Chris Arreola vs. Tomasz Adamek: Who Wins and Why? Part One of Two by Mike "Mykers" Boehm (April 16, 2010) Doghouse Boxing
On April 24, 2010, heavyweight contender Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola 28-1 (25) will take on a defining fight with former two-division world champion Tomasz Adamek 40-1 (27). The fight will take place at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, California. The match-up is slated to start at 6:00pm with several undercards, doors open at 5:00pm. The fight itself has become very appealing based on the nature of the two fighters, and expectations are mounting quickly.
There seems to be plenty of talk back and forth, between camps. More specifically, team Adamek is convinced that Chris Arreola has never faced an opponent who fights the way a former cruiserweight champion in Tomas Adamek does. As for Chris, the smaller opponent seems like an ideal match-up for the heavy-fisted boxer. Both fighters are coming off recent victories. Tomasz Adamek defeated heavyweight Jason Estrada, battling him over 12 rounds to earn a unanimous decision. Chris Arreola’s coming of a sound performance over Brian Minto, in which he earned a fourth round TKO victory.
As with any fighter, defeat is usually upon the horizon. For Tomasz Adamek, this came back in 2007 against Chad Dawson at light heavyweight. In September of 2009, Chris fought his heart out but just wasn’t able to subdue the 6’7 advantage of Vitali Klitschko, losing by a 10 round RTD. However, in the case of his upcoming match, Tomasz Adamek stands only 6’1, and Arreola shouldn’t have any problems landing his shots. Of course, one of the many questions is weather Chris will be able to catch, and land his shots on the quicker fighter in Adamek.
Aside from team Adamek and their accusations, most people worry about one simple, major question regarding Chris Arreola; what’s his weight? Chris Arreola promised after the Klitschko fight, that he would take training more seriously. Unfortunately for Chris, this didn’t seem quite his game plan when he stepped in the ring against journeyman, Brian Minto; subsequently tipping the scales at a career-high 263 pounds. According to reports Chris Arreola currently weighs 252 pounds, and is training twice a day. Team Arreola further commented: “Expect Chris to top the scales at 242 pounds for the upcoming fight.” Chris Arreola's trainer, Henry Ramirez, stated that he thinks Arreola's natural weight for fights now on should remain around 242 pounds.
As for team Adamek, Tomasz commented on his own weight, which was a career high: “220 is my natural weight – I checked before the press conference, I’m still relaxing after the Estrada fight, and I was still 220 lbs. So it’s natural, I don’t have to gain any extra pounds.”
Obviously, weight is one defining trait, and only time will tell how serious Chris Arreola is about this fight. Aside from the weight differences, is this really a career wise decision for Tomasz Adamek to accept this fight? On one side, you have Chris Arreola who has a great chin, took plenty of hard shots from Vitali Klitschko, and possess knockout power to boot. Tomasz Adamek is a skilled and somewhat tactical fighter, who appears to have a chin made of granite. However, Tomasz Adamek has shown he still packs a serious punch when the chance permits.
Ultimately, most thought Tomasz Adamek didn’t perform up to the expectations to make boxing fans feel he’s ready for a heavyweight title shot in his performance against Jason Estrada. Judging by the Estrada fight, Adamek will not make it an easy fight for Arreola. Expect Adamek on the move, using his in-and-out feature, and taking some unnecessary punishment to gain his own shots and steal a few hard fought rounds. While Adamek always comes into a fight confident, you can’t under estimate Chris Arreola. He may be heavy, but his speed tends to be deceiving. Chris is much quicker than most perceive him to be, and his determination is unquestionable.
While Adamek's resume appears sound within the cruiserweight ranks, he hasn’t really matched up against an opponent like Chris Arreola. Though, his 2-0 heavyweight record is intriguing, there is plenty of observers who have their doubts, and plenty who have hope. Given the hype of this fight, and the lackluster facts provided by me, I invite the community to express their opinions. There seems to be plenty of questions and not enough answers. So I invite you, to respond. The question I have is this: Who will win this fight, and why? Your answers will be published in a combined article in Part 2 of this upcoming showdown between Chris Arreola and Tomasz Adamek.
Please email me at mykers@aol.com. Continue to follow Doghouse Boxing for more information regarding Chris Arreola vs. Tomasz Adamek.
