Tomasz Adamek’s nickname in Polish is “Goral.” It refers to highlanders or mountain people who are noted for their wisdom, bravery and work ethic. During WWII, they fought the Nazis as partisan freedom fighters.
Andrew Golota, a fellow Polish boxer whom Adamek beat in his debut at heavyweight, said you can killa Goral but he will keep on fighting after he is dead.
Adamek, a former light heavyweight and cruiserweight world champion from Gilowice, Poland, needed those attributes to beat a valiant Vinny Maddalone at the Prudential Center Thursday night.
Adamek (43-1, 28 KOs) defeated Maddalone with a TKO at 2:17 of the fifth round when referee Steve Smoger stopped the fight after Maddalone’s corner stepped on the ring apron and asked the ref to stop it.
“Vinny is a warrior. He’s a very good puncher,” Adamek said. “He’s smart and strong. But you have to be strong. Speed is power. I was faster and stronger. I saw him and he was looking bad. I believe the ref should stop the fight when someone is looking like that.”
Even though Maddalone (33-7, 24 KOs) fought bravely, it was a good stoppage. He faced serious damage if Adamek had continued to batter him.
“I never saw the punch coming,” Maddalone said of the shot that knocked him down. “I didn’t want the fight to be stopped. I was just stunned with the knockdown. I was hoping that he would trade a little more. Hats off to him for a good and smart performance.”
It gave Adamek another convincing heavyweight victory as he continues his quest to meet Wladimir or Vitali Klitschko for one of their world championship belts. He is No. 1 in the WBO and No. 3 in the IBF, although there is no No. 1 or No. 2 IBF contender ahead of him. It was Adamek’s fifth heavyweight match since moving into the weight class last year, and it was his sixth fight at the Prudential Center, where he has become an attraction.
Maddalone entered to the “Rocky” theme, which fit his character. It was also great timing considering Sylvester Stallone was elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y., on Tuesday.
But there would be no real-life “Rocky” moment in this fight for Maddalone, a slugger from Flushing who had come to boxing through his experience as a “Toughman” contestant 10 years ago. Adamek was simply too fast and too slick a boxer to succumb to Maddalone’s all-out assault.
Adamek thwarted the pressure with a triple jab (when is the last time you saw a heavyweight throw a triple jab?) and sideways movement. When Maddalone did get within firing range, Adamek tied him up.
