Oops! 1st a draw then Adamek gets SD to sink USS Cunningham

adamek3By Paul Strauss: When has hall of fame announcer Michael Buffer ever needed a second try to announce the winner of a fight? It just doesn’t happen. But, happen it did at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA. The main event of NBC’s Saturday afternoon telecast featured a rematch of Tomasz Adamek and Steve “USS” Cunningham. The result was first announced as a split decision draw. Hold the phone! Michael Buffer hadn’t relinquished the microphone yet. The iconic announcer seemed confused as he was informed there had been a mistake. A mistake? That’s putting it lightly. This was a staggering screw up.

The winner gets the IBF North American Heavyweight title belt (okay, so that isn’t a big deal). More important he goes to the front of the line for a possible title shot against Wladimir Klitschko. Needless to say, Cunningham was crushed, not once, but twice. First, he thought he had gotten screwed out of a win. Then, he gets hammered a second time when he realizes he didn’t even get a (split) draw!

Confucius said, “To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.” I guarantee you Cunningham is going to remember this monumental screw up. The fight was close and exciting, but most people expected Cunningham would be declared the winner, if only by a slight edge, or possibly a draw. He fought an intelligent fight, avoiding for the most part, Adamek’s heavier shots. In their first fight, four years prior, he got a little over eager, thinking he had Adamek where he wanted.

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Sergio Martinez – Martin Murray: The Talking Begins

murray222By Padraig Ivory: Sergio Martinez and Martin Murray came face to face this week ahead of their April 2013 fight. The St Helens fighter made the long trip to the homeland of the middleweight champion to commence the promotional campaign and to introduce himself to the Argentinean fight fans. Martin made television appearances and press calls as the wheels of the promotional bandwagon were set in motion.

The respectful ‘Maravilla’ had returned and he praised his English challenger. Last time out the Oxnard resident had displayed an uncharacteristic hatred and genuine dislike for his opponent as he promised to inflict serious injury on Chavez Jr.”

“He’s young and strong. It’s great that he should want to give his all…” Martinez said of Murray. However the 37 year old promised to be at his best for his homecoming celebration stating that the fight “won’t go past the eighth round”.

Martin’s assessment of the fight differed from that of the current WBC champion. “He began at the bottom and today he’s the most powerful in the division. But I’m better and can beat him”. Murray’s confidence stems from his unbeaten 26 fight professional campaign and in particular the performance he put in against former champion WBA Felix Sturm.

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Pacquiao hoping to return to the ring in April

By Rob Smith: Manny Pacquiao has no interest in sitting around and waiting until September 2013 before he fights again. Pacquiao reportedly is interested in getting back in action in April despite his 6th round knockout loss to his old nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez on December 8th of this month.

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Mayweather vs. Guerrero in the works for May 4th, Canelo Alvarez possible for undercard

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By Bill Phanco: A fight between WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. (43-0, 26 KO’s) WBC interim welterweight champion Robert Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KO’s) is reportedly in the works for May 4th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. The contracts haven’t been signed as of yet, but this appears to be the fight that the 35-year-old Mayweather wants for the Cinco de Mayo Mexican holiday on May 4th.

Guerrero has won two big fights since moving up to the welterweight division this year in beating Selcuk Aydin and Andre Berto. Both wins were decisive, and Guerrero did a good job of winning despite showing a lack of big power in both. Although he’s moved up from the lightweight division, Guerrero hasn’t lost his high work rate that he was known for in the lower weight classes.

Mayweather had one of his worst performances in his career in his last fight against Miguel Cotto last May. Floyd won the fight but he took some terrible punishment and he looked like he’s lost a step or two.

WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (41-0-1, 30 KO’s) is being talked about as being the co-main event for this pay per view card on HBO. Alvarez’s potential opponents for the fight are Miguel Cotto, James Kirkland or Austin Trout.

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Does Donaire deserve Fighter of the Year?

By Rob Smith: I was kind of surprised to hear WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire’s name being mentioned by a lot of boxing fans as being a shoe-in for the 2012 Fighter of the Year award. While I think Donaire is a good fighter and has obviously had a good 2012 year in beating all four of his opponents put in with him, I don’t think the quality of his opponents is high enough for Donaire to deserve the Fighter of the Year award.

