Adamek-Briggs 2

[OumaFan]

The first fight was a very good fight, one of the best fights of the year, HBO really annoyed me by not showing this as the co feature to Brewster-Golota, but I assume this one will be televised as the undercard to Valuev-Barrett. Should really be the main event, but as long as its shown thats fine.

Adamek's pretty good, more well rounded than Briggs, but Briggs has got good power.

Anybody else excited about this one? Predictions? I've got Adamek by decision.

[JohnnyKickAss]

I agree,their first fight was really great...,wonder why it didn't get that much recognition...
And because I don't expect much from Valuev/Barrett ,Adamek/Briggs will be mine main event
that evening...
It's just a wild guess,but I think Briggs will knock Adamek out in the later rounds...

[mikeboxing]

Adamek wins again UD, cuz he went into the last fight with a broken nose and still won

[Snakey]

Briggs is coming in with a knew trainer who has helped him in the departments he is lacking....none other then Johnny Lewis. I think briggs will win this time by tko.

[OumaFan]

Briggs is coming in with a knew trainer who has helped him in the departments he is lacking....none other then Johnny Lewis. I think briggs will win this time by tko.

A bit surprised by that pick coming from you Snakey

[Raz]

Ive been without the internet for a long while now and as such havnt been able to visit my favourite board...thinking back, i'm pretty sure the first post i made here was saying that before long Paul Briggs would be world champion and im not prepared to waver from that statement in any way shape or form...Paul Briggs WILL be light heavy champ by the end of this week. He had Adamek wobbling all over the place on a couple of occasions in their first bout, only failing to knock him out by not backing up with his punches. That wont be a problem this time however. JL has been working consistently with Briggs in increasing his workrate, backing up his punches etc.

Briggs by KO.

All the best to Vic Darchynian too. Sure to be another KO victory! Soon to be world champ in 2 weight divisions!

[OumaFan]

Ive been without the internet for a long while now and as such havnt been able to visit my favourite board...thinking back, i'm pretty sure the first post i made here was saying that before long Paul Briggs would be world champion and im not prepared to waver from that statement in any way shape or form...Paul Briggs WILL be light heavy champ by the end of this week. He had Adamek wobbling all over the place on a couple of occasions in their first bout, only failing to knock him out by not backing up with his punches. That wont be a problem this time however. JL has been working consistently with Briggs in increasing his workrate, backing up his punches etc.

Briggs by KO.

All the best to Vic Darchynian too. Sure to be another KO victory! Soon to be world champ in 2 weight divisions!

I'm alwasy a bit skeptical about guys that don't have a real good workrate improving it, seems like guys do what they know. But we'll see, I do think more highly of Jonny Lewis than Jack Mosley.

Either way I just wanna see another good fight. I'll stick with Adamek by decision but just want a good fight since I don't really have a strong favorite in the fight.

[Snakey]

Briggs is coming in with a knew trainer who has helped him in the departments he is lacking....none other then Johnny Lewis. I think briggs will win this time by tko.

A bit surprised by that pick coming from you Snakey

I wont be surprised if he loses by UD but i think Johnny Lewis may be a major difference. We will see i guess.

[OumaFan]

www.maxboxing.com

Lost in this week’s build up to the rubbermatch between lightweight champ Diego Corrales and Joel Casamayor and the hype surrounding giant heavyweight title-holder Nikolai Valuev’s U.S. debut vs. Monte Barrett is an excellent light heavyweight matchup that will serve as the co-feature to Valuev-Barrett: Tomasz Adamek-Paul Briggs II.

You know you’re a hardcore fan if the fight you’re looking forward to the most Saturday night is the rematch between Poland’s WBC light heavyweight titlist Adamek and Australia’s Briggs, which will be televised on HBO right before Valuev-Barrett.

You know you’re an absolute boxing nutcase if you’ve actually seen the first Adamek-Briggs fight, which took place last May and was one of the better 12-round bouts of 2005.

