Adamek - Grant Fight Confirmed for August 21^st at Prudential Center, Newark, NJ

Tomasz Adamek, the IBF International Heavyweight and NABO Heavyweight Champion, returns to Newark’s Prudential Center on Saturday, August 21^st when he takes on Michael Grant as part of the acclaimed “Brick City Boxing Series.”  Both titles are on the line. A native of Gilowice, Poland, now fighting out of Jersey City, Adamek has drawn record crowds to Newark’s world class venue during the past year and a half.  He returns in August following a successful trip to Ontario, California, where he outclassed highly rated Chris Arreola in front of Arreola’s hometown fans.

"I would like to thank Main Events and their staff for their professionalism and the opportunity to face one of the best heavyweights in the division, Tomasz has proven he is a true heavyweight and a force in the division.  I realize this is a great opportunity for me and my team and I will be coming to win this fight on August 21st." stated Grant.   

TRUFANBOXING NOV 15, 2009

In a hard fought terrific battle, Manny Pacquaio revved it up and was the dominating smaller man, stopping counterpart welterweight champion Miguel Cotto at :55 of round 12.

Cotto started well, jabbing his way to a victorious 1st round, and looked as if Cotto would utilize his assets and dominate his rival. But that changed in the third, when a quick Manny right counter found its mark - knocking Cotto off balance for a flash knockdown.  It made Cotto think a bit but he did rally to make it a closer round. Again in the fourth, Cotto seemed to be in control until a vicious left uppercut by Manny caught Cotto flush, and down and rubber legged.  From this point on, it was all PacMan as he controlled the ring throughout and had Cotto in retreat and trying to box him off.

But although Cotto would have brief moments of momentum, Pacquaio stepped it up a notch and took the best his antagonist could muster. In the last two rounds, with the fight basically in Manny's control, a bruised and bloody Cotto tried, but was in survival mode. Referee Kenny Bayless stopped the bout, after another PacMan assault, in the final frame at :55.

So why did a smaller fighter beat the bigger man? Is this a trend in boxing that may hopefully spread to the heavyweight division?

A) Pacquaio broke Cotto down and didn't blink when hit by Cotto.

B) Pacquaio took risks and it paid off, he got inside his opponents arsenal and went to school, throwing punches in bunches and from all angles.

C) It shows how important your trainer, and your relationship, is in the ring. Freddie Roach had a game plan, and that was to bring the best out of his fighter, and once PacMan was able to back up Cotto, and force him to box, it was over.

JLM

GAMBOA AND SOLIS DETONATE THE GARDEN

- Ron Ross

            Following Yuriorkis Gamboa’s spectacular demolition of Whyber Garcia in the 4^th round of the co-featured WBA featherweight title bout, Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez of Caguas, Puerto Rico, 26-0 (24 KO’s) came out to set the stage for a mega-clash between himself and Gamboa. But there’s this thing about the best laid plans of mice and men – and prizefighters. In a wild swinging, free-for-all pier-six style brawl, an unheralded trial horse from Tanzania, now residing in Philadelphia almost provided a rude awakening.

            Rogers Mtagwa, with a not overly auspicious 25-12-2 (18 KO’s) record, was expected to be chewed up and spit out by his superstar WBO Jr. Featherweight Champion opponent. Instead, displaying a tenacity and toughness that kept the crowds on it feet and roaring throughout, Mtagwa, at times chasing Lopez and throwing right hands like a major league outfielder trying to cut off a run at the plate won a pillar-to-post, no holds barred slugfest but lost a decision in a prize fight.

