Ontario, CA -- Tomasz Adamek's accurate combination punching and superior lateral movement stymied a larger, stronger Cristobal Arreola en route to a thrilling decision victory Saturday night at a boisterous Citizens Business Bank Arena.
The win was a milestone achievement for Adamek, who earned his first legitimate victory over an elite heavyweight since moving up from the cruiserweight division.
More importantly, it demonstrated that at a minimum, Adamek has a heavyweight chin.
The bout was a classic contrast in styles, with the more powerful Arreola constantly on the hunt hoping to land a big shot, and the elusive Adamek operating in full stick-and-move mode in an attempt to outfox his bigger foe.
In the end, Adamek's boxing skills, hand speed, and foot speed proved to be the difference. Injuries to Arreola's hands certainly did not hurt the Polish fighter's cause either.
Adamek often beat Arreola to punch, getting off first with double jabs or 1-2 combinations. When Arreola would charge full-bore and get his foe on the ropes, Adamek would frequently catch him coming in and then circle away, unloading with three-punch combinations punctuated by left hooks to the head.
Although Arreola walked through Adamek's shots and never once appeared hurt, the accumulation of punches took its toll, as Arreola's left eye began to swell up in the bout's later rounds.
Still, Arreola did have his moments.
When Arreola landed his punches cleanly the power deficit was obvious, as Adamek would be visibly sent backward. Unfortunately for Arreola, in the vital championship rounds, he twice had to stop his offensive attacks due to hand trouble, and thus, he was unable to press his advantage when it counted most.
The fight was scored 114-114, 115-113 (Adamek), 117-111 (Adamek), with many in Arreola's corner surprised at the 6-point differential on the latter scorecard.
However, because the first, tenth, and eleventh rounds could have gone either way, such a score was not implausible. The tenth and eleventh were particularly tough to score, with Arreola dominating the first half of both rounds, and Adamek rallying after seeing that his opponent re-aggravated his hand injuries.
TheDailySportsHerald.com scored the fight 116-112 for Adamek.
With the win, Adamek has now placed himself in the conversation for a future fight with one of the Klitschko brothers. An interesting alternative could be a battle with another former cruiserweight champ, David Haye.
In addition, Adamek proved that there is more versatility to his game than originally thought. Known more as a rugged, pressure fighter from his bouts with Chad Dawson and Steve Cunningham, Adamek showed that he indeed possesses some slick boxing skills as well.
For Arreola, the fight showed that he is still vulnerable to fighters with good lateral movement, such as Vitali Klitschko and Adamek. Moreover, it should serve as a wake-up call to his camp that he needs to get in better condition and fight at perhaps 240 pounds or less. Otherwise he will remain a cut below the Adameks, Hayes, and Klitschkos of the division.
Here is our Round-by-Round ringside analysis of the fight:
Round 1
Arreola begins with a jab. Adamek then double-jabs, and later throws another jab. Adamek continues to get off first with his jab and appears to be the quicker guy. Arreola throws back-to-back 1-2 combinations, and follows up with a big punch at the end of the round. A very close round with Adamek beating Arreola to the punch, but with Arreola landing the best punch of the round.
10-9, Arreola
Round 2
Arreola opens with a jab followed by a big hook. Adamek comes back with a big 1-2. Adamek gets in a jab, and shows good movement and elusive defense. Adamek is getting in his shots while moving, and hits Arreola with a left hook at the end of the round.
10-9, Adamek
Round 3
Adamek scores with a left hook, and appears to have the quicker hands of the two men. Arreola lands a stiff jab. Adamek then lands a jab and moves out of harm's way. Adamek lands a double jab and continues to circle. Arreola lands a hook, and Adamek responds with a right-left 1-2 and clinch. Both men land big hooks at the end of the round.
10-9, Adamek
Round 4
Adamek triples his jab, and then darts out. Adamek lands a right, then a jab, followed by a 1-2. Adamek appears to have the edge in the center of the ring. Arreola lands a left hook. Adamek continues to score with jabs, catching Arreola as he comes forward. Arreola rallies, but Adamek lands a three-punch combination. Another Adamek round due to his hand speed and higher work rate.
10-9, Adamek
Round 5
Adamek triples his jab, then lands a 1-2. Arreola is not letting his hands go early in the round, while Adamek is beating him to the punch. Arreola then lands a huge left jab that appears to stun Adamek. Arreola later scores with a clean right. Adamek answers with a 1-2.
10-9, Arreola
Round 6
Adamek gets a few extra seconds of rest between rounds to attend to an equipment problem. Arreola begins with a jab. Adamek lands a hook. Arreola is now ramping up the pressure, but Adamek is fighting him off and moving. Arreola lands a big left hook, sending Adamek back. Adamek counters with a combination. Another Arreola round because of his effective power shots.