The sad thing about the first fight is that it was only televised live in Australia. The only fans that saw it in the U.S. were those who were among the 20,000 that packed Chicago’s United Center to see Andrew Golota challenge then-WBO heavyweight titlist Lamon Brewster.

Brewster annihilated Golota in less than a minute in the HBO-televised main event of the Don King-promoted card, but the thousands of Polish fans in attendance did not go home disappointed because they witnessed their countryman win a light heavyweight world title against a worthy opponent in a thoroughly entertaining fight.

Adamek-Briggs I was not televised on HBO (fans watching the U.S. subscription cable network were instead “treated” to the replay of Winky Wright’s one-sided points victory over Felix Trinidad), but word of the fight’s intensity quickly spread among boxing scribes and diehard message board junkies.

Soon tapes and DVDs of Adamek’s hard-earned majority decision victory made its rounds among the small-but-tight-knit fraternity of boxing geeks in the U.S. However, copies of the fight didn’t circulate far beyond the geek circle as the majority of American fight fans had already turned their attention to upcoming bouts of the summer of ’05 such as Cotto-Abdulaev, Gatti-Mayweather and Hopkins-Taylor.

Adamek-Briggs was just another awesome undercard fight that U.S. fans missed out on, which explains why as of Thursday evening I have only received about seven or eight emails (half of which are from Australian fans) regarding tomorrow’s rematch. This week alone, I’ve received more email on the recently announced Miguel Cotto-Carlos Quintana showdown than Adamek-Briggs.

Don’t get me wrong, Cotto-Quintana is a fight that’s worth some buzz, but as one of those boxing geeks who has seen the first Adamek-Briggs fight let me tell you, folks, tomorrow’s rematch is buzz-worthy, too.

Adamek, who holds a sparkling 30-0 (21) record, and Briggs, who has a 25-2 (1 record, have styles that mesh in the ring in a manner that guarantees excitement. Adamek, who won 108 of 120 amateur fights and was a two-time national Polish champ, is a busy boxer with solid technique and an aggressive style. Briggs, a former Muy Thai-style kickboxing champ who won 54 of 59 bouts, is powerful boxer-puncher with a seek-and-destroy mentality.

This rematch is also significant because it will introduce new players (to American fans) in the stagnant light heavyweight division. The winner could be invited back on HBO to take part in higher profile bouts. I certainly hope so. The recognized world light heavyweight champ, Bernard Hopkins, is 41 years old. The best known 175-pound contenders (in the States), Roy Jones Jr., Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson, are all 37 years old. The light heavyweight division is in desperate need of new blood. Adamek, who is 29, or Briggs, who is 31, or both, could be just what the division needs.

Both men proved that they belong among the elite fighters of the 175-pound ranks with the efforts they put forth in their first fight.

Coming into that fight, Adamek, then 28-0 (20), was considered an untested prospect. He was an imposing physical specimen, standing 6-foot-2 with a considerable wingspan, but his ledger lacked any notable names.

Briggs, then 23-1 (17), lacked the amateur background and size (he’s about 5-foot-11) that Adamek possessed, but he earned his WBC title shot with back-to-back 12-round decisions over tough Jesus “Chuy” Ruiz and then-undefeated Stipe Drews in 2004. The Aussie also has victories over Glen Kelly and former middleweight titlist Jorge Castro.

The battle-tested Briggs was a slight favorite over the unknown Adamek, but from the opening bell the Pole’s amateur experience was evident as he shot off the sharper, straighter and more accurate punches. Adamek often delivered his shots in tight three-and-four punch combinations that landed to Briggs’ body and head before using his legs to move out of the tough Australian’s firing range.

Adamek’s jab and footwork were impressive. He made the most of his height and reach advantages by employing an aggressive stick-and-move strategy.

