By James Slater – The world heavyweight title picture might not (and I stress might not) be as bleak as it looks right now. Okay, the heavyweight unification we all wanted to see between Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye is now “dead” according to Haye’s manager, but we may see another excellent match-up involving “Dr. Steel Hammer” later this year. And I’m not talking about Wladimir’s fight with Derek Chisora!
In a big news story that has appeared on invaluable web site Fight news.com, the word is Tomasz Adamek, the former light-heavy and cruiserweight ruler, has “agreed” to challenge the Ring magazine, IBF, WBO and IBO boss in his native Poland sometime in September..
According to Adamek’s manager, Zyggi Rozalski, the fight is extremely close to being made for September, in Wroclaw, with a 52,000 seat stadium set to host the big fight.
“The deal is done,” Rozalski said. “We just have to put some signatures on paper.”
Of course, in light of the way Klitschko-Haye fell apart after being so close to being made, fans will perhaps take Rozalki’s signatures on paper quote with a large pinch of salt. In boxing today, no deal is “done” until all the I’s have been dotted and all the T’s have been crossed. Still, if we’re feeling optimistic, we can hope Klitschko-Adamek falls foul of none of the bad luck that ruined Klitschko-Haye.
Adamek, who still has to fight his April 16th bout (opponent to be announced shortly according to the 34-year-old, the bout to take place in Poland), is extremely excited about a fight with Klitschko, and the way he is talking sure makes it sound as though he is certain his big chance will come in September.
“Like planned, I will have one more fight on April 16th, before fighting Wladimir,” Adamek told Fightnews. “I will be fighting for something I was always dreaming about. I will be ready. I will be a heavyweight champion of the world this September!”
But will he? Fans may choose to take the attitude of, ‘I’ll believe it when both guys are in the ring.’ And who can blame them? Then, even if “Goral” does get the shot, there is the question of whether or not he is big enough to be able to handle a monster like Klitschko. But Adamek has won over countless fans with his attitude, and if the fight can be made he will give it everything he has from bell-one. And win or lose, the fight Adamek will put up will surely make the bout an exciting and at least somewhat competitive one (maybe I’m selling Adamek short by writing ‘somewhat competitive’)
Rozalski went into further detail about just why he is so optimistic the fight will take place in September.
“We discussed this fight for a long time, but in the last couple of days, talking with Shelly Finkel, we just decided to do it,” he said. “We don’t have an exact date, it has to be agreed between HBO and German television, but it will most likely be in late September. Both sides agreed that the fight can take place in a soccer stadium in Wroclaw where we can have up to 52,000 fans.”
A Klitschko-Adamek fight would be a great shot in the arm for the heavyweight division. To some fans, this would-be pairing is an even better one than the aborted Klitschko-Haye. Wouldn’t it be ironic if, days after losing one mouth-watering heavyweight title clash, another one, just as good, came along almost out of the blue?
If Klitschko-Adamek does go ahead as Rozalski and his warrior seem sure it will, you can bet on how fans will be saying to one another, ‘who said heavyweight boxing was dead?!’