m.j.r's Open Salon Blog

Adamek v. Estrada, Heavyweights Weighing In

Sat, 6 Feb 2010 17:02:36 -0500

At the weigh-in to this heavyweight fight for a championship of some ill-born alphabet crown, the fighters came to the scale tense but dreamlike in that world before the final bell—a world of possibility in which either boxer could win—each boxer with his own chance at a different life, the life that a win would bring.

And that really is what happens at a prize fight— worlds collide. Prospects and opponents, which is which and who is who, all subject to change upon the moment of a punch. But some chances are greater than others, and the bell has a way of putting dreams to rest.

Tomasz Adamek, former WBC light heavyweight and IBF and IBO Cruiserweight champion of the world, stepped up to the scale looking like a man who did not have to make weight—content and powerful, and businesslike in his approach as he talked and laughed with friends and reporters. Weighing in at 220 ½ lbs., he is a newly minted Heavyweight. Hopeful of his ability to cash in on that minting, he seemed pleased at no longer having to starve himself to make south of 200 lbs.

Adamek on Scale

Adamek weighed in at 214 in his win against the old Polish workhorse Andrew Golota back in October, 2009, and picked up something called the IBF International Heavyweight Championship belt for his troubles. He weighed 199 lbs against Bobby Gunn back in July of the same year. On the scale Adamek wore his new 21 lbs. well.

Jason Estrada, on the other hand, at 237 lbs., looked like a man who should have made weight. There is much talk before a prize fight— but much of it is covered in clothing. The scale affords no secrets.

Estrada on Scale

Estrada jiggled on his way to the scale, and did his best to suck in his stomach while casting his best death stare. He weighed 247 in his 7th round TKO of the sometimes tricky journeyman Zuri Lawrence back in September of 2009, and close to 242 when he lost a decision to the undefeated Alexander Povetkin back in April. He is 6’ 1” tall. By all accounts, Estrada is quick and slick but he cannot punch. He is 16-2 with only 4 knockouts. He is tailor made for Tomasz Adamek— who can take a punch— which is fortunate— because Tomasz can be hit.

A tentative fight between Adamek and Bernard Hopkins this last year fell through. Jason “Big Six” Estrada, though seemingly game, is no Bernard Hopkins. Estrada has professed umbrage at Adamek for looking past this fight towards a possible bout in the spring with the overly large and demonstrative Mexican-American Heavyweight, Chris Arreola. Beyond that, Adamek is said to be eyeing a match with WBC Champion Vitali Klitschko.

This last year when David Haye stepped out of his scheduled fight with Klitschko, Adamek got the short notice call. His team declined at the time (wisely I think), with Arreola instead taking the fight—and the loss. But having got the notice, Adamek has worked. By the end of tomorrow night he’ll have gained 21 pounds, hold a title of sorts, and a chance to throw his hat into the big money Heavyweight Ring. And Estrada? He’ll jiggle into that life he’s chosen not to think about—as best he could— while training for this fight.

Robbed of a Puncher's Chance in Newark NJ

Sat, 1 Aug 2009 17:08:44 -0400

by - Mike Ricciardelli & Cindy Capitani, Ringside,
Prudential Center, Newark, N.J. 7/11/09

Adamek Holds Onto Championship, Bobby Gunn Robbed of a Puncher’s Chance

In Newark New Jersey before a frenzied crowd in red and white, the Polish born IBF Cruiserweight Champion Tomasz Adamek successfully defended his championship against Bobby “the Celtic Warrior” Gunn. Adamek, granted a TKO, rose to 38-1 with 26 knockouts, while Gunn, who is 35 years old, fell to 21-4-1 with 18 knockouts.

Referee Earl Brown stopped the fight after the end of round 4 on the advice of the ringside physician on account of a cut over Gunn’s eye. The referee told the Associated Press: "The doctor looked at the cut (over Gunn's left eye) and recommended that I should stop it," Brown said. "I was ready to give him a little longer."

Gunn was not pleased. AP reported: "I didn't even see the blood," Gunn said. "I couldn't believe he was stopping it. Honest to God, I wasn't hurt. I could have gone on."

He could have. Although Gunn was said to be clearly behind on the judges cards, the fight was competitive. Gunn ate punches throughout the fight—but did so with a granite chin and a shake of his head that challenged the champion to throw more. Adamek looked shocked after he landed a right hand square in the fourth (along with a bevy of unanswered punches) and Gunn, although rocked, did not go down.

