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05/22/2005 Archived Entry: "BREWSTER 'RELENTLESSLY' RAVAGES GOLOTA FOR TKO WIN, ADAMAK EDGES BRIGGS IN 'BATTLE FOR CHICAGO'!"
BREWSTER 'RELENTLESSLY' RAVAGES GOLOTA FOR TKO WIN, ADAMAK EDGES BRIGGS IN SCINTILLATING 'BATTLE FOR CHICAGO'!
By Juan C. Ayllon at ringside
Lamon Brewster bangs a right hook to Golota's midsection (Edward Zajac Photo)
CHICAGO, May 21, 2005 – A sustained and deafening roar shook the enormous United Center as 20,000 screaming fans made their sentiments known when ring announcer Michael Buffer said the words, “…for the WBO Heavyweight Championship of the World,” and moments later when he said, “…from Chicago, Illinois…”
As if there was any doubt, equally thunderous boos and whistles cascaded onto the main floor when defending champion “Relentless” Lamon Brewster’s name was announced.
Having tasted a morsel of success earlier this evening by claiming the vacant WBC Light Heavyweight Championship courtesy of Chicago's Tomacz Adamek, Chicago's fans—and its Polish constituents in particular—wanted a piece of the biggest prize in sports, the Heavyweight Championship of the World.
Chicago's Andrew Golota looked like the man to do it, having come close in two previous attempts versus IBF Champion Chris Byrd and WBA Champ John Ruiz. After all, WBO Champ Lamon Brewster had looked particularly vulnerable against Kali Meehan last September. The way Brewster caught punches in that bout and the way Golota punched looked like a "surefire" solution to pull Chicago sports fans out of their "Second City" funk they had been suffering as of late.
Alas, to no avail.
Brewster looks on as Golota falls through the ropes (Edward Zajac Photo)
Round one’s bell was still vibrating from the initiating gong as Lamon Brewster (224 lbs., 31-2-0, 27 KO's) bore into his bigger and taller adversary behind a stiff jab and looping power punches with both fists blazing. A stupefying left hook to the body dropped an apparently startled and defensive Andrew Golota (248 lbs., 38-5-1, 31 KO's) hard on his haunches.
Upon rising, Golota was driven backwards to the ropes behind a fusillade of larruping lefts and rights to the head. An explosive left hook-right-left hook combination collapsed the hulking Golota in sections, down, back and through the ropes like a precision, dynamite-induced building implosion.
Floundering back in, Golota was savagely overwhelmed, alternatively pummeled to body and head with another furious two fisted salvo. Golota went down for the third and final time. That was it. Brewster won an electrifying TKO victory over the towering Golota in just 53 seconds into the first round. The frenzied crowd was beside itself as it cheered the frightful display of power, destruction and domination it had just witnessed.
Adamek (right) attacks Briggs (Edward Zajac Photo)
Earlier transplanted Pole Tomasz Adamek (175 lbs., 28-0-0, 20 KO’s) showed discipline, toughness and superior work rate as he edged power punching Paul “Hurricane” Briggs (23-1-0, 17 KO’s) over 12 scintillating rounds to win the vacant WBC Light Heavyweight Championship.
The crowd was loudly appreciative of their efforts throughout their match, roaring loudly as both fighters were bloodied and fought valiantly for the duration of the bout. A loud Polish contingency regularly cheered their newly adopted son at light heavyweight as he put forth a gritty and disciplined effort against an unyielding and powerful opponent.
Aussie Briggs initiated matters in round one behind a pair of jabs; Adamek returned in kind. The more effective aggressor in round one, Adamek drove Briggs to the ropes several times, mixing up hooks to the body with jabs and right crosses, while Briggs landed the occasional hook and hard right to the head.
Round two had scarcely begun when the referee called time; blood streamed down the side of Briggs face from a cut just behind the eye on his orbital bone. Cleared by the fight doctor, the bleeding was stemmed and bout continued.
