By Sam Geraci: In a crossroads fight to determine who is a top-ten fighter versus who deserves a title shot, Tomasz Adamek (48-2, 28 KOs) defeated “Fast” Eddie Chambers (38-2, 18 KOs) via unanimous decision in an entertaining fight in which Chambers fought courageously with one arm throughout most of the fight because of an injury. Two judges scored it 116-112 while one judge somehow scored it 119-109. From my couch, I scored it 116-114 for Chambers. Here’s what I saw:
Round 1:
A very close round in which Adamek was the aggressor but Chambers landed the more effective shots. Unfortunately, I don’t think Chambers’s clean shots were enough to take the round. I scored it even.
Score and Takeaways: Adamek was aggressive but did not look sharp. Although Chambers looks very fast and sharp, especially with the right hand, he needs to be more active to win rounds. Could be a significant round in determining the fight if its close. 10-10
Round 2:
Again, this is a tough round to score. More of the same from round one: Adamak comes forward and Chambers effectively counters with the right. I thought Chambers landed enough clean rights and suppressed Adamek’s aggression.
Score and Takeaways: Chambers looks very confident and sharp while Adamek’s game plan is not working; Adamek looks slower and more bulky than we are accustomed to seeing. 10-9 Chambers
Round 3:
It’s not said often, but at this point, Adamek is being out boxed and to some extent outclassed. Adamek continues to come forward but is being countered by the right consistently. Towards the second half of the round, Adamek began to throw shots a little more wildly.
Score and Takeaways: According to the broadcast, Chambers might have injured his left arm. Having said that, he his looking impressive. Unless Adamek can land something big or Chambers fades, this is starting to look like a wide UD victory for Chambers. 10-9 Chambers.
Round 4:
Despite the injury, Chambers deftly handles Adamek’s aggression. The counter right and at times the lead right of Chambers are controlling this fight. Adamek continues to come forward with determination but is becoming less effective and seems to be tiring.
Score and Takeaways: The defense of Chambers has been really impressive. He hasn’t been hit cleanly with anything of substance. Adamek looks somewhat lost at this point. He needs to switch to plan B or C if he has one 10-9 Chambers.
Round 5: For the first time in the fight, Adamak chose to back up and become the counterpuncher. It worked. While he didn’t cause any damage, he was more effective and Chambers was really inactive.
Score and Takeaways: Adamek’s experience is beginning to show. Although he didn’t cause any damage, the switch to counterpunching has changed the fight. Because Chambers hasn’t thrown the left consistently, I am beginning to wonder how damaged it might be. 10-9 Adamek
Round 6:
Adamek was very effective in fighting while backing up. This was by far Adamek’s best round. He completely outpunched Chambers. Chambers is beginning to look tired and his work rate has plummeted.
Score and Takeaways:
Contrary to popular belief, Adamak should not try to overpower the “smaller” fighter. Since making the adjustment to wait for Chambers to close the distance, Adamek has looked impressive and taken control of the fight. Adamek 10-9
Round 7:
Chambers completely dominated the round with his defense and his right hand: lead and counter rights. Whenever Adamek throws a lazy jab, Chambers is quick to counter. Good round for Chambers
Score and Takeaways: It seems as though Adamek has no answer for Chambers when Chambers is active. Unfortunately for Chambers, he seems to be fighting with one hand. Adamek is also beginning to show some signs of fatigue. 10-9 Chambers
Round 8: For some reason, Adamek has reverted to coming forward and missing as he did in the earlier rounds. Adamek has been completely ineffective when leading with the jab. Despite Adamek’s ineffective aggressiveness, Chambers is doing more showboating than fighting. He has been too inactive again. Close round.
Score and Takeaways: If Chambers would increase his work rate, this fight wouldn’t even be close. Having said that, I am not sure if he can fight any better with only one arm. How can you increase your work rate with only one hand doing all of the work? But, because he didn’t increase his work rate in this round, I scored it even. The scoring of this round could very well determine the winner. 10-10
Round 9: Adamek is finally opening up. Adamek might finally realize that Chambers is only fighting with one hand. In addition, Adamek is back to being patient and waiting for Chambers to close the distance before exploding. Although he isn’t landing much more than Chambers, he is winning the round. Good round for Adamek
Score and Takeaways: It is clear that Chambers can no longer use his left. If Adamek and his corner are smart, they’d stop with the ineffective jab and continue fighting in spurts of powerful combinations like Adamek did this round. Chambers can’t fight back in exchanges with just one hand.
