01.08.07 – By Geoffrey Ciani: The cruiserweight division has recently emerged as one of the best weight classes in all of boxing. With names like Jean-Marc Mormeck, O’Neil Bell, Enzo Maccarinelli, Marco Huck, and David Haye, just to name a few, there are a slew of great potential match-ups on the horizon.
Of all the bouts that can be made, there is one which intrigues me more than any other, and that’s a showdown between reigning IBF champion Steve Cunningham and former light heavyweight champion, Tomasz Adamek.
Steve Cunningham captured the IBF title when he defeated the popular Polish pugilist, Krzysztof Wlodarczyk via majority decision in a rematch this May.
This reversed the outcome of their first encounter when Wlodarczyk secured a split-decision victory to capture the belt, which was vacated after O’Neil Bell had scored a shocking upset against Jean Marc Moremack.
Standing 6’3” tall, Cunningham is a slick southpaw with good skills. He has an outstanding jab, throws a large volume of punches, and has tremendous ring generalship stemming from some really nifty footwork. He also possesses pretty quick hands and has some nice pop in his punches. He is a vintage example of a boxer/puncher.
Tomasz Adamek made his cruiserweight debut this June, when he viciously battered Luis Andres Pineda until the bout was mercifully stopped in the seventh stanza. After losing the WBC light-heavyweight crown against rising star, Chad Dawson, many observers questioned Adamek’s subsequent jump in weight class. His victory over Pineda proved the move to be wiser than most anticipated.
Like Cunningham, Adamek is an offensive-minded fighter who throws a large volume of punches. His offense starts with his jab, and once Adamek finds his rhythm, he’s one of the best combination punchers in the sport today, utilizing a variety of angles to confuse and bamboozle his opponents. He also has deceptively fast hands and possesses some good power, as evidenced by his 22 knockouts.
A bout between Cunningham and Adamek would undoubtedly amplify the division’s rising reputation. Each fighter is now in his prime, and has already had a taste of what it’s like to be a champion. No doubt each man is hungry to make his mark on the rapidly improving division. That each fighter best excels when throwing a large volume of punches make this match-up a fight fan’s dream.
Let’s hope it happens!
To contact Ciani:
geoff@eatthemushroom.com
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