Stirred up, Briggs landed a hard right. Adamek countered with a two fisted assault. Guards held high, the two took exchanged volleys. Adamek banged hard to the body with both hands. Briggs increasingly fought off the ropes. As Adamek cornered him, he caught a potent right and a couple hard hooks to the head. The crowd cheered loudly as, undeterred, Adamek continued to pressure Briggs. He landed two rights. Briggs was bleeding again. Maintaining a high guard, Adamek used his jabs well to set up right hands and occasional hooks to the body in dominating this round.
Briggs began round three landing two punishing rights and pursued Adamek hard. Swelling from the right eye, Adamek reestablished his jab to stem the rush. Briggs landed another heavy right to the head. Adamek landed a series of fast left jab-straight right combinations to drive Briggs back against the ropes. Briggs fought his way off the ropes. At rings center, Adamek speared Briggs head repeatedly with potent jabs. Briggs landed a hard right to the body and a right to the head along the ropes. Again, Adamek dictated the tempo of the round by and large.
Initially, round four saw Adamek dictating behind a stiff jab. Briggs landed a hard right to the head, then an even bigger right hand. Briggs was coming on strong as he forced Adamek to retreat. Adamek was warned for a low blow. The two exchanged furiously as Briggs began imposing his power game, while Adamek appeared to be losing steam and attempting to stem Briggs advances with a preponderance of blows. Briggs landed a right after the bell, drawing loud boos and whistles from the crowd.
In round five, Briggs continued his surge, landing a hard left hook to the body. The two swapped blows. Briggs landed a potent left-right combination to the head, then a right to the body. The two exchanged jabs and right hands. Briggs jarred Adamek with a hard left hook to the head. Adamek landed a flurry of lefts and rights and Briggs landed a hard right. Adamek banged in a left hook and caught a hard right to the head in return. Briggs drove Adamek into the ropes and landed a solid right to Adamek’s head. Deftly, Adamek spun out of the ropes and speared Briggs bleeding head with hard jabs. Briggs landed a big right and then an even bigger one to Adamek’s head. The two exchanged furiously as Adamek fired back with a vengeance. The two fell into a clinch at the bell.
Adamek began round six with a renewed sense of urgency, jabbing hard and driving Briggs to the ropes. Continuing a trend of mixing in banging shots to Briggs body throughout the bout, he landed a left hook to the ribs and a right hand to the head. Now Briggs was backing up. Bleeding from the nose, Adamek was easily the busier of the two, landing three punches to Briggs’ one. This round featured more back and fourth action with Briggs landing the heavier blows. Briggs landed a huge right and a potent left hook to the head. Adamek landed several rights of his own. Briggs landed a chopping right to Adamek’s head. Adamek jabbed furiously and ripped left and right hooks to the body. The two nodded respectfully at the conclusion of the round.
Briggs initiated round seven with a series of jabs. Adamek countered with jabs of his own, then the two exchanged furiously at ring’s center. Briggs landed a hard right to Adamek’s head and backed him to the ropes. Briggs was on the attack. Adamek landed a three-punch salvo and caught another right to the head. Pressing forward, Adamek caught yet another heavy right to the head. Briggs waved Adamek in. Obliging him, Adamek marched in behind his jab. Briggs landed a left hook to the head. Adamek exploded with a left-right to the head, left-right to the body and a left hook to the head. Adamek landed another right to the head and Briggs threw a left hook at the bell.
Coming on in round eight, Briggs landed a right that staggered Adamek into the ropes. He landed another big right to the head as Adamek covered and countered with a heightened sense of urgency. Adamek landed a right and caught another right to the head in return. Then Briggs landed another right. The two traded furiously. Adamek landed a big right of his own. Briggs rocked Adamek with an even bigger right hand clearly hurting him. However, Briggs backed off as Adamek stormed back. Adamek landed a three-punch flurry to Briggs head. Vehemently, Briggs shook his head as if to say, “No, your punches have nothing on them.” Adamek landed another three-punch volley and Briggs banged in another hard right to the head at the bell.
