As soon as the bell rang for the first round, Michael Grant landed a clean, short right. From that moment, Adamek circled and looked for openings. Then, Adamek scored with a right to Grant’s body. Later, Adamek jarred Grant with a left hook to the head. After that, Adamek landed a right, but the momentum of his punch carried him into Grant. Simultaneously, Grant unleashed a right uppercut, and both men fell into the ropes and onto the canvas as the round came to a close.
Both fighters tried to dictate the pace in round two by utilizing their left jabs. Adamek missed with a lunging left hook, but nailed Grant with another one moments later. Then, Adamek connected with a left hook – overhand right combination.
In round three, Adamek attempted to get inside of Grant’s 86’’ reach. As a result, Grant threw a left hook that sent Adamek into the ropes. However, Adamek was not hurt, and began controlling the pace again by shooting his left jab. Next, Adamek landed consecutive left hooks behind the jab. Then, Grant countered quickly with a short right that backed Adamek up.
“I hurt him five or six times in the fight,” said Grant.
In round four, the energetic crowd in Newark, New Jersey started the chants of ‘Adamek’ ‘Adamek’. Adamek responded to his fans, connecting with a right to the body followed by a left hook to the head. Throughout the entire fight, Adamek froze Grant just before he threw his shots. In spite of this, Adamek chose to box quite often from the outside. Subsequently, the crowd began chanting ‘Polska’ ‘Polska’. Yet again, Adamek delivered by scoring with a right to the body.
Grant was not intimidated by the hostile crowd at the Prudential Center.
“I can fight under those conditions at all times,” acknowledged Grant.
Adamek used a lot more feints in round five, and hit Grant easier with his left hooks and right hands.
Clearly, Adamek was controlling the fight into the sixth round, fighting on the outside using a stiff left jab. Conversely, Grant was not throwing much, but when he did, he caught Adamek flush. Toward the end of the round, Grant hurt Adamek with a solid right hand. After the round, Adamek appeared dazed in the corner.
“He had to reach up and throw the jab,” explained Grant. “The pressure was wearing him down. I cut the ring off. When you’re tired, that’s when the fight begins. Running saved him.”
As the fight moved into the later rounds, Grant gained confidence. In the seventh round, Adamek landed a flush left hook on Grant’s nose, but Grant countered quickly with a right. Adamek experienced swelling under his eyes, and suffered a cut on his left eye. However, Adamek continued scoring with some devastating left hooks.
Grant showed a durable chin, taking left hooks from Adamek in round eight. During the round, Grant opened the cut on Adamek’s left eye wider after connecting with a right.
In round nine, Adamek hammered Grant with a big right hand, but Grant absorbed it well and continued pressing forward. Now, Grant had blood coming out of his mouth, and Adamek was getting tired. As the bell rang, Grant connected with a wide left hook.
The tenth round was close until Adamek landed a sound left hook with :35 seconds left. Then, Grant fired a combination to Adamek’s body. Adamek quickly countered by unleashing a left hook to Grant’s head.
Adamek found his range again in round eleven, and kept striking Grant with numerous shots.
Adamek was controlling the twelfth round, but with 1:30 left in the fight, Grant hurt him with a pulverizing right. As a result, Adamek retreated, showing extreme exhaustion. Still, Grant could not finish him. A bloody Adamek held on a few times as Grant stalked him. Once more, Adamek chose to exchange with Grant in the final seconds, displaying a courageous warrior’s mentality that almost cost him the fight.
“I knew he was hurt,” noted Grant. “I tried to get him out, but he was like a pinball.”
Grant felt he would have won if the fight was longer.
“It was like a cat and mouse game,” said Grant. “He was moving, moving and moving.”
Grant added, “I wish it was a 15 round fight, so I could get him.”
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Michael Grant’s trainer, did not give much credit to Adamek after the fight.
“It not about what Adamek did do, it’s about what Grant didn’t do,” exclaimed Muhammad.
Adamek believes he put on a good show.
Adamek stated, “Michael Grant was well prepared. I am happy with my performance. In my mind, I won all the rounds.”
What’s next for Tomasz Adamek?
“I am ready for everybody,” confirmed Adamek. “I need to rest for about 2 weeks and then go back to the gym.”
Hopefully, fight fans will see Adamek face-off against David Haye, Wladimir Klitschko or Vitali Klitschko in his next bout.
As for Michael Grant, he should be able to acquire another big fight against a top-ten opponent in the near future. Adamek’s ring generalship frustrated Grant, so he is now seeking a bigger challenger.
“No one under 220 lbs. anymore,” declared Grant.
JULIO DEFEATS A RESILIENT DAVIS
Joel Julio (36-4, 31 KO’s) won a hard-fought junior middleweight clash, taking a ten-round unanimous decision against Philadelphia’s Jamaal Davis (12-7, 6 KO’s). Official scores were 97-93, 98-92 and 99-93.
Davis, 29, appeared to have the quicker hands as round one began, but he got caught with right hands by Julio as the round progressed. Julio’s edge in power was evident, as he delivered clean, potent right hands to Davis’ head.
As Julio, 25, pressed the action in round three, Davis released a sharp left hook that cut Julio under his left eye.
