03.10.06 – by Michal Koper: Q: Tomek, you’re fighting Paul Briggs on October 7. How has your camp been going so far? Are you satisfied with the camp?
Tomasz Adamek: Everything is great, I thank God for being healthy- this is the most important thing. I’m ready to fight. Buddy told me so on Friday already.
Q: No broken noses?
Tomasz Adamek: No, everything is OK. Tomorrow I’m sparring 5 rounds, on Thursday/Friday 5 more and that’s it. Now I’m working on speed- padding, light training, and no more body-building gym till the fight. Just weight adjustment, final training on pads with Buddy.
Q: What can you tell us about your sparring partners?
Tomasz Adamek: You know, you can’t achieve anything without hard work in America. You pay the fighters for sparrings, and they know that if they don’t do their best, they will go home immediately. I’m satisfied with my sparring partners.
Q: I know you’ve been sparring with Saunders, who was helping Briggs before your first fight in 2005…
Tomasz Adamek: I’m also sparring with him tomorrow.
Q: Is the fact that he knows Briggs well is helpful for you?
Tomasz Adamek: He says I’m very fast and superior to Briggs in boxing skills. He says its tough task for him to fight me. He’s slower than me, and I hit very hard. He says I’m in good shape and that my jab is fast and strong.
Q: How is your weight now? You had little problems with it before Ulrich fight…
Tomasz Adamek: 81-82 kilos at the moment. Today after the training it was 81. There’s no need to go lower. I can make the weight even today. There’s still a week till the fight left, 2 kilos is not a problem at all.
Q: I’d like to ask you about your long lay-off. How did it affected on you as a boxer?
Tomasz Adamek: I can’t feel any difference compared to my last fight. I came back to American style a bit with Buddy. I’ve been training every day since Ulrich fight. It wasn’t like I split up with boxing for a year. I trained every day, I ran, trained in a small gym in my house, I sparred in Warsaw. I’ve been in boxing all the time. When I finally came to the camp my weight was 84 kilos, which is my natural weight. Even Buddy noticed I came in good shape. I think there are even some advantages of this lay-off. I’m fight hungry now.
Q: I’ve heard you’ve been working on your power a lot during this year….
Tomasz Adamek: I’ve always felt strong. If I land a clean punch, I can KO everybody- doesn’t matter if it’s right or left hand. Buddy noticed, while working with me on pads, that I really could hit with my right. Physically, I’m prepared fantastic.
Q: Let’s talk about Buddy. I’ve recently talked about you with Jacqui Snow (she writes