10-9 Adamek
Round 10: Chambers came out aggressive and has landed the right with authority. Adamek is beginning to look tired and Chambers is countering every lazy jab with a quick overhand right. Despite a few effective jabs from Adamek, Chambers dominated the round.
Score and Takeaways: Although most of us might consider Adamek more of cruiserweight, tonight he is fighting like a heavyweight; that’s not a good thing. Adamek seems incapable of mounting the high volume attack needed to carry the fight. Instead, whenever he tires, he reverts to that lazy jab and gets countered. Who knows what would have happened tonight if Chambers had two hands.
10-9 Chambers
Round 11: Chambers came out and countered another lazy jab from Adamek with an effective overhand right to start the round. Adamek is back to being the aggressor which has been and continues to be completely ineffective. Although he didn’t land many shots, I thought the tight defense as well as several of effective right hands of Chambers was enough to carry the round.
Score and Takeaways: This fight comes down to this: Whenever Adamek is the aggressor with that lazy jab he gets dominated by the right. Because Chambers is fighting with only one hand, Adamek should be exploding with combinations as Chambers closes the distance. For some reason, however, Adamek has done it consistently. 10-9 Chambers
Round 12: Adamek came out with urgency and dominated the first minute of the round. If Adamek had fought the whole fight like this, especially considering that Chambers fought nearly the whole fight with one hand, Adamak might have won the fight. Adamek has completely outworked and out-landed Chambers with big shots. Big round for Adamek.
Score and Takeaways: This is the work rate that made Adamek a force at the heavyweight division despite his lack of size. Although Chambers was never hurt, he was unable to counter with the right because Adamek stayed refrained from throwing his lazy jab and threw powerful combinations with both hands.
10-9 Adamek
Total: 114-116 Chambers
This type of fight often leads to controversial decisions because one fighter doubled the punch output of the other fighter despite being out-landed. Adamek threw 919 punches compared to 422 from Chambers, but Chambers landed 152 punches compared to 134 for Adamek. There were definitely a few rounds that could have gone either way, especially rounds 1 and 8, but a score of 119-109 is absurd. I am looking forward to a rematch. The winner of the rematch ought to be considered for a Klitschko before a fighter like Arreola is.
Undercard Results:
John “The Apollo Kid” Thompson (8-0, 2KOs) defeated John “No Mercy” Mackey (6-6-1) via unanimous decision. One judge scored the fight 59-55 while the other two scored it 59-56.
Tureano Johnson (9-0, 6 KOs) defeated Roberto Young (5-5-1, 4 KOs) via unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight 58-56.
Jose “Mangu” Peralta (9-1, 5 KOs) defeated Dontre King (6-11-2, 2 KOs) via fourth round TKO. Peralta floored Kink in the third and fourth rounds.
John “The Apollo Kid” Thompson (8-0, 2KOs) defeated John “No Mercy” Mackey (6-6-1) via unanimous decision. One judge scored the fight 59-55 while the other two scored it 59-56.
Patrick “Paddy Boy” Farrell (7-1-, 3 KOs) defeated David “The Amateur” Williams (6-6-1, 2 KOs) via unanimous decision. One judge scored the fight 39-36 while the other two scored it 40-35.
Bryant “Bye Bye” Jennings (13-0, 6 KOs) completely dominated and outclassed the game Steve “Freight Train” Collins (25-1-1, 18 KOs) via unanimous decision to win the USBA heavyweight championship. All three judges scored the fight 100-89. Despite hurting Collins throughout the fight and being credited with a knockdown in the fourth after the ropes held up Collins, Jennings was unable to close the show. Although Jennings was unable to stop Collins, his hand-speed and ability to put punches together were impressive, especially considering his limited experience. From this fight alone, the only noticeable weaknesses in Jennings’s game were his defense against the right hand while exchanging and his lack of punching power.
Jamaal “The Truth” Davis (13-8-1, 6 KOs) defeated Doel Carrasquillo (16-19-1, 14 KOs) in an uneventful fight. Davis controlled the first six rounds with his jab and movement but faded in the seventh and eighth rounds. One judge scored it 79-73 while the other two scored it 78-74. I have no idea why this fight was televised on a Saturday night before a meaningful heavyweight fight.