After Julio’s corner got the cut under control, Julio began the fourth round stalking Davis, and connected with a right – left combination. Then, Davis countered with a left hook. Davis had a great deal of trouble making defensive adjustments, which enabled Julio to repeatedly land flush shots, especially his overhand right.
In the fifth round, Julio rocked a tough Davis with a vicious right uppercut. However, Davis displayed tremendous heart and a sturdy chin. No matter what Julio did, he could not floor this Philly fighter.
Davis got nailed by more right hands in the sixth round. Again, Julio could not floor him. Julio opened each of the first six rounds strong, but his punch output fizzled late in them. By this time, Davis was just too hurt to make a significant impact offensively.
Julio’s punch output considerably dropped in the seventh round, and as a result, Davis kept the round close by circling. In the eighth round, Julio struck Davis frequently with his left jab and left hook.
Davis stood his ground in rounds nine and ten, although Julio was not as fluid with his punches. Davis landed some clean rights, but Julio took the punches well. Subsequently, Julio countered with crisp punches, injuring Davis several times in the final rounds.
ALI GETS 9TH WIN
Welterweight Sadam Ali improved his professional record to (9-0, 5 KO’s), stopping a durable Lenin Arroyo (20-13-1, 4 KO’s) in the fifth round.
In round one, Ali peppered Arroyo, who was much slower, with quick, blistering combinations to the head and body. Ali found his range early, and Arroyo simply could not catch the technically sound boxer from Brooklyn, New York.
Ali, 21, continued to punish Arroyo, 30, from rounds two through four, battering the veteran from Costa Rica with fast counter punches and sharp, powerful right hands. Arroyo charged Ali without the presence of a left jab, which left him extremely vulnerable to Ali’s swift hands.
Finally, Ali dropped Arroyo with a destructive left hook to the body in the fifth round. Arroyo could not beat referee Steve Smoger’s ten count. The official time of stoppage was 2:46.
MITCHELL UNABLE TO CONTINUE, BRYAN WINS VIA TKO
Junior welterweight Jeremy Bryan (14-1, 7 KO’s) bounced back from his first professional loss at the hands of Vincent Arroyo, claiming a 1st round technical knockout win over Daniel Mitchell (5-2-1, 2 KO’s) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Bryan, a Paterson, New Jersey native, started cautiously, but scored with efficient punches as the round progressed. At times, Mitchell was hesitant to let his hands go, especially when Bryan momentarily trapped him in the corner. At the conclusion of round one, Mitchell claimed he got caught in his left eye by the thumb of Bryan’s glove. As a result, the ringside doctor looked at Mitchell’s eye, and deemed him incapable of continuing.
Bryan, a Paterson, New Jersey native, started cautiously, but scored with efficient punches as the round progressed. At times, Mitchell was hesitant to let his hands go, especially when Bryan momentarily trapped him in the corner. At the conclusion of round one, Mitchell claimed he got caught in his left eye by the thumb of Bryan’s glove. As a result, the ringside doctor looked at Mitchell’s eye, and deemed him incapable of continuing.
“THE CHOSEN ONE” SHINES IN PRO DEBUT
Five-time New York Daily News Golden Gloves Champion, Shemuel “The Chosen One” Pagan (1-0), won his first professional fight versus Raul Rivera (0-3) by a four-round unanimous decision in a lightweight bout.
Pagan, a southpaw, landed a barrage of punches to start the bout. First, he hurt Rivera with a straight left to the body in the opening minute of action. Then, Pagan launched an arsenal of vicious head shots.
In round two, Pagan dropped Rivera with a stinging right uppercut - right hook combination. Afterward, Pagan continued to use his superior, blazing hand speed to overwhelm Rivera.
During the third round, Pagan landed a multitude of shots, including consecutive right hooks to the liver area of Rivera. Pagan went on to land some brutal punches in round four, wobbling Rivera after connecting with another right hook to the body. Next, Pagan unloaded a series of lightning-quick flurries to the head and body, but Rivera held his own. Official scores were 40-35 and 40-34 twice.
CHARLES DECISIONS COLLADO
In junior welterweight action, Osnel Charles (4-2) captured a four-round unanimous decision against a sturdy Hector Collado (0-2-1). Official scores were 38-37 twice and 39-37.
Charles dropped Collado with a sweeping, well-timed left hook in the opening round. Yet, Collado closed the distance in round two, landing a thunderous right hand toward the end of the round.
After absorbing another hard right in the third round, Charles landed a swift right uppercut to Collado’s body. However, Collado finished the round strong, hammering Charles with a clean right hand followed by a sound left hook.
Charles was busy in round four, but stood in front of Collado too long. Collado kept charging, connecting with crisp head shots. In the end, the knockdown really hurt Collado on the scorecards.
LUCKEY WINS PRO DEBUT
In his professional debut, Tyrone Luckey (1-0, 1 KO) stopped Larry Yanez (0-1) at :54 seconds of round one in lightweight action. First, Luckey dropped Yanez with a flush left hook. After that, Luckey sent Yanez staggering into the ropes when he connected with a solid right hand. Finally, referee Steve Smoger halted the action after Yanez absorbed three consecutive left hooks to the head.
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