believe he'll take Golota apart.

Golota: big, strong, slow

[Asterix]

Does anyone think Golota might be too big for Adamek, given Tomsz's liking of a brawl?

Wonder what he'll weigh?

Adamek said that he drains a few pounds to make cruiser, and that he'll be coming straight back down after this fight. On that basis I'd say around 210-215 lbs.

[alexpaterson]

I think Adamek beats Golota and Hopkins I think he is a terrific fighter and he's to naturally big for Hopkins both to go the distance imo good times ahead for Adamek I think

[caffrey]

anything can happen in a fight involving andrew golota,however i do see a fresher ,fitter and mentally stronger adamek battering him fairly comprehensively,i reckon golota may even quit as he often does when the going gets tough.Hopkins is all wrong for adamek,theres no way hopkins will trade with him.mind you even bernard cannot fight forever so maybe it will be adamek who retires the legend

[Autobarn]

I think the Bell and Banks fights will have bene useful to prepare, for fighting heavyweights.

Bell was Adamek's first serious cruiserweight test, after coming up from light heavy. Rather than slugging and standing in front of Bell (as he did with the murderous puncher Paul Briggs), he threw flurries and circled. He seemed to accidentally drop Bell in the first few seconds, and remained calm. He seemed to feel Bell's strength midway, but kept peppering him, until an outclassed Bell quit. (Bell fight was IBF elim to face Cunningham.)

Banks was another big, powerful cruiser. Adamek stayed away for the first few rounds, winded Banks with body shots in 5th and 6th rounds then went in for the kill... He took a couple of HUGE shots himself, and rather than slug back like a maniac (as he would have done in his younger days), he stayed cool, clinched, shoved his man away. And chose his moment. Adamek dropped Banks with a right-left counter, then just pounced. It wasn't pretty, but it was a smart performance.

I believe both these fights show that Adamek can fight the disciplined kind of fight needed to beat a pretty big, strong heavyweight. Part of me wants it to be a great fight - like perhaps Eubank v Carl Thompson - wjile another part of me wants Adamek to outclass him and move onto some solid cruiserweight fights pretty quickly.

[Dioufy]

Finally things are really happening for Adamek - this will get him some decent paychecks and awesome exposure (Yank TV).

Unlikely. He's fighting Golota in Poland.

I expect an all-Polish heavyweight clash will earn big money in Poland for both fighters, and if he comes through that, then a fight in Las Vegas against BHOP will be on HBO Box Office. So if he comes through them both, or even just Golata, then he's done well.

[Autobarn]

I hope Haye beats Valuev and that we get Haye v Adamek.

Obviously, if Haye beats Valuev, then he has to bash up John Ruiz, the top WBA contender who took step aside money.

It seems Adamek - previously one for the hardcore fight fan - has a chance to raise his profile with some novelty type if fights.

[stujones]

I would have personally prefered it vs Wlod... that fight should be made, and probably less risky for Adamek. Wlod is very well known in Poland for his Strictly come dancing stint.

From my knowledge (my knowledge is just my mrs, whose Polish but not into sports) boxing in Poland is not that big a sport.... fight would probably do aswell in the states - as the Polish people living in America would love to go to support their fellow countryman. As with British exiles, Polish people living abroad do feel a sense of national pride and would love to have something to cheer about.

I'd love for this to have been in Jan, as I probably would have gone.

[Autobarn]

I would have personally prefered it vs Wlod... that fight should be made, and probably less risky for Adamek. Wlod is very well known in Poland for his Strictly come dancing stint.

From my knowledge (my knowledge is just my mrs, whose Polish but not into sports) boxing in Poland is not that big a sport.... fight would probably do aswell in the states - as the Polish people living in America would love to go to support their fellow countryman. As with British exiles, Polish people living abroad do feel a sense of national pride and would love to have something to cheer about.

I'd love for this to have been in Jan, as I probably would have gone.

same here, as it's #1 and #3 cruiserweights and a genuine world class matchup.

however, it seems the polish businessman who is putting the money up wants golota, due to his profile in poland. apparently he's massive over there due to the bowe fights.

i actually think if the fight does well, i wouldn't be surprised if adamek had more fights in poland. maybe they will see the market for fights in poland, and perhaps follow up with adamek v wlod - surely it would be big - maybe have the cunningham rematch over there, etc.

i mean, let's face it, it's wishful thinking that HBO are going to top adamek's money up on the big stage. he can draw in american arenas but it seems major networks aren't bothered about him at all. HBO MAYBE will pay $3.5m licence fee, but WHY? because hopkins is a GBP fighter perhaps and GBP get preferential treatment... i think hopkins has said he won't wait for adamek if this golota fight happens (even though there's no guarantee that if adamek skips the golota fight, that the $$ will be there for hopkins!) so the HBO date (Jan 2010) will likely go to someone else...

[stujones]

Yes, Golota is more well known of the 3. I guess alot will be due to the TV station it is on. Pay TV is less popular in Poland than it is here (in comparison to the population of the country)... and I think PPV is so rare I had to explain it to the Mrs - she came down when Hatton vs Pacquiao was on!

I've seen the Pol Sat banner behind the fighters, I believe that is a free channel on Satelite, Pol Sat Sport is a subscription channel.