Like a 50’s throwback fighter, the shorter Gunn was taking two and three to land one. And land he did—connecting with a good left hook throughout the abbreviated fight.

After Adamek’s onslaught in the fourth, the fifth round may well have been a challenge to Gunn, but it was a challenge he had clearly earned—having fought the only fight he could to give him a chance at winning the championship. A puncher’s chance. A chance at which the ringside doctor robbed him.

UNDERCARD

Ran Nakash Expands Both His Horizons and Win Record in Newark, N.J.

Ran Nakash, “The Jewish Warrior,” lately a mainstay at Philly’s own Blue Horizon, easily maintained his “O” and defeated his quickly gassed, but sometimes dangerous opponent, William “The Storm” Bailey in the fourth round by TKO.

Although initially Bailey was able to land the jab and a few combinations, he emerged from the first round with a cut over his right eye. Despite Bailey’s fluid but undisciplined efforts, Nakash moved forward, connecting with both hands (and a particularly nasty right to the ribs in the second). Nakash, who has made his living training Israeli Commandos in hand to hand combat, tenaciously worked inside and dug to Bailey’s body throughout the fight, hastening “The Storm’s” passing via a left hand to the head which sent him to the canvas. It is unclear whether the referee, Bailey’s corner, or Bailey himself stopped the fight. Either way, the stoppage was merciful, as Bailey was seemingly left without gas or desire. Ran Nakash is now 13-0 with 9 knockouts while Bailey is 10-17-2 with 5 knockouts.

Kaseem Wilson Backpedals His Way to a Loss.

Henry Crawford won a unanimous decision over Kaseem Wilson, who won only one round on one judge’s card. It is unclear what Wilson was attempting to do as he backpedal’d throughout the fight and failed to throw punches in a meaningful way. Besides quick backward movement, Wilson barely did enough to register as alive; and after eight rounds I questioned my own pulse.

Crawford, by default, was the aggressor throughout the fight. As Wilson was only the second southpaw he had ever faced, the first round seemed to be one of tentative adjustment for Crawford, who fights out of Paterson NJ and still works the night shift at Foodtown. Except for an occasional punch by Wilson, the rest of the fight—what there was of it—was Crawford, who landed jabs, body shots, and a particularly big left in the seventh. Crawford goes to 22-0-1 (9) and a possible fight with Philly’s Mike Jones—if Jones wins his August 8th bout in Atlantic City with Larry Mosley—and Kaseem Wilson falls to 12-2-1 (4) and what one would hope is some honest reflection about what he’d like to do for a living.

Curtis Stevens Takes Wilczewski’s “O”

Curtis Stevens walked into the ring with a blue and white bandanna covering his face like he was set to pull and armed robbery. He walked out of the ring having strong armed the formerly undefeated Piotr “The Wolf” Wilczewski out of his “O.” It took three rounds and three knockdowns and it should have been stopped sooner. Stevens dropped the Pole twice in the very first round and once again in the third with a big left hand. Wilczewski showed big heart and rose each time from the canvas on the roar of the Polska crowd—but he was seriously pummeled by Stevens after doing so in the third; the ref showed a dangerous lack of discretion in letting it go as long as he did. Stevens looked good— very good—connecting in fierce combinations to the body and head throughout the fight. Stevens improves to 21-2 with 14 knockouts, while Piotr Wilczewski fell to 22-1 with 7 knockouts.

Masternak Defeats Aly

In a somewhat surprisingly competitive fight, undefeated cruiserweight Mateusz Masternak remained so against Naser Mohamed Aly via TKO in the 5th round. Masternak tagged Aly throughout, but Aly responded throughout—until the end. Masternak had found the range and hit Aly with three good right hands, a right-left-right combination and another good right hand that brought Aly down. He got up, but was unable to find anything resembling a safe harbor within the ropes. The ref stopped the fight. Masternak moves forward to 14-0 (9), Aly moves back to 4-4 (2).

