Boxing

Chad Dawson Defeats Tomasz Adamek

Dawson

By Wray Edwards
-- click here for photo gallery --

Osceola County's Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Florida hosted a healthy crowd which was treated to an exciting evening of boxing. The main event featured Undefeated NABF Light Heavyweight Champion Chad Dawson's powerful and successful effort to conquer the Undefeated WBC Champion Tomasz Adamek.

The boxers traded KDs as Adamek went to the floor in Round Seven, and Dawson also went down in round ten. Dawson ruled the canvass roost through eight or nine rounds and pretty much coasted through Rounds Eleven and Twelve. During the news conference Chad's reps confessed they told him to ease off feeling that the bout was well in hand…they were right.

In the Co-feature on Showtime Julio Diaz cruised to an easy victory as Jesus Chavez injured his knee and was unable to continue. In doing so Julio became the IBF Lightweight Champion.

Before Showtime began its broadcast, IBF Junior Middleweight Champ Cory Spinks defeated IBF Number One contender Rodney Jones in a grueling twelve round match. His UD victory keeps him on the championship road to his goal of unification.

In a Cruiserweight attraction Wayne Braithwaite stopped Gustavo Enriquez in the seventh round. Gustavo's left eye was badly cut in the first round and Wayne tried to stay away from the cut until at least four rounds were completed. Braithwaite then turned up the wick in each successive round until the ref stepped in.

Light Heavyweight William Gill, who was next door to my room at the hotel, told me that the reason he lost his bout with Marcus Johnson was that, "The darned guy just kept hitting me!" Bummer.

As Bermaine Stiverne and Harold Sconiers stepped onto the ring for their Heavyweight match, the Judge remarked to ESB that this was "Going to be short." He wasn't kidding Stiverne treated Sconiers to an early trip to the showers by knocking him down in the first round. The ref waited for Harold to get vertical but he was unable to do so.

Light Heavyweight Epifano Mendoza was deducted two points for hitting Eric Howard, who was down at the time, but he soldiered on until he thrashed Mendoza to the point that Epifano quit in the sixth.

In a swing bout of four rounds, Super Middleweight Darnell Boone won a UD over James Johnson.

During the post fights news conference Julio Diaz and Don King called out Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz." Julio speculated that he hoped Juan would be able to put down his "homework" long enough to fight him. Also Gary Shaw predicted that Chad Dawson would be around as champ for five or ten years and would probably continue to move up in weight even to the heavies. Zounds!...that would be a journey.

For the most part the matches were well made and very entertaining. It bears repeating that Chad IS "Bad" and he really has boxing talent as well as power…A guy to watch. See you at the fights.


Dawson vs Adamek Through Golota's Eyes

Dawson-Adamek

By Scoop Malinowski

A star was born last night in Kissimmee, Florida...Chad Dawson (photo by Tom Casino).

The unbeaten 24-year-old from New Haven, CT scored a clearcut unanimous decision against the very respected Tomasz Adamek over 12 rounds to win the WBC Light Heavyweight championship.

Watching the fight at my side was none other than Polish heavyweight Andrew Golota who has also been training in Vero Beach at Buddy McGirt's gym. Listening to an accomplished expert like Golota for 12 rounds was quite a privilege, as this man understands the art of pugilism as well as just about anyone.

30 seconds into round one, Golota observed, "He doesn't know how to fight a southpaw. He doesn't know what to do."

Over the next few rounds, Golota said, "He has to attack. He can't sit there and wait. Jab. Jab! Be first. Attack! He has to stop waiting."

"He can't wait. He's waiting."

Golota then demonstrated what he believed Adamek must do. With me in southpaw stance, he said to throw a straight left. Golota then slipped to his right and threw a right to my body. "You have to throw the punch at the same time he does. Then, the left hook is the most important punch to throw against a southpaw. You have to finish the combination with the left hook. He's not throwing the left hook...He has to move to his right, he's not moving to his right."

"It looks like he doesn't know how to fight a southpaw. I tried to tell them but they didn't listen to me. I am like the perfect fighter to fight a southpaw. I know exactly how to fight a southpaw."

When asked which southpaw he had fought, Golota quickly reminded me of Chris Byrd. And added that he lamented injuring his left inner elbow in round six when he caught his arm on a rope. I remembered to myself that Vitali Klitschko, Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Kassim Ouma and Chris Byrd's own wife Tracy all thought Golota beat Byrd that New York City night but two of the three judges did not.

Golota continued his commentary as the rounds progressed: "He has to pressure him, attack. He has to turn it into a brawl. He can't wait. He has to put pressure on Chad. Pressure him. Chad is winning the fight, 4-0. He looks better. He looks cute...Chad is good on offense. He has to put pressure on him to take him out of his rhythm."

