Around the Net: Adamek vs Grant Post-Fight Edition

Tomasz Adamek got the job done last night against Michael Grant at the Prudential Center in Newark, but not in the dominating fashion many expected. The scorecards were wide - and they should have been - but Adamek failed to put much of a dent in the vulnerable big man. The reverse was not true as the former cruiserweight king was shaken up badly at the end of the sixth round, and forced to endure some nervy moments during a hectic final three minutes.

With the 6' 7" Grant chosen presumably as a safe trial run for a potential match-up with either Klitschko, Adamek's less than convincing win brought up serious doubts over his chances against the giant brothers. Still, given the lack of depth in the heavyweight division, either match-up would be welcomed by fans. Let's take a look at some of the reaction from around the net...

Bad Left Hook - Tomasz Adamek decisions Michael Grant in Newark

From an analytical standpoint, I found the fight very interesting. As chinny as Grant has been in his career, Adamek never really hurt him, and he landed some good, hard shots. On the other hand, I thought Adamek showed a real aversion to being hit by Grant, often looking like he wanted absolutely nothing to do with mixing it up with the big man.

This has come up in Adamek's other bouts at heavyweight, too. He tired against Jason Estrada and had some trouble late in that fight. He seemed to bounce and even back when hit by Cristobal Arreola, feeling that power. And Grant wobbled him a few times and made him very aware of who had the thunder in the ring. Throw in the fact that Adamek doesn't have game-changing power himself, and you have a recipe for a fighter who will almost always put on better-than-average heavyweight fights, but one who I think would have to be considered a fairly heavy underdog against any of the division's top names. David Haye is fast and powerful, Wladimir Klitschko has concussive power, and Vitali Klitschko throwing arm punches has some thudding strength left.

The Queensbury Rules - Michael Grant Gives Tomasz Adamek A Scare In A Dramatic Bout That Adamek Wins

In the end, Adamek got the deserved decision, but his viability as a future heavyweight king took a lump or two. Consider that, with the exception of his drubbing of Andrew Golota, Adamek has been in three close-ish fights at heavyweight against Jason Estrada, Chris Arreola and now Grant; that's three fighters of varying degrees of talent and experience, and all of them have give him trouble. Adamek is a top-5 heavyweight, according to Ring magazine, and he should be. But he's really a cruiserweight who's overachieving.

Boxing Scene - Adamek Passes Grant, But Can He Pass THE Big Test?

It is a good run. It is not enough to say that Adamek is ready for Vitali or Wladimir Klitschko.

Adamek uses his advantages in speed to defeat his larger, more lumbering opponents. But he also appears to be slower than others who have successfully made the leap from lower divisions to boxing’s marquee weight class. And these larger, more lumbering opponents have still been able to hit Adamek.

Also, while the Klitschko brothers are both bigger than Adamek, neither should be described as lumbering. Both are athletic and deceptively quick, both with their hands and with their feet.

The Sweet Science - Adamek Takes Care Of Grant In Warmup For A Klitschko

Main Events had entitled this one "The Big Challenge," and at 261 pounds, Grant was indeed the largest man Adamek has faced in his heavyweight incarnation. The other thing that keeps getting bigger are the crowds. Some 10,972, most of them Adamek’s Polish countrymen, turned out at the Prudential Center for this one. They were decked out in red shirts and red caps and waving red-and-white scarves and happily cheering their man – and that was before either fighter had landed a punch. As a group, you’d have to describe them as pretty easily satisfied boxing fans, but if Michael Grant can expose this many chinks in Adamek’s armor one shudders to think what a more talented heavyweight might do to him.

SI.com - Tomasz Adamek emerges in shallow, Klitschko-led heavyweight crowd

Yes, Adamek outpointed Grant convincingly. He scored repeatedly with quick combinations, while Grant could score with little more than a left jab. The judges scored it 118-112, 119-111 and 119-112. (SI.com had it 118-112.)

But Adamek, an 8-to-1 favorite despite concessions of nearly 40 pounds and six inches in height, absorbed a good amount of punishment against an opponent decidedly past it. He also made a tactical blunder by attempting to trade with Grant in the 12th round despite an obvious lead on the scorecards. A powerful right hand sent Adamek barreling across the ring ("bouncing around like a pinball," Grant recalled), but the Pole recovered in time for the final bell.