Stage set for Adamek-Cunningham rematch

July 13, 8:15 PMNewark Boxing ExaminerAaron King

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There were no surprises on Saturday night when the top two cruiserweights in the world stepped into rings on opposite ends of the Eastern seaboard. No surprises, of course, is what boxing fans were hoping for.

Tomasz Adamek and Steve Cunningham ripped through their respective opposition with ease and have now set the stage for a rematch of one of 2008’s best fights.

The scene at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., where Adamek (38-1, 26 KO) defended his world championship against the wholly undeserving Bobby Gunn (21-4-1, 18 KO), resembled something like a ceremonial sacrifice. Adamek, from Poland and based in Jersey City, always draws huge crowds in Newark, which has become his home base on account of its large Polish community and his contract with N.J.-based Main Events.

Saturday night was no exception as nearly 7,000—many of whom were clad in the red and white of the Polish flag—congregated in anticipation of what was sure to be a massacre. Adamek, for his part, gave the fans what they wanted, picking apart the helpless Gunn until really unloading in the fourth round. Gunn made a ridiculous show early in fourth when he poked at his chin and invited the champ to hit him. Adamek did. A lot. Referee Earl Brown stopped the fight after Gunn somehow finished round four on his feet despite eating about two dozen unanswered power shots.

While more deserving than Gunn, Wayne Braithwaite was also unworthy of his opponent, Cunningham, in their title eliminator in Sunrise, Fla. Braithwaite (23-4, 19 KO) is a former titleholder but had lost three of his previous five going into Saturday night.

“U.S.S.” Cunningham (22-2, 11 KO) controlled the action with his long left jab and peppered Braithwaite with enough straight rights to keep him from getting inside for too long. It was a well-executed game plan that allowed him to cruise to an easy unanimous victory by the scores of 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111.

Cunningham is now officially the mandatory for Adamek’s alphabet strap. (Note: for once, reference to a sanctioning body carries with it a positive connotation!) Their first bout was an exhilarating slugfest. Adamek thrice sent Cunningham to the canvas, yet managed only to escape with a split-decision win. Many assumed that the two would sign for a rematch immediately, particularly because it seemed to be the best match to be made at cruiserweight. But Adamek and Main Events went hunting for a bigger money fight and almost landed one with Bernard Hopkins. As a result of that blunder, Cunningham was made to fight for the opportunity to get another shot at the championship.

If negotiations go smoothly and with some alacrity, the rematch for which so many have waited could be coming our way by the end of the year.

As always, there could be a hitch, although it’s really a win-win for fight fans. Adamek may look to resurrect talks with another Philadelphia-based pugilist—light-heavyweight champion Hopkins. However, last spring, Hopkins and Golden Boy Promotions spurned Adamek with a preposterous offer of $500,000 flat (i.e. split between Adamek, his handlers and Main Events), without offering Kathy Duva and Main Events any place in the promotion. One may wonder why Hopkins, after refusing to negotiate the terms whatsoever before, would be any more reasonable the second time around.

Needless to say, there are significant hurdles to an Adamek-Hopkins showdown. The hurdles, still, are utter constructions of the Hopkins camp, so it is possible they’ll be overcome.

Regardless of whether that fight happens, it will have an affect on a potential Adamek-Cunningham rematch. Depending on how vociferously Main Events pursues Hopkins, it could push back talks with Cunningham. That means the rematch may have to wait until early next year.

Either way, let’s just hope that HBO or Showtime picks it up (thank goodness for Versus).