By round 8 , Golota said, "It's over. Over. It's not competitive. He needs to knock him out."

Then during the last two rounds, after Adamek floored Dawson with a crushing right in round 10, Golota became excited, "Great fight. Great fight. People want to see it again. Showtime has to make the rematch."

I asked how Adamek could possibly understand the instructions of McGirt, as Tomasz speaks very little English and McGirt speaks zero Polish. "I don't think he understands him." (Will have to watch the tape of the fight later to see what Buddy was coaching Tomasz to do.)

In the dressing room before the fight, McGirt only gave Adamek one certain instruction, on what to do when Dawson threw an uppercut inside. That was all I recall seeing. It is not known if they had already prepared other strategies or if the language communication barrier is a severe handicap to the pair effectively working together.

I don't recall McGirt or Adamek discussing strategy much in the dressing room, in fact the only other interaction I saw between the two was on the way to the ring, while waiting for the cue to enter the arena from the Showtime director. Adamek turned around and asked McGirt, "Do you have my mouthpiece?"

After the decision was announced, Adamek said, "Chad was quicker than I was tonight. It was a difficult fight because he was fast. He was the fastest I have ever seen...I will be champion again."

Dawson's speed and height and reach advantages might just have been too much for Adamek and McGirt to deal with, no matter which language they speak. Or what Golota thinks Adamek should have done.

Adamek walked out of the arena to the back dressing rooms by himself, without his white leather robe on, or with his cornermen with him. He was extremely disappointed with his head lowered, but still he was dignified in a champion's way. Golota was there to greet his saddened countryman and gently reached out with his right hand to cup Adamek's right shoulder for a brief second. The two Polish warriors did not need to speak words at that moment, but something was spoken with that gesture that only the great warriors are allowed to understand.

Back in the dressing room Adamek was on his sofa being consoled by his wife and a good friend. He looked depressed. But also he seemed to be thinking very hard on what he needs to do become champion again. Suddenly, the classy new champion entered the room. There was absolutely no arrogance or even a milligram of disrespect in his tone. He actually seemed humble and tremendously honored by Team Adamek that he was given the opportunity of a lifetime. he handled the awkward moment perfectly.

As you might know, the Adamek camp was fore-warned how dangerous Dawson was and that they could have waited till he became the mandatory challenger. But Adamek signed to fight the high-risk Dawson as he is a true champion and sportsman, unlike some of our other phony, fraudulent pound-for-pound pretenders who are businessmen first, second and thirdmost.

Dawson humbly shook hands with each member of Team Adamek and called Tomasz a great champion and thanked them for the opportunity. He also shook Tomasz's hand and it was a beautiful boxing moment, one I won't ever forget. Chad Dawson was very impressive in the ring on Saturday night, but he's an even better person outside the ring. People like Floyd Mayweather, Ricardo Mayorga, and many others could learn a lot about conducting themselves like a champion from Chad Dawson.

McGirt said he would talk to Tomasz "in a few days" about the fight, now was too soon.

At the post fight press conference, the new champion said, "I will fight the best fighters, whoever they bring to the table." He also told me Adamek was the toughest man he ever faced. "He kept coming and coming forward for the entire fight."

Chad's promoter Gary Shaw even said Dawson, who once upon a short time ago, was a middleweight, might even be "heavyweight champion someday." I wasn't sure if he was joking or semi-serious.

All in all, it was just a marvelous win for the polite and classy young man who can look forward to wonderful career if he continues to work and train hard. Against Adamek, Dawson showed hints and traces in his style of the one and only Larry Holmes. Imagine what Chad Dawson can become if he refuses to let success go to his head and if he reaches his physical and psychological peak in about 6-8 years?


Final Thoughts: The city of Kissimmee, Florida was excited to welcome big-time professional sports to the Silver Spurs Arena and Don King's cast of world class boxers delivered a successful event. Kissimmee, which is about a half hour from Orlando, is the spring training home of the Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs single-A minor league team. King promised to bring future events to Kissimmee.

Funny Moment of the Night: After the Adamek-Dawson decision, fans filtered by Golota, dozens asking for photos. Then Monte Barrett walked by and joked to Golota in a funny fan voice, Can I get a picture with you? Of course, Golota always likes a good one-liner and smiled to the man he may possibly wind up fighting in March or later this year.

Famous ringsiders: Glen Johnson, Pinklon Thomas, Nate Campbell, Devon Alexander, former Polish Olympic gold medalist Jerzy Kulej.