Mama Trained Him Well, Douglin Comes Off the Canvas to Defeat Harris

Morganville New Jersey’s Denis “The Momma’s Boy” Douglin, who is trained by his mother, Saphya Douglin, got off the canvas in the first round to go on to defeat Lamar “Prince of Pain” Harris in a unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 38-37 in favor of Douglin, who fought well, coming back hard after the knockdown and staggering Harris with a left over the top. In equally hard fought Rounds 2, 3, and 4, the southpaw Douglin continued to connect with the straight left over the top, eventually cutting Harris under his right eye. Harris landed a nice series of double left hooks in the fourth round of this well matched fight, but it wasn’t enough as Doughlin took the 4th and Rounds 2 and 3 on the Judges’ cards to walk away with a well deserved victory. Douglin advances to 5-0 (3), while Harris falls to 6-2-1 (4).

The Sniper Picks Off His First, Defeats Miles

Delen “The Sniper” Parsley of Brooklyn, NY, who made his pro debut in the Junior Middleweight division, defeated Tyrone Miles of Camden, NJ.

After a tentative first round, Miles connected well to Parsley’s body in the second, but The Sniper responded with a good left hook to Miles’ body and a right hand upstairs. In the third, Parsley, who had not been using his height advantage much in the fight, took a step back and connected with a hard right hand. Parsley then landed on Miles in the corner, ending the round with a good stiff right over the top. In the fourth round, Parsley landed a series of rights, bringing Miles to a knee and the referee’s stoppage at 1:47 of the round. Parsley is 1-0 (1) and Miles is 1-1.

Kassim Ouma v. Gabriel Rosado

Tue, 5 May 2009 00:05:37 -0400

Kassim Ouma, former light middleweight world champion and Ugandan child soldier came to a crossroads in Newark N.J., unfortunately for him, he met the younger and stronger “King” Gabriel Rosado there. Ouma lost a 10 round split decision to Rosado, a tough Philly fighter who seemed to have sensed that he too was at a crossroads in his career. Facing perhaps the greatest challenge in his boxing life, Rosado passed “Go.” Ouma passed into the murky and ill-paid world of the former champion “known opponent.”

Ouma, never known for his punching power, peppered the retreating Rosado throughout the fight, but not enough to capture the favor of the majority of the judges who scored the bout: Lawrence Layton 96-94, Rosado; John Stewart, 97-93 Rosado, and Thomas Kaczmarek, 96-94 Ouma. The decision was met with some skepticism at ringside.

Early on Ouma (26-6-1, 16 KOs) controlled the fight, scoring frequently against the bigger, stronger and younger Rosado (12-3, 7 KOs). But as the fight progressed, Rosado met with success as he held his ground, moved forward and threw punches. He looked more comfortable in the second round, and connected in the third round with three good left hands to Ouma’s body and solid shots to the head. Learning that he could outpunch and manhandle the smaller man in the very small ring, Rosado then promptly failed to do so with any regularity until the last two rounds. Instead, during the middle rounds he chose to move backwards, Ali shuffle, and even attempt an ill-fated bollo punch. But when Ouma ran him down, Rosado effectively held to stave off the attack, and occasionally stepped forward to land.

In the last two rounds Rosado came to life. He took the fight to Ouma, pummeling him against the ropes in the 9th and landing clean, hard and effective punches throughout. Ouma had no response. In the 10^th, though somewhat gassed, Rosado dug deep and continued his assault, moving forward and connecting almost at will. In the end, it was enough.

Rosado is tough and has talent and a punch and I look forward to seeing him box again. One hopes in the meantime he has the time and ability to train rigorously and maybe even take a tuneup before his next big crossroads fight—honing his skill to match his heart.

As for Ouma, some dreams end better than others, and one hopes that success at the box office for the documentary recounting his life will keep him from the indignities of a fallen ex-champ.

Into the Ring

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:04:08 -0400

A great deal has been written about boxing over the years; there is a certain congruence between the writer's craft and the boxer’s: long bouts of preparation largely isolated from the rest of the world leading to an almost naked exhibition of one’s skills (or lack thereof) before the world at large (or small). And these similarities have been noted by many great writers, bringing many of them into the fold of sweet science writing over the years– Hemmingway, Mailer, and Joyce Carol Oates just to name a few.

The difference, of course, is that writers are seldom punched in the head in their line of work– though as intimate as the process of writing can be, criticism can often feel that way. Another difference worth noting is that boxers almost never compare themselves to writers. Be that as it may, for reason of an abiding love of both arts, today I throw my pen into the ring.