Jarrell King Miller vs. Tomasz Adamek

8 weeks from Saturday, DAZN.

 

Harsh critique from Antonio Tarver - somebody that has, like Adamek, campaigned in the uppermost three divisions (light heavy, cruiser, and heavyweight) at various points in a career spanning about two decades apiece*. They also have quite a few opponents in common**, although never have the pair met nor even spent much time in the same weight class simultaneously - levied on social media today:

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* yes, Tarver is still technically active (under the broader definition of "not officially retired and ostensibly planning to compete again") by his own words, although he claims to be politically blackballed from doing anything but spin his rusty wheels - despite the fact that a week from today will mark a 3 year absence from the ring.
** Adamek and Tarver have both lost unanimous decisions to Chad Dawson - twice, in Tarver's case. They both also defeated Nagy Aguilera by UD in 10-rounders, and both stopped Johnathon Banks (Adamek in eight and Tarver in seven rounds). Adamek defeated Steve Cunningham by split decision twice (both robberies IMO) while Tarver drew with him.

I think Miller vs. Adamek is a horrid waste of everyone's time but I would be VERY up for Tarver vs. Adamek either as sort of a "featured attraction" co-main event to Miller vs. a legit fellow contender or as its own standalone headliner on a middling TV card, scheduled for 10 with nothing at stake except bragging rights and with the understanding that it might well be the final contest for both participants.

 

Rewind a dozen years or so (to 175lb where both started and when each was making their respective biggest strides there; so roughly circa Adamek vs. Briggs I & II, and the Jones rubber match for Tarver) - who do you pick?

 

He's still being ushered into the ring propped upright by his team (with or without the use of an intricate system of wire rigging; data inconclusive), although it could be argued what he's doing is more akin to "Starring in a performance art reinterpretation of Weekend At Bernie's" than "fighting".

 

I agree, buuuuut - weren't you aboard that embarrassing Joey Abell bandwagon earlier this year that deluded yourselves into thinking he underwent some miraculous transformation in the middle of his career from a glass-chinned journeyman into a serious contender and somebody against whom Adamek was supposed to struggle mightily and quite possibly even lose (and by KO at that)?

I'd think you would give the conqueror of the fabled Abell more of a chance, then.

If you weren't among those people, I apologize.

 

This is a pretty easy spin for Miller's handlers, sadly.

"Adamek is coming off a very solid 3-win streak over fringe operators Haumono (coming off a semi-controversial stoppage loss to future - and then current, as of Adamek vs. Haumono - world titlist Joseph Parker), Fred Kassi (known for being a handful & tough out for every top 15 ranked guy that faced him), and Joey Abell (supposedly on some major uptick of self-reinvention, as noted above) in just ten months. He arguably is a more than minor step up from at least half of Miller's last four opponents: Kassi, whom Adamek himself defeated - as well as Góral's countryman Wach, lacking a single defining career victory as good as even Adamek's fourth or fifth best. Miller just fought Duhaupas, the respected and (supposedly) tough as nails Frenchman, in a WBA title eliminator and is now frozen out from making good on the dominant win and challenging the WBA champ (either iteration; with neither the real one, super champ Anthony Joshua, nor the "regular" champ Manuel Charr available in 2018, with both having defenses already lined up in September) through no fault of his own, so while Adamek is a step down from Duhaupas he is a perfectly acceptable stay-busy date for the back end of the year. "

Drinkers of PBC Kool-Aid and other casuals will eat that **** up.

 

Literally nothing, just wanted to further bust you guys' balls about hyping Abell up (if only momentarily) because that nonsense was ridiculous and never for a moment did I for one believe he would come within sniffing distance of affixing even an old Adamek to his coup stick.

But then, I'm notoriously an unabashed lone wolf & immune to groupthink.

I'm glad that sobering reality has set in and you guys now recognize that a guy like Abell is like fifteen million levels below where someone like Miller is operating right now (and I don't even particularly love Miller; them's just the facts). Back in those days leading up to A vs. A, it wouldn't have shocked me if some of you guys had let slip a statement like "once he kayos Góral, the next logical step for Joey would be to go after somebody ranked like a Big Baby - that's a winnable fight for him!"