Chad Dawson Wins First World Title; Diaz Captures Second World Title by 3rd Round KO

Dawson-AdamekPhotos by Tom Casino/Showtime - KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Saturday, Feb. 4, 2007) – In a near shutout, 24-year-old “Bad” Chad Dawson took the World Boxing Council (WBC) light heavyweight title from tough Polish champion Tomasz Adamek by unanimous decision in his first world title fight Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena at Osceola Park in Kissimmee, Fla. In a bizarre co-feature on the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING world-title doubleheader, interim lightweight titleholder Julio Diaz won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title by knockout over embattled veteran Jesus Chavez.

The exciting night of boxing was presented by Don King Productions in association with Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, before a capacity crowd of 5,000-plus and aired live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

Dawson, on the biggest stage of his six-year career, turned in his most complete performance. Adamek-Dawson, a battle between two undefeated fighters, was a “pick ‘em” fight going in and turned into a near one-sided beating of the champion. Dawson of New Haven, Conn., by way of Hartsville, S.C., won by scores of 116-110, 117-109 and 118-108 to improve to 23-0. Adamek dropped to 31-1.

“He was brilliant,” said blow-by-blow announcer Steve Albert. “It was a masterful virtuoso performance. We have a new star in the light heavyweight division.”

With blistering hand speed and powerful punches, Dawson controlled the first nine rounds, his confidence building as the fight wore on. Adamek, in his third world title defense, had no answer but to weather the growing storm and hope for a chance knockout.

Dawson-AdamekThen, in the 10th round, Adamek got the break he needed. He caught Dawson flush with a straight right hand and Dawson went down. After the challenger rose to his feet, Adamek attacked with desperation, but it was too late.

Dawson used his foot speed and quick hands to elude and defend against Adamek for the remainder of the round. With that, Adamek won his first round of the night.

Dawson regained his focus in the 11th and 12th to win both rounds on two out of three scorecards and punctuate a decisive victory.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said the young champion who was nearly overcome with emotion in a post-fight interview with Karyn Bryant. “I knew I could do it and no one can take that away from me. Floyd Mayweather was the difference for me. He’s the best and it paid off. I am on top of my game.”

Later in the interview, Dawson’s promoter Gary Shaw dropped the names of Antonio Tarver, Roy Jones Jr., and Bernard Hopkins as potential challengers for his world champion.

In the co-feature Chavez, a two-time world champion from Austin, Texas, suffered a fight-ending knee injury at 22 seconds of the third round. Diaz had dominated the bout behind a solid jab and won each round on all three scorecards.

Dawson-AdamekEarly in the third, Diaz, of Coachella, Calif., continued to lead with his jab. Chavez, in retreat, seemed to slip, twisting his right knee as he collapsed to the canvas in agony. Chavez tried to regain his feet but went down again as the referee reached the count of 10.

“This is yet another bizarre and unfortunate incident, not only in his career, but in his life,” said SHOWTIME color analyst Al Bernstein.

In addition to having persevered through injuries to both shoulders in recent years and a left-knee injury early in his career, Chavez was making his first start since he won the IBF lightweight belt in a bout against Leavander Johnson on Sept. 17, 2005. After that fight, Johnson slipped into a coma and died days later from a brain injury. Just returning to the ring could be considered a victory for the 34-year-old fighter who dropped to 42-4.

“It was a little weird,” said Chavez, seated in the center of the ring for his post-fight interview. “It just sort of gave out and that was my good leg. It’s been hard. I’ve had injuries and I just want to apologize to the world. I fight with my heart and this is disappointing.”

Diaz, the 2000 “Prospect of the Year” in USA Today, captured the outright IBF 135-pound title for a second time and improved to 34-3.

Dawson-Adamek“He needed to be 100 percent to face me,” said Diaz. Then, looking ahead, Diaz added, “Everyone is talking about Juan Diaz. Right now, there are too many Diaz’s in the division. It’s time to get rid of some of them.”

The exciting telecast will re-air on SHOWTIME and the premium network’s multiplexes this week as follows:

Monday at 8 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME EXTREME
Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME TOO
Wednesday at 11 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME

The producer of the SHOWTIME telecast was Ray Smaltz with Bob Dunphy directing.



ABOUT SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

In March 1986, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING was born when “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler defeated John “The Beast” Mugabi in a spectacular and unforgettable 11th-round knockout in Las Vegas. Since that time, the network has aired some of the most historic and significant events in the sport including both Holyfield-Tyson bouts.

Always at the forefront of boxing, SHOWTIME has set itself apart by telecasting “great fights, no rights” on the first Saturday of every month. SHOWTIME is the first network to regularly deliver live boxing in High Definition. In addition, SHOWTIME continues to be a pioneer in sports television with a number of interactive features across multiple platforms making SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts the most enjoyable, immersive viewing experience for the boxing audience.

For information on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and “ShoBox: The New Generation” telecasts, including complete fighter bios and records, related stories and more, please go the SHOWTIME website at http://www.sho.com/boxing.

 


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