by Geoffrey Ciani – When the announcement was made that IBF cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek was going to test the waters in the heavyweight division by taking on former four-time world title challenger Andrew Golota, many questioned the wisdom behind this decision. After all, Adamek had only competed for two years as a cruiserweight and had already moved up in size considerably from the 175 pound weight class. Even though Golota was old and past his best, he was still a big guy with a strong punch. Many observers wondered how Adamek could possibly cope with an experienced veteran the size of Golota.
Adamek proved his detractors wrong and made easy work of Golota stopping him in five rounds. This victory helped establish Adamek as a real player in the heavyweight landscape, but he still had his fair share of doubters. Adamek has since continued to silence his critics and move his way up through the heavyweight rankings by scoring noteworthy victories over Jason Estrada and Chris Arreola. Adamek (41-1, 27 KOs) now has his eyes set on what will quite literally be his biggest challenge to date when he faces 6’7” Michael Grant (46-3, 34 KOs) on August 21 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The contest has fittingly been dubbed “The Big Challenge”.
Today’s press conference was held at the Global Boxing Gym in North Bergen, New Jersey. It was a fan-friendly relaxed environment. Before things began, Adamek could be seen near the entrance signing autographs and taking pictures with fans. Michael Grant was nowhere to be seen.
At the start of the proceedings, artist and long time boxing fan John Murawski presented Adamek with a gift. It was an oil painting by Murawski that portrayed the Polish pugilist doing pad work.
After Adamek finished admiring his new art work, Kathy Duva informed everyone that Michael Grant would not be in attendance. He did, however, phone in from Las Vegas. Unfortunately, technical difficulties prevented Grant from participating. He gave a brief statement about the fight, but his words were essentially inaudible. Duva jokingly quipped, “Best laid plans”.
Adamek’s trainer Roger Bloodworth talked about the importance of this fight. He talked about Grant’s size, his long reach, and his good right hand and noted that Grant has now won his last eight fights and has not lost since 2003. He stressed the fact that they are not underestimating him and that they are prepared for the task at hand.
Adamek spoke briefly and mentioned that he was excited to return to the Prudential Center on August 21. He also mentioned that he is ready for the fight and that he ultimately has his eyes set on the big prize—a portion of the heavyweight title.
Tickets for the fight are priced at $53, $78, $103, and $253 and can be purchased at the Prudential Center Box Office by calling TicketMaster at 800-745-3000 or www.Prucenter.com
The fight will also be available live on pay per view.
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