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Adamek defeats Cunningham by controversial decision

adamek435By Michael Collins: Tomasz Adamek (48-2, 29 KO’s) fought well enough to lose by four rounds tonight against Steve Cunningham (25-5, 12 KO’s) in their IBF heavyweight eliminator for the #2 spot, but instead of losing the fight, Adamek was given a HIGHLY controversial 12 round split decision at the Sands Casino Resort, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Cunningham controlled the action in every round, hitting Adamek with hard right hands, and tying him up before Adamek could land his shots. It was perfect punch and clinch from Cunningham. He did a good job of eluding Adamek’s pressure by moving around the ring to keep from getting hit.

Adamek kept trying but he looked like the extra weight that he’s packed on lately really slowed him down in big way. Adamek used to be a lot better before he bulked up with useless muscle and fat. He needs to get a clue and lose that weight, because he’s no more of a puncher now than he was when he was fighting at 214 as a heavyweight. Adamek simply didn’t carry his power up with him from the crusierweight division like Cunningham did, not that Cunningham is a big puncher at this weight either.

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Charr destroys Airich in 1st round knockout

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By Rob Smith: Former heavyweight title challenger Manuel Charr (22-1, 12 KO’s) got back to his winning ways with a 1st round blowout victory over Russian Konstantin Airich (24-9-2, 18 KO’s) on Friday night in winning the vacant WBC Baltic and WBC Mediterranean heavyweight titles at the Maritim Hotel, in Cologne Germany.

Charr, 28, never gave Airich a chance, as he opened up with everything in his arsenal, hitting him at will with shots until knocking him to the canvas with a left hook to the body. Airich stayed down and the fight was halted by referee Daniel Van De Wiele at 0:44 of the round.

Charr threw everything but the kitchen sink at him until knocking him down with a left to the body.

Charr, #8 WBC, lost previous fight to WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko by a 4th round cut stoppage. Charr was over-matched in that fight and he looked like he didn’t belong in there with him. However, if Charr can keep beating journeyman opposition like Airich he should get another world title shot in a year or two.

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Adamek vs. Cunningham II on Saturday, December 22nd

521By Bill Phanco, photo: Rich Graessle — 36-year-old former two division world champion world champion Tomasz Adamek (47-2, 29 KO’s) will be fighting a rematch against former IBF cruiserweight champion Steve Cunningham (25-4, 12 KO’s) at the Sands Casino Resort, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Adamek will have his IBF North American heavyweight title on the line.

Adamek has a previous 12 round split decision victory over the 36-year-old Cunningham four years in December 2008.

In that fight, Cunningham totally out-boxed the slower Adamek. However, Adamek knocked Cunningham down three times in the fight, once in the 2nd, 4th and 8th rounds, to win a narrow 12 round split decision. You know that a fighter has been out-boxed when they knock another fighter down three times and yet still barely win the fight. Adamek’s work rate was poor in the Cunningham fight and he was limited to mostly throwing an occasional bomb. That was enough because Cunningham couldn’t take Adamek’s power.

#3 IBF Adamek isn’t the puncher at heavyweight that he was in the cruiserweight division. He’s still winning for the most part, but he’s been selective in the opposition that he’s faced.

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Haye: I want to KO Vitali Klitschko in 2013

haye213By Brad Cronick: Former two division world champion David Haye has hitched his wagon to WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, as that’s the only fight that Haye wants before he retires. Haye is waiting to see if the 41-year-old Vitali will fight him or choose to retire.

If Vitali retires, then Haye plans on getting out of boxing as well because he doesn’t want to fight any of the smaller names despite the fact that he can still make very good money against them. Haye wants the huge money that would come with a fight against the big 6’7” Vitali.

Haye also wouldn’t mind getting a rematch against Vitali’s brother IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, but he has no interest in fighting Haye again after easily beating him by a 12 round decision in July 2011.

Haye said to the Evening Standard “I want to knock Vitali Klitschko out in 2013. The contract for the fight has been agreed and is there ready to sign. Were it simply up to me, I’d be training to fight right now. Nobody seems to know if Vitali wants to set foot again in the ring, let alone face somebody as dangerous as me.”

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