Interview by Pattee Mak – July 11, 2013
Heavyweight Tomasz “Goral” Adamek (48-2-0, 29 Ko’s) of Gilowice, Poland and Jersey City, New Jersey steps back in the ring on August 3, 2013 at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut against local Connecticut native Tony Grano (20-3-1, 16 Ko’s). Grano is coming off of a UD loss against Eric Molina back on April 27, 2013. This bout is scheduled for 10 rounds. Adamek is currently the IBF North American heavyweight champ and at one time held the WBC light heavyweight title, IBF International heavyweight title, WBO NABO heavyweight title, IBF cruiserweight title, IBO cruiserweight title, WBC light heavyweight title, WBO Inter-Continental light heavyweight title, IBF Inter-Continental light heavyweight title, Polish International light heavyweight title, WBC CIS and Slovenian Boxing Bureau (CISBB) light heavyweight title and International Boxing Council Inter-Continental light heavyweight title
Pattee Mak: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I’m sure you are training hard for your upcoming fight against Grano. Some would say this will be an easy fight for you. What are your thoughts?
Adamek: Everybody who’s coming to fight with me will be ready. I am ready, strong and I’ll win this fight. I’m sure Grano will be ready at 120%.
Pattee Mak: How did Grano come about for your opponent and not another heavyweight?
Adamek: Well actually several other heavyweights turned down the fight and Tony stepped up and the fight came about.
Pattee Mak: What do you know about Grano?
Adamek: He likes to fight and to punch. He has a lot of fights. I want to put on a good show for my fans.
Pattee Mak: What is going to be your game plan going into the ring that night?
Adamek: lol. You’ll see that that night.
Pattee Mak: Where and who is currently training you?
Adamek: Roger Bloodworth is my trainer and I’m training at the World Boxing Gym in Jersey City.
Pattee Mak: Any words you would like to say to Grano?
Adamek: Good luck.
Pattee Mak: Lets go back to your last fight against Steven Cunningham. You won by SD after 12 rounds. Some would say that you won and others would say that it was a bit controversial. Anything you’d like to say to those people who disagree with the split decision?
Adamek: I won and that’s it. The decision was made by the judges. It wasn’t a very interesting fight. Cunningham didn’t really fight. He threw punches and ran away. And I won on the judge’s scorecard. Any time you loose by split decision it’s hard to take. It’s part of the game.
Pattee Mak: Now the table has turned and you’ll be fighting Grano in his hometown. Hypothetically if the fight goes the distance and to the judge’s score cards, do think that there could be a possibility the decision could be more favorable for the hometown fighter?
Adamek: We fought in Cunningham’s back yard also. I’m never scared of going anywhere. We fought in Cunningham’s backyard in Pennsylvania so it’s not anything new. It’s not a new thing to fight in someone’s back yard. It’s where the fight was made and it’s what we have to do.
Pattee Mak: This is the first time you’ll be fighting at Mohegan Sun. Grano has fought seven times at Mohegan since his pro debut. Do you think he’ll have any advantages over you since he is very comfortable fighting at this arena?
Adamek: I’m gonna have more Polish people there. My crowd is bigger than Grano’s. It’ll make a very big crowd.
Pattee Mak: Any regrets by not taking the elimination fight against Kubrat Pulev?
Adamek: At the time the fight wasn’t economically feasible maybe in the future it will be. Right now we are not worried about anything in the past or in the future. We are only worried about one thing and that’s Tony Grano.
Pattee Mak: Goral is your ring name. Tell me more about the meaning of it.
Adamek: It’s a nickname that came from the mountain regions cause they are warriors.
Pattee Mak: You have a large polish following. What would you like to say to your fans out there?
Adamek: Thank you for coming. I’ll be very excited to see the crowd. I love the crowd and they love me.
Pattee Mak: I look forward to your match up on August 3, 2013. Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions. Good luck in your fight.
NBC Sports Network will feature two fights on their August 3rd Fight Night series. The telecast begins at 10:30PM EDT. Headlining the event in a 10-round middleweight challenge is Curtis “Showtime” Stevens of Brooklyn, NY, (24-3-0, 17 KO’s) vs. Saul Roman of Tijuana, Mexico, 37-9, 31 KO’s. The co-feature will be 10 round heavyweight battle between “Fast” Eddie Chambers (36-3-0, 18 KO’s) of Philadelphia, PA vs. Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu (12-1-0, 9 KO’s), of South Africa. The card is being promoted by Main Events. All bouts and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets are priced at $125.00 and $40.00 (price includes facility fees) and can be purchased by calling Mohegan Sun Box office 860-862-8499 or through Ticketmaster. For ADA accessible sales, call Mohegan Sun Box Office at 860-862-8499.
Photo by Eagle Sports Photography.
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
