Tomasz Adamek Sidesteps Chris Arreola For Win

ONTARIO-Poland’s Tomasz Adamek showed he can fight the big boys and take a big boy punch in beating Riverside’s Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola after 12 rounds to win a majority decision on Saturday.

Adamek (41-1, 27 KOs) absorbed heavy shockwaves from a true heavyweight puncher and in a co-main event Mexico’s Alfredo “Perro” Angulo retained his WBO junior middleweight title with a knockout in front of more than 6,256 at Citizens Business Bank Arena.

The former light heavyweight and cruiserweight world titleholder proved he can hang with the heavyweights too.

Adamek immediately showed he was the quicker fighter but every time he fired a combo he was met with a left hook or right hand. Arreola began using the jab effectively in the second round.

The Polish fighter got off to a quick start in the third landing combinations effectively. Arreola moved in behind the jab and landed some left hooks in between Admaek’s combos. The round was close.

Adamek’s plan seemed to be to fire combinations and move out of range before any big counters. Arreola did land some good body shots and right hands but was out punched in the fourth.

A stiff left jab sent Adamek reeling in the fifth round and sent Arreola on the attack. The Riverside heavyweight pummeled the Polish fighter along the ropes and landed a right hand but Adamek withstood the barrage.

“I thought I had him in the fifth,” said Arreola (28-2, 25 KOs). “I hurt my left hand.”

In the sixth round Arreola sent Adamek reeling again with a left hand and once again went into attack. Adamek used his experience to push off the bigger heavyweight and survive getting hit with another big punch.

Adamek was more wary of the Arreola jab in the seventh and eighth rounds. He feinted and moved and popped one-two combinations.

Arreola increased the pressure in the 10th behind some jabs and big right hands. Once again he connected including with a big left uppercut but Adamek withstood the punch. Once again Arreola hurt his right hand and writhed in pain, but waved off the referee Jack Reiss from halting the fight.

The last two rounds saw Adamek fire quick combos that did little to hurt Arreola but did a lot to score points. Arreola seemed to be unable to increase the attack.

“Chris may have gotten tired,” said Henry Ramirez who trains Arreola.

The judges scored it 114-114, 115-113 and 117-111 for Adamek.

“He did what he wanted,” said Arreola after hearing the scores. “He beat me.”

Adamek, who seemed confident he won after the fight concluded, raised his hands to the Polish contingent triumphantly.

“He was the toughest fighter I ever fought,” said Adamek. “This is why I believe I can be a world champion.”

Angulo scores KO

Mexicali’s Angulo absorbed big blows but did what he came to do in winning by knockout after a good start.

Joel Julio used his legs to move around Angulo’s heavy punches. On occasion he stopped and traded with the tough Mexican and took punishment doing it. He scored best while on the move the first two rounds.

The action increased in the third round with Angulo and Julio standing and trading big blows. Both took punishment in the fourth as well with Angulo’s punches slightly more effective.

Angulo began picking up the pace in the fifth round as he connected with big left hooks and one-two combinations. In the sixth the body punches flowed from the Mexican fighter.

Julio never stopped trying to win the fight. Despite withstanding some vicious assaults the Colombian continued to jab and look to stop the pressure fighting Angulo. Big shots were traded but round after round in the final four rounds Julio seemed to be getting the worst of it.

In the 11th round Angulo powered a right hand like a baseball pitcher firing his best fastball down the middle. Julio went down but beat the count. Referee Raul Caiz Sr. looked at Julio and stopped the fight for a technical knockout victory for Angulo at 1:39 of the 11th. According to Compubox Julio out landed Angulo in total punches 175 to 167.

In power shots Angulo landed one more. That one more was the difference.

“Joel never hurt me I know he has power but it is really hard to hurt Perro,” said Angulo. “I saw he was not getting up right away and my work was done.”

Julio felt he was ahead on the score cards.

“I made a mistake and I paid for it but I was going to get up. I would have fought on,” said Julio. “They stopped the fight too early. I don’t like it at all. I was going to win by decision.”

Not according to the judges who had it scored 97-93 twice and 96-94 for Angulo at the stoppage.

Other bouts

Bantamweight prospect Rico Ramos (16-0 9 KOs) passed a tough test against Colombia’s slick southpaw slugger Reynaldo Lopez (29-9-2, 21 KOs) after eight rounds. Ramos scored knockdowns with left hooks in the second and seventh round. All three judges had Ramos winning 80-70, 79-71, 78-72.

Heavyweight Nate James (3-0) had a rough time with cagey veteran Alvaro Morales (4-7-5). He barely squeaked by with a split decision 40-36, 39-37 and 37-39.

Heavyweights Natu Visinia (4-0, 3 KOs) won a four round technical decision after a clash of heads opened up a gash on Geovanni Sarran’s (0-1) right eye at 24 seconds of the fourth and final round. Referee Jerry Cantu stopped the fight due to the injury and it went to the score cards were all three judges gave it to Visinia 40-36.

Bantamweight contender Chris Avalos (16-0, 13 KOs) cruised through Colombia’s John Molina (27-13-3) with superior power, height and reach. A second round pummeling convinced Molina to stay on his stool at the end of the round giving Avalos a technical knockout win.

Marquise Bruce (0-0-1) and Raul Rodriguez (3-4-1) fought to a majority draw after four rounds of a junior middleweight fight. It was Bruce’s pro debut. Judge Wayne Hedgepeth scored it 40-36 for Bruce and Marty Denkin and Sergio Caiz had it 38-38 a draw.

John Molina (19-1, 15 KOs) survived a wobbly first round and dropped Jose Izquierdo (17-6-1, 14 KOs) with a right hand in the first round. In the second round he avoided the right hand and unloaded his own for a knockout at 2:55 of the first round of the lightweight bout.