In front of a raucous crowd at the citizens business bank arena, top heavyweight contenders Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola and Tomasz Adamek went the distance in what will certainly be remember as a highly competitive action packed bout. Both the hometown crowd and the thousands of polish fans in attendance cheered both fighters as chants of “Poslka” and “Arreola,” echoed all through the arena. Arreola was certainly the favorite coming into the bout, having the distinct advantage of being the heavier man. At the official weight in Arreola came in weighing in at a hefty 250lbs compared to a slim but muscular 217lbs Adamek came in. This would have little to do with the outcome of the fight as Adamek’s sound boxing technique and stick and move strategy proved too much for Arreola as he was awarded the majority decision (114-114,115-113,117-111) by the night’s end.
“My plan was not to go toe to toe, I had to use my head,” Adamek said. His movement certainly gave Arreola problems as he displayed signs of frustrations throughout the bout. To add to that it didn’t help that it appeared Arreola had hurt both his left and right hands in the later stages of the fight. “I hurt my hand in the fifth,” Arreola later commented. It would be an injury that would spring up again in tenth, as Arreola has Adamek on the run but had to back off grabbing his hand and for a second winced in pain. For every straight right or combination punched landed on the hometown challenger, he continued pressing forward making it apparent that his size and weight was too much for the lighter Adamek to knock him down. “I don’t think that Adamek has a heavyweight punch, I don’t think he has a heavyweight chin either. I hurt him with my jab on his jab,” Arreola said in the post fight conference. He in fact did have Adamek hurt on multiple occasions once in the fourth and once again in the sixth. If it weren’t for the quickness of Adamek giving him the ability to roll with some of those punches there is no doubt that he would have been asleep on the canvas.
Alfredo Angulo stepped into his fight against former top prospect of the yea Joel “Love Child” Julio as the overwhelming favorite. The crowd erupted into barks as Angulo walked to the ring with his dog in hand. His bite would prove to be too much for Julio as a overhand right sent the love child crashing into the canvas in the eleventh round (1:39). The bout was a back and forth one, with the movement of Julio frustrating a pressing Angulo who took no time in feeling out his opponent in the opening rounds. Angulo adjusted quickly after the first by attacking the body with stiff jabs and hooks that would shift the fight in his favor. The love child would have his best rounds in the fourth and fifth as he landed jabs and upper combinations. The persistent Angulo would not relent as he continued working the body and barely missing with his straight and overhand rights. He apparently saw a weakness those at press side did not as a counter overhand right set up by a Julio jab sent the Colombian down to the canvas at 1:39 of the 11th. “I knew I could continue after the knockdown, but it’s boxing and that happens. He’s a great fighter but I got to keep marching forward,” said Julio of his loss.
Arreola/Adamek Ring of Fire Live full card results
Tomasz Adamek defs Chris Arreola by majority decision (114-114, 115-113, 117-111)
Alfredo Angulo def Joel Julio via KO in R11 (1:39)
Rico Ramos def Reynaldo Lopez by UD (80-70, 79-71, 78-72)
Nate James def Alvaro Morales by SD (39-37, 39-37, 39-37)
Natu Visinia def Geovanni Sarran via tech. decision (40-36, 40-36, 40-36)
John Molina Jr. def Jose Antonio Izquierdo via KO in R2 (2:55)
Chris Avalos def John Molina via KO in R2
Marquise Bruce/Raul Rodriguez ruled a majority draw