Briggs’ martial arts background was evident in these early rounds as he put his entire body into hard single shots that were delivered more like strikes than punches. He possessed a shotgun jab and a cannon-like straight right, but he lunged inside Adamek’s reach with one punch at a time and then hopped back outside into the range of the Pole’s popping jab. Often, Briggs just stood in front of Adamek, blocking punches with a high guard and waiting for his agile opponent to stand still long enough for him to get off with one big punch to the head.

An unintentional headbutt opened a nasty cut on the left side of Briggs left eye at the start of the second round, and after the Australian was soundly out-boxed and out-worked in this frame it appeared that he may be in over his head.

However, despite lacking Adamek’s varied arsenal and ring versatility, Briggs remained a threat because of his tremendous physical conditioning and superior firepower. At the start of the third round, Briggs gave his fans and his corner, led by Jack Mosley, hope by landing a one-two combination that momentarily stunned Adamek and put the Pole on the defensive.

However, starting a pattern that would repeat itself throughout the fight, Adamek didn’t retreat for long. He came back with jabs and body shots delivered in multi-punch combinations that met his antagonist on his way inside. If Adamek wasn’t hurting Briggs with these punches, he was certainly out-working him. Despite Briggs’ success in the early part of the third round, it wasn’t easy for the official judges to score it for him because he was out-landed by what looked like a four-to-one ratio.

Adamek continued to out-work, out-box and out-maneuver Briggs in rounds four and five and appeared to have a comfortable points lead going into the sixth round, but it was evident by the blood dripping from his nose and the swelling around his eyes that he was in a fight.

Briggs was more aggressive in the sixth than he had been in previous rounds. In this round, when he landed a counter right over Adamek’s busy jab, he didn’t stand around and admire his work. The Australian immediately closed the gap and backed Adamek to the ropes, where the Pole fought back furiously, however the round may have been won by Briggs due to his effective pressure and harder punches.

In the seventh, Adamek reestablished control of the distance and tempo of the bout by staying on his toes and by dropping crisp combinations on the inside every time Briggs managed to get past his jab. Briggs covered up and blocked many of Adamek’s inside hooks, crosses and body shots, but he wasn’t able to get off with punches of his own.

It looked like Adamek finally figured out his stubborn foe and would be able cruise to the end of the fight, but in the eighth round, Briggs forced another momentum shift in the bout and reminded real fight fans why boxing dwarfs every other professional sport in terms of action and drama.

Briggs started the eighth round by seriously buckling Adamek’s legs with a hook-cross combination. He bulled the groggy Pole to the ropes but wasn’t able to keep his slippery opponent there. However, Briggs didn’t have to chase after Adamek, who moved the fight into the center of the ring and bravely, but foolishly, stood and traded with Briggs in an effort to get respect.

It wasn’t the safe thing to do. It wasn’t the smart choice, but Adamek’s decision to go toe-to-toe with the physically stronger and harder-punching Aussie gave the 20,000 fans in the United Center a glimpse of his heart and fighting spirit and it let Briggs and those in attendance know just how important it was for him to be called a “champion”.

The two-way action in round eight was as good as it gets and with a minute left in the round Briggs landed two monster right hands that hurt Adamek again. The majority-Polish crowd roared with a mix of fret and encouragement, hoping to cheer their troubled warrior on through the rough spot. With seconds left in the round, Adamek dug deep and pressed forward behind jab-right hand-left hook combinations that knocked Briggs back onto his heels.

It was an awesome round, one that brought the crowd to its feet but rightfully belonged to Briggs, who also proved his warrior spirit and showed that he did not travel half-way around the world to finish in second place.

Briggs caught Adamek with clean counter right hands at the start of the ninth, testing the Pole’s chin, which passed with flying colors. Adamek battled back, throwing and landing more punches than his opponent, but his greater activity left him open for Briggs’ accurate counter rights, which snapped his head back. It was another round for Briggs, who was beginning to look like he would take over the fight with his late rounds rally.

However, Adamek had something to say about that.