TVN I believe is the equivalent of like BBC here.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

I have a feeling Adamek does Golota in, Golota is old now, Adamek is prime, fast, fit. Yes he's smaller but that brings speed advantages anyway and Golota is no killer of a puncher anyway

[Autobarn]

I have that feeling too. Adamek is at that stage where he's used to the pain, where he finds a way to win, where he gives the impression of being in control...Meanwhile Golota has slowed down and despite size & power advantages, has not exactly been winning at a high level.

Who knows, could be a good fight. Perhaps the size difference will even things up.

Surprising how popular Golota is in Poland, though there is a sort of appeal about his career, as he does has some nice technical skills and of course anything could go wrong at any moment. Apparently his fight with Witherspoon was massive in Poland where it was held. I'm surprised the fans arent pissed off at the big chances he's thrown away, time and time again. 'E keeps coming back like a bad penny.

He must be to Poland what Bruno was to us. Perhaps this fight is the equivalent (sort of) the Chris Eubank of 1998 (in the advent that he beat Thompson) vs a Bruno who (hypothetically) kept fighting post Tyson, knocking over fighters "that couldn't stand up in a 5 mph wind"...Result, Bruno ahead, runs out of gas midway, helpless on ropes. Tries to hold on, but Chwiss is too slippewy. But Chwiss just won't move in and finish him...

[ALI]

Yes, Golota is more well known of the 3. I guess alot will be due to the TV station it is on. Pay TV is less popular in Poland than it is here (in comparison to the population of the country)... and I think PPV is so rare I had to explain it to the Mrs - she came down when Hatton vs Pacquiao was on!

I've seen the Pol Sat banner behind the fighters, I believe that is a free channel on Satelite, Pol Sat Sport is a subscription channel.

TVN I believe is the equivalent of like BBC here.

Polsat is a terrestrial TV channel in Poland, it is also the leading satellite provider under the name Cyfrowy Polsat.

PPV is non existent in Poland, hopefully it will remain that way. I would say satellite tv subscriptions are on a par with the UK: Poland has a population of approx 38 million, with approx 5 million or more sattalite tv subscribers. The UK has a population of around 60 million, with around 9 million satelite tv subscribers.

In Poland they have a similar situation to what we had in the 90's, several satallite tv companies fighting it out for the #1 spot. Cyfrowy Polsat leads the way over Cyfra+, with N TV following behind. Pretty much all the boxing is shown on Cyfrowy Polsats sports channels, with Adamek often being shown on their terrestrial tv station.

PS. make no mistake about it, Golota v Adamek is big news in Poland. I think most realise Golota is well past it, but its still going to be a big spectacle.

[ALI]

As to Adamek-Hopkins, Hopkins is a clever fighter, it's always risky to go against him....you would expect Adamek to be too big but Hopkins is very difficult to nail.

Would they fight at Cruiser? I suppose so......

At any weight, and even at the ripe old age of 44, Hopkins is Adameks worst nightmare, he's all wrong for him.

Should he fight Hopkins, he'll get schooled.

[Asterix]

I hope Haye beats Valuev and that we get Haye v Adamek.

Obviously, if Haye beats Valuev, then he has to bash up John Ruiz, the top WBA contender who took step aside money.

It seems Adamek - previously one for the hardcore fight fan - has a chance to raise his profile with some novelty type if fights.

Haye vs Valuev, then Ruiz, then Adamek. That's actually not such a taxing schedule, compared to facing Wlad then Vitali.

[Autobarn]

The K2 brothers won't be around forever. Something will go wrong. An injury, a talented contender, something unexpected or just fading away. Happens to the best of 'em and I don't see the K2 bros being around that much longer.

[Autobarn]

As to Adamek-Hopkins, Hopkins is a clever fighter, it's always risky to go against him....you would expect Adamek to be too big but Hopkins is very difficult to nail.

Would they fight at Cruiser? I suppose so......

At any weight, and even at the ripe old age of 44, Hopkins is Adameks worst nightmare, he's all wrong for him.

Should he fight Hopkins, he'll get schooled.

Hopkins is wrong for everyone because he hugs, fouls, won't commit to any attack, and is willing to wait 8 rounds to mount a serious attack. Reckon Hopkins was flattered a bit by the Pavlik win - Pavlik bloated, in horrible shape. Hopkins would make things very awkward for Adamek, but Adamek is a better boxer than ppl give him credit for, is an active champ, hard hitter, and is naturally a cruiserweight, with some pretty fast hands. I'd say he's a far bigger threat to Hopkins than Pavlik was.

Adamek's boxing skills have improved drastically between the Dawson and Cunningham fights (2 excellent, similar American boxers) and the weight, his age and his activity (at least 3 fights ayear) all give him advantages over Hopkins. Hopkins is normally the one who has to have all the advantages.

Hopkins has barely faced any light heavies. I think it would go tits up against an excellent cruiserweight. I can't stand Hopkins' art of fighting without fighting.

Don't think the fight is going to happen anyway. HBO still haven't said whether they'll pay the licence fee, and likely won't inform the promoters until a months before Adamek-Golota. They won't reserve the date for Adamek and Hopkins if an Oct Golota fight is in the way, so they'll give the date so someone else.

[Asterix]

The K2 brothers won't be around forever. Something will go wrong. An injury, a talented contender, something unexpected or just fading away. Happens to the best of 'em and I don't see the K2 bros being around that much longer.

I can't wait for it, to be honest. Who's going to be the first to fall, though?