Everybody was there...including B Hop & Adamek. Article about what happened by Scoop Malinowski Adamek Confronts "Embarrassed" Hopkins in Newark By Scoop Malinowski Call it the close encounter between two champions. Because like the failed negotiations between Bernard Hopkins and Tomasz Adamek, it was another strange miss last night in Newark, N.J. Let's review: In February, Hopkins expressed desire and ambition to fight Adamek for the IBF Cruiserweight title, a new weight class for him to achieve excellence. But after witnessing Adamek's ferociously impressive KO win over Johnathon Banks on February 27, Hopkins has lost interest in the fight. Main Events attempted to negotiate with Golden Boy to make the fight but Golden Boy offered Adamek the paltry sum of $500,000 which was insulting to the popular Pole when it's known the full pot was approximately $6 million. That works out to an approximate 90/10 split for the true legend challenger over the ticket-selling champion. Negotiations, strangely, ended there, to the frustration of Team Adamek. So last night at Larry Hazzard's C.O.M.B.A.T.T. Awards dinner in Newark, NJ at the Robert Treat Hotel - where both Hopkins and Adamek were presented awards - there was a plan. Adamek, who has other options to ponder but most of all he would like to battle the living legend Hopkins for top dollar, wanted to try to make something happen, in a gentlemanly and non-trash-talking manner, of course. We pick it up the story from Main Events publicist Jolene Mizzone who was with Adamek, manager Ziggy Rozalski and another publicist Ellen Haley, and a Polish photographer as the Adamek contingent walked across the ballroom to greet Hopkins who was sitting at his table. Jolene Mizzone, Main Events publicist: "Tomasz did the right thing by going up to Hopkins and saying hello. Hopkins was on his phone, stood up, shook his hand for a second. Paid no mind to him, didn't say anything else. And sat back down and looked the other way." BoxingInsider: Well, Hopkins was on the phone you said. Jolene Mizzone, Main Events publicist: "No, he was on an e-mail. Not on the phone, looking at an e-mail, whether it's texting..." BoxingInsider: So would you say Hopkins dodged that encounter? Jolene Mizzone, Main Events publicist: "I would say Hopkins dodged it. I don't know if it's called dodge - embarrassment maybe?" BoxingInsider: Embarrassment? You sensed embarrassment? Jolene Mizzone, Main Events publicist: "I sensed embarrassment. Because I would never say Hopkins is scared of anybody. I don't think Hopkins is scared of anybody. That's just not him. The way I saw it, I take it more as embarrassment." BoxingInsider: Wow. That's a strong word though. This confrontation/encounter happened before the dinner and presentation part of the night. Almost two hours later, Hopkins exited the ballroom shortly after speaking and well before the night was over. Did he have a plane to catch? Did he have enough? Or did he sense and want to avoid another possible encounter with Adamek? Because I was told the Adamek group was going to make a second approach at Hopkins. So there you have it. Bernard Hopkins may have done an-about face about facing the robotic Eastern European fighter he previously desired to battle. Maybe Adamek, in the prime of his career, was a tad bit too impressive in destroying the heavy-hitting Banks. And at this point in Hopkins career he does not need to face a relentless, merciless, driven beast like Adamek with 20,000 fired up Poles supporting his every thrust for victory. Hopkins looked in awe at the support Ricky Hatton received at the weigh-in at Las Vegas against Mayweather and at the age of 44, a true living legend like Hopkins, who has nothing to prove, may be making the smartest business decision he ever made in leaving Tomasz Adamek alone. Bottom line: Hopkins did not lose any points last night, he is who he is, a true living legend and all-time great of the ring. But Adamek gained a measure of prestige and credibility to his ledger, in my opinion. Hopkins knocked on Adamek's door in February and wanted to go in and take away his IBF belt. Adamek opened the door and welcomed in the legend but showed his guest a look in his eye and spirit that said without words, You are not going to take my belt without a fight. Hopkins got the message and has elected to not take the belt. End of story. It will not count as an official win, but in a way it was an impressive victory for Tomasz Adamek. (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((bbbGO GORAL:bbb)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Interesting read. Funny how Hopkins all the sudden has backed out of having anything to do with Adamek.
Adamek is a selective puncher. His timing and punch sequencing aren't especially consistent. Adamek is a practicing surgeon disguised as an upright banger, and Hopkins didn't like what he saw when he took a focused look at the pattern of Adamek's attack. I can see why he may have determined that Adamek posed certain tactical liabilities or 'unknowns' for him. Just one or a couple of mistakes could have proven fatal against a pure power puncher with the natural size of Adamek, and even the Pavlik's and Trinidad's of Bernard's cleanest sustained performances landed a palpable number of squared shots on him. Bernard has one of the best poker faces in all boxing when he gets hit. You can't even tell most of the time when he does actually take something, but he can tell. The man does get hit. He does get wet.
Sure do. That Malinowski book on the Lewis-Tyson fight is the best boxing book to come out in a long time.