As with many of the rounds, round nine saw Adamek the busier of the two, while Briggs landed the heavier artillery. Briggs landed a very hard left hook to the body and followed with a left hook to Adamek’s head. Adamek countered with a right to the head and a left to the lower ribs. Adamek began jabbing again, circling his antagonist. Briggs pursued, landing a pair of rights to the head. Adamek surged back with a flurry of left-rights. He followed with a series of left-right combinations; Briggs nailed him with a big right hand and a jarring right uppercut. Adamek fought back with a two-fisted flurry, driving Briggs into the ropes. Briggs wrestled with him at the bell, seeking to spin him onto the ropes.
In the opening moments of round ten, Briggs landed a huge right to the head. Adamek pumped his jab, seeking to wrest control. Briggs landed another big right hand, knocking him backwards. Adamek jabbed Briggs along the ropes and caught a left right from Briggs. Briggs landed another right. Adamek jabbed furiously, ate a couple rights and attacked. Briggs landed another big right to the head. Adamek lands a left-right in return, jabbed and moved. He caught another solid right to the head from Briggs. Adamek answered with a solid jab-right to the head, left hook to the body combination, driving Briggs to the ropes. Furiously banging away with both hands, Adamek was imposing his will on Briggs. Briggs landed a heavy right uppercut, but Adamek was undeterred. If nothing else, Adamek was one disciplined and tough kid!
Round 11 saw Adamek start off behind a busy jab, only to catch a left jab-right combination to the head from Briggs. Adamek continued to jab and throw left-right combinations. In turn, he caught a right to the head on the ropes. Adamek landed a jab, right cross, left hook combination and another pair of left hooks to the ribs. Briggs countered with a right to the head. Adamek jabbed hard; Briggs landed a right. Adamek banged a vicious left hook to the body and absorbed two hard right to the head. Adamek landed a right cross. The two exchanged fiercely. Adamek landed a jab followed by two hard rights, driving Briggs backwards, then followed with another right and left hook. Bleeding from the nose and fighting with a badly swollen right eye, Adamek imposed his will on Briggs in the closing moments. This was one very close fight!
Round 12 featured a torrid three minutes of non-stop action. As was the case through most of the fight, the crowd cheered lustily as two battered warriors, bleeding, swollen and smeared with blood struggled harshly to gain the upper hand.
It began with Adamek reestablishing the jab. The two traded blows in two solid exchanges. Banging away, Adamek drove Briggs to the ropes. As was the case throughout the bout, he did not shy away from taking right hands to the head in order to land strength sapping hooks to Briggs’ body; in this case taking a solid right to the head in exchange for banking potent hooks to Briggs’ sides.
Adamek banged away with increasing abandon, repeatedly backing Briggs up with two, three and four punch combinations.
Adamek snapped Briggs’ head back with a left and right hook combination. The two exchanged volleys along the ropes. Adamek landed a pair of jab-right cross combinations. Again backing Briggs to the ropes, he strung together a series of three and four punch combinations. The two swapped blows, with Briggs landing another big right hand to Adamek’s head; Adamek nailed Briggs with a left hook to the jaw in return.
Briggs landed a huge right hand to Adamek’s head, then a second that momentarily staggered him. Regrouping, Adamek fought back furiously in a toe-to-toe exchange, eventually swarming Briggs. Keeping both fists pumping, he drove Briggs into a corner at the final bell.
The final scores read as follows: 115-113 for Adamek, 114-114 for a draw and 117-113 for Adamek, the new WBC Light Heavyweight Champion of the World! The crowd’s cheers were nearly deafening. Once again, Chicago had a world champion!
Afterwards, Adamek said, “This was my best fight ever. Briggs was a strong, tough fighter, but I was never going to give up.”
Paul Briggs said, “I felt I rocked him every other round. 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.”
And that was a snapshot of this evening’s night of world championship boxing: it was not only fairly judged, but a thoroughly electrifying event. It’s been no secret to the Chicago faithful that boxing is alive and well in the Windy City. It’s just that maybe now the world will once again stand up and take notice.
PHOTOS TO APPEAR LATER...
