Outside of a few isolated scares, Tomasz Adamek took a comfortable albeit unspectacular win over former contender Michael Grant last night in Newark, New Jersey.
The fight was supposed to function as a “test” for how Adamek could deal with a significantly larger opponent in Grant’s 6’7 frame. In the early rounds, Adamek worked almost exclusively from the outside, launching occasional lead left hooks to the head and body after slipping Grant’s jab.
Adamek was faster than his opponent, and it showed any time the Polish fighter launched combinations on the inside. Each time Adamek fired off short, close hooks, they found a home on Grant’s chin before he could be in position to counter.
Coming into the sixth the constant movement began to slow Adamek. His lunging became more predictable and Grant was able to land a solid right hand that visibly buckled Adamek and opened a cut above his right eye. Fortunately for Adamek, the shot came at the end of round. He reasserted his offense in the seventh behind hard left jabs and hooks, but found himself in more trouble in the eighth when Grant opened another cut, this time above Adamek’s left eye.
In the championship rounds, it was Tomasz Adamek who had more left in the tank. Grant’s limited mobility would be his downfall, as Adamek was able to avoid stationary fighting and touch Grant with quick combinations before darting out of trouble. Although Adamek’s punch output had significantly dropped, Grant did not have the footwork and speed to put on the needed pressure to test the Polish fighter’s endurance and will.
Round 12 would provide some final scares for the pro-Adamek crowd. Grant was stalking Adamek and punching with him when they got into exchanges. The strategy gave Grant several nice counter right hands, but the American couldn’t capitalized as Adamek used good upper body movement to slip follow-up punches and glide out of danger. Michael Grant easily took the round, but failed to obtain the knockout needed to secure the fight.
Final scores were wide in 118-110, 118-111 and 117-111 all for Tomasz Adamek, who improved his record to 42-1, 27 KOs. Grant falls to 46-4, 34 KOs.
Despite clear victory, Adamek’s performance raises doubts about how he could deal with either Klitschko brother. Grant was able to counter him down the stretch whenever he lunged in, a flaw that would be disasterous against either Klitschko. But for now, Adamek (6’1, 217 pounds) is pleased with the win but acknowledged his issues with Grant’s size (6’7, 261 pounds) and his second consecutive fight where he appeared to become visibly tired in later rounds.
“I’m very happy with the win. It was a very big test in Michael Grant,” Adamek said afterward. “I was ready to fight 12 rounds. Michael Grant was a fast guy, [a] tall guy. Maybe I’m not a full heavy [yet] because [frame-wise] I’m still [a] cruiser and my cardio [problems]. But I won the fight, and that’s very important.”
Michael Grant was proud of his performance as well, stating that if the fight had been 15 rounds he may have had a chance to score a late knockout.
“I have nothing to hold my head down on, I felt great throughout the whole fight,” he explained. “I wish it were a 15 round fight so I could get him. I knew I was wearing him down. I was looking at his eyes across the ring and he had a real melancholy look. [But] he sustained and he endured and my hat goes off to him. But you haven’t seen the last of me, I will fight for a title…But I’m not looking to fight anyone that’s just 220 pounds…Adamek was on that bicycle.”
On the undercard, Joel Julio rebounded from his knockout loss to Alfredo Angulo with a clear points win over Jamaal Davis. And Sadam Ali scored a fifth round KO over Lenin Arroyo.
Adamek-Grant Final Round
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 