10-9, Arreola
Round 7
Adamek opens with a jab, followed by a 1-2. Arreola is stalking, but missing. Adamek lands a big left, and then a 1-2. Adamek lands a jab. Arreola's left eye is beginning to swell. Adamek continues to land left hooks while smoothly stepping to his left to avoid any counterpunches.
10-9, Adamek
Round 8
Adamek lands a jab, then a couple of left hooks. Adamek is beating Arreola to the punch. Adamek lands a 1-2. Arreola continues to press the action, but is not landing any effective shots. Adamek dominates the round with a boxing clinic, throwing jabs, combinations, and then moving out of harm's way.
10-9, Adamek
Round 9
Arreola lands a 1-2. Adamek throws a left hook and circles away to his left. Adamek brings a left uppercut, and a 1-2. Arreola lands a right. Adamek lands a 1-2. Adamek bags another round by moving in and out, throwing combinations, and boxing effectively.
10-9, Adamek
Round 10
Arreola comes out with greater determination, applying more pressure and letting his hands go. Arreola lands a left and a 1-2. Arreola lands a beautiful uppercut that snaps Adamek's head. Adamek throws a 1-2. Arreola appears to hurt his hand and backs to the middle of the ring. Arreola lands a big left, but Adamek is now stalking. Adamek lands some jabs and a couple of 1-2 combinations. A close round, with Arreola putting in the more effective work in the first minute.
10-9, Arreola
Round 11
Arreola opens with a big shot that appears to stun Adamek. Adamek responds with a combination, but Arreola lands a 1-2. Arreola increases the pressure on Adamek, but hurts his hand again and stops coming forward. Arreola gets on his toes and starts bouncing, while Adamek begins to chase. Adamek throws a shoeshine combo to the body, followed by a 1-2. Adamek concludes with two more flurries. Arreola shows great heart battling through injuries, but Adamek's strong finish earns the round.
10-9, Adamek
Round 12
Adamek opens with a triple jab. He scores with consecutive combinations, and then lands two additional 1-2 combinations. Adamek lands a jab. Arreola's face is a mess, and his left eye is quite swollen. Arreola lands a jab. Adamek throws another combination and then clinches.
10-9, Adamek
Post Fight Notes & Comments
1. Among the celebrities in attendance were Sugar Ray Leonard, Bobby Chacon, ex-Dodger Bill Russell, Sergio Martinez, and Vitali Klitschko.
2. After the fight Arreola assessed his opponent, stating, "Heavyweight punch? Don't think so. But he has a great heart."
3. Arreola stated that he first hurt his hand in the fifth round, but did not tell his corner.
4. Arreola was gracious in defeat, admitting "Tomasz Adamek won the fight," and that Adamek "had a great gameplan." Arreola went on to say that he "would love a rematch."
5. Adamek was wary of Arreola's power, stating that he did not want to simply stand in front of such a "big guy" because he "could die."
6. Despite fighting in Arreola's backyard, Adamek had his own sizable contingent of Polish fans in attendance.
7. Arreola's trainer, Henry Ramirez, stated that he was "more impressed with Adamek's foot speed than hand speed." He also stated that Adamek had "a great chin," and that he would like Arreola to come in about ten pounds lighter in his next bout.
8. Renowned boxing trainer and Adamek team member Ronnie Shields, astutely pointed out that Adamek had to change his entire style to win this fight, since Adamek typically walks down his opponents. Shields stated that a matchup with David Haye would be preferred at this time to a matchup with one of the Klitschko's.
9. Shields stated that on film Arreola fights better when weighing 230 pounds.
10. Arreola dropped to 28-2 with the loss. Adamek improved to 41-1.
11. Adamek landed 197 out of 631 punches, 70 more than Arreola. Adamek's connect percentage was 31%, while Arreola landed 24% of his shots.
12. In an exciting undercard bout, Alfredo "Perro" Angulo defeated Joel "Love Child" Julio with a devastating one-punch knockout in Round 11. Angulo relentlessly pressured Julio throughout the fight, but Julio's slick boxing, lateral movement, and clean combinations allowed him to win some rounds. Ultimately, Angulo prevailed via a right hand to Julio's chin.
By Mike Elliott
Staff Editor for TheDailySportsHerald.com
Photographs by Tri Le
Photography Editor for TheDailySportsHerald.com
Arreola needs to get his fat butt in shape. Period. How can he expect to beat Haye or Klitschko when they are in such good shape? Get serious and stop whining Cris!
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