            With the chants of “Juanma” urging him on, Lopez, got off to an early lead, landing effectively with his right hook  and staying out of range of Mtagwa’s home-run right. There were furious exchanges where Lopez more than held his own, both fighters hammering away in non-stop action. As the midway point of the fight passed, the tide of battle began to shift. Mtagwa’s attack seemed to accelerate while Lopez, though still winging away toe-to-toe in the frequent close encounter exchanges, seemed to be wearing down just a bit. In rounds eight and nine, Lopez came back and in a couple of  toe-to-toe mini-wars, he still more than held his own. It was becoming obvious in the tenth round that Juanma’s tank was beginning to run low while Mtagwa seemed to re-energize. Still, Lopez fought back in a rousing slugfest. It was round eleven where everything turned around. Mtagwa nailed Lopez with a tremendous right cross and knocked him into a veritable “twilight zone.” What kept Lopez on his feet as Mtagwa chased after him, pounding away, was that special quality that separates the champions from the ordinary. He was virtually out on his feet when the bell rang ending the eleventh round. The conjecture was that he would not be able to answer the bell for the final round. He did – and he paid the price. Mtagwa continued the onslaught as Referee Eddie Cotton looked on warily. It was three minutes of steady chasing and pounding away by  Mtagwa who had his man reeling but somehow hanging on as the final bell sounded. If it were a street fight or a schoolyard rumble, there is no question as to who the winner was. Mtagwa, still looking fresh and flushed with a sense of s fight well fought, waved to the crowd while Lopez was being administered to in his corner.

            It was a professional prize fight and there are rules and a scoring system. Only the count of “Ten!” would have taken this one away from Lopez. When ring announcer Michael Buffer, read out the scorecards – 115-111, 116-111 and 114-113 all in favor of Lopez, the largely Latin crowd roared in approval – and relief. I had it scored 114-113 for Lopez – not for the Winner of the War, Rogers Mtagwa.

            It has to go down as one of the year’s greatest fights.

            In the co-feature, WBA Featherweight Champ, Cuban ex-patriateYuriorkis Gamboa, after posturing and testing his opponent, Panamanian Whyber Garcia for three rounds, came out in the fourth round flashing his extraordinary hand speed. Whipping out a lightning fast left hook, right cross combination, he dropped Garcia, then finished him off with a barrage of punches that brought about the end at 58 seconds of round 4. Gamboa may be one of this generations true super stars.

            In a one-sided heavyweight lights out performance, Cuban heavyweight Oldanier Solis, 271, 15-0, 11 KO’s, demolished Monte Barrett, Queens, NY, 218 ½,  34-7,20 KO’s, stopping him at 1:54 of the second round. An explosive left hook dropped Barrett midway through the second round. Climbing to his feet, Barrett ran into another left hoof which Solis followed with a clubbing right, dropping Barrett again. At this point referee Wayne Kelly stepped in and called a merciful halt to the Slaughter on Eighth Avenue.

            Pawel Wolak, the Pugnacious Pole from Mt Arlington, NJ, with a non-let-up body attack wore down and stopped Brazilian Carlos Nasciemento at the end of Round five of a scheduled 10-round super welterweight bout. Wolak is now 25-1, 17 KO’s with Nasciemento suffering only his second loss in 26 bouts.

            In a middleweight 8-rounder, Irish John Duddy, 27-1, 17 KO’s got back on the winning track, scoring a near whitewash unanimous decision over Jorge Munoz, Topeka, KS, 21-4, 13 KO’s.

            In what was a closely fought 6-round Super Bantamweight bout between Jersey City’s Jorge Diaz 10-0, 6 KO’s and Cuban Yan Barthelmy, now 8-2, 1 KO, Jorge Diaz took it away from the judges – and Barthelmy with a vicious left hook that knocked Barthelmy unconscious for several minutes. It came at 1:07 of the final round.

            Carlos Negron, San Juan, PR, 5-0, 4 KO’s, decisioned Larry Pryor, 4-5, 2 KO’s, Houston, TX in a cruiserweight 4-rounder.

            Julio Caesar Chavez was in the crowd watching as his youngest son, Omar Chavez, improved to 18-0-1, 13 KO’s by taking a unanimous decision over James Ventry, Lewiston, NY, 7-9-1, 4 KO’s in a super-lightweight 6-rounder.

            The opening bout, a lightweight 6-rounder, provided a stunning upset, as journeyman Martin Tucker, Toledo OH, 6-4, 3 KO’s, won a unanimous decision over previously undefeated (13-0, 7 KO’s) Michael Torres, Yonker, NY.

            It was a card that kept an enthusiastic crowd cheering and on its feet much of the night.