Boxing In America: Friday Night Results

There were a few good bills last night in the USA and we start off in Chicago where ex-WBC Light Heavyweight titlist Tomasz Adamek, 35-1 (24), stayed on track for an upcoming cruiserweight title challenge to IBF Champion Steve Cunningham by forcing a seventh round stoppage of Utah man Gary “The Pitbull” Gomez, 18-10-1 (7), at the Aragon Ballroom.

While Gomez had faced respectable competition, such as Jeremy Williams, Arthur Williams, Kenny Keene during his career, he hadn’t faced a top-tier opponent in his prime and Adamek took advantage of this skill gap, pinpointing perfect combinations that repeatedly found their target as his opponent came forward.

It was only a big heart that kept the iron-chinned Gomez in the game until a hand injury prevented him from answering the bell for the seventh round, giving Adamek, of Gilowice, Poland, his fourth straight victory since losing his WBC Light Heavyweight title to Chad Dawson in February of last year.

Six foot seven inch tall Polish heavyweight Mariusz Wach, 17-0 (8), of Krakow, used his reach advantage to good effect in stopping Eric “Night Train” Boose in the seventh frame of their eight rounder but fellow Pole, 20 year old Chicago based Warsaw prospect Andrzej Fonfara, 10-2 (3), wasn’t so fortunate as he was finished in two by Gary, IN slugger Derrick “Superman” Findley, 12-2 (7), in the second round.

One of the best Mexican fighters to not possess a world title was in action at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX last night as lightweight Miguel Angel Huerta, 27-9-1 (18), won a hard fought ten rounder over Puerto Rico’s Juan Ramon Cruz, 15-5-1 (11), by a mark of 97-93 on all three scorecards.

29 year old Mexico City resident Huerta, nicknamed “El Anestesista, has had a mercurial career since turning pro by getting stopped in 1999. 11 consecutive victories followed that disastrous start but then Huerta lost three of his next four, all by stoppage, in 2001.

Huerta got back on the horse and over his next seven contests, won six while drawing once, defeating such good fighters as Martin Honorio and Darling Jimenez but was then stopped in the eighth by future two-time world champion Julio Diaz, followed by a close decision loss to former world title challenger Victoriano Sosa in 2003.

Once again, Huerta pulled it together and ran off a string of five wins, including victories over Rolando Reyes, Roque Cassiani, Alan Vester and Marco Angel Perez until incurring an eight round loss to Silvio Ortiz in 2006.

After a win against Antonio Ramirez, Huerta dropped Almazbek “Kid Diamond” Raiymkulov in the 11th frame but lost a split decision for the NABF Lightweight title in June of 2007. But Huerta got a second crack at the NABF crown just two months later and widley outpointed former USBA titlist Efren Hinojosa in a winning effort.

Huerta ended 2007 with a third round stoppage over big punching Daniel Alicea but lost his NABF title to wily fellow Mexican and ex-IBF titlist Javier Jauregui this past March. With a few more good wins, Huerta may finally get a long overdue world title shot.

We finish off this Friday night report from the National Guard Armory in Philadelphia, PA where towering former heavyweight world title challenger Michael Grant, 44-3 (33), won his sixth bout on the bounce by posting a unanimous 79-73 eight round decision over iron-chinned opponent Demetrice King, 14-16 (12).