The 10th round featured back-and-forth exchanges in the center of the ring, and it could have gone either way. So after three brutally competitive rounds, who would have more juice left for the championship rounds? It was anybody’s guess. Briggs had been hit with more punches, including debilitating body shots, but Adamek was hit with the harder shots to the head and had put forth more of a physical effort with his non-stop punching and lateral movement.

Adamek out-maneuvered Briggs in the 11th round but also caught a few flush right hands. Adamek’s face was mess by the end of the round. His right eye was nearly closed, but he sucked it up and put the heat on Briggs in the final seconds of the round, perhaps stealing it on the judges’ scorecards.

Adamek didn’t wait for the final seconds of the 12th round to flare up offensively. He attacked Briggs from the start and controlled much of the round with his deft footwork and aggression, however Briggs dug deep for one last rally and landed big right hands in the final 30 seconds to the thrill of the crowd.

In the end, Adamek’s boxing skills proved to be the difference in what developed into a grueling fight. Two judges scored it 117-113 and 115-113 for Adamek. The remaining judge scored the bout a draw, obviously rewarding Briggs for his aggression and harder punching.

“This was my best fight ever,” the new WBC title holder said after the fight. “Briggs was a strong, tough fighter but I was never going to give up. I know I made my country and family proud.”

Briggs was gracious in defeat.

“I felt I rocked him every other round,” he said afterward. “I caught a lot of his power shots with my gloves. He was a good fighter. He put together good combinations. Of course I thought I won but that’s the way it goes. It was a fair decision.”

The key question going into tomorrow’s rematch is whether Briggs will be able to make the necessary adjustments in order to neutralize Adamek’s troublesome jab and footwork?

Briggs brought in Johnny Lewis as his new trainer and has rebounded by scoring a fifth-round technical knockout over veteran journeyman Etienne Whitaker last October and a fifth-round DQ over Jose Alberto Clavero this past June.

Fans will find out if those two confidence-building wins and the addition of Lewis to his corner will be enough to enable Briggs to handle Adamek, who seems to be coming into his own as a world title holder. In the main event of the same card in Dusselfdorf, Germany that Briggs stopped Whitaker, Adamek made the first defense of his title with an impressive sixth-round stoppage of European Boxing Union champion Thomas Ulrich.

Adamek looked even sharper vs. the once-beaten Ulrich than he did against Briggs, prompting many boxing writers who have seen the fight, including myself and MaxBoxing cohort Steve Kim, to consider him to be the best 175-pound fighter in the world.

Tomorrow’s rematch will go a long way in either proving or disproving that belief.

[superheavyrhun]

I think Briggs will come in this time with a revised gameplan and will have focussed on where Adamek's weak spots are, and will go to it. It depends a lot on whether Adamek is up to defending those weak spots well enough, and come forward to beat Briggs. I'll go with a Briggs KO 8 or 9.

[Majesty]

Ok, if Briggs has had one fight with Lewis as his trainer since the Adamek fight then this could be good but this may not be the right opponent to test what Briggs learned from Johnny on.

[OumaFan]

Ok, if Briggs has had one fight with Lewis as his trainer since the Adamek fight then this could be good but this may not be the right opponent to test what Briggs learned from Johnny on.

Well it was a pretty close fight so if Briggs just improves some he could win

But I think Adamek's a better boxer, and he's so much more consistent, Briggs spends too much time covering up waiting for that one big counter.

[ender]

I like Adamek by decision. He had a broken nose 1 month out from the last fight. Briggs is tough as hell but I think a 100% Adamek beats him handily. Should be another war . McGirt is in Admek's corner for this one and I wonder if that will help or hurt him.

[Galaxy]

I personally thought Briggs won the 1st, this time I think he KO's Adamek!

[bigragu]

Briggs is coming in with a knew trainer who has helped him in the departments he is lacking....none other then Johnny Lewis. I think briggs will win this time by tko.

time will tell.....doesn't matter who you get in your corner it is how you execute...I don't think Briggs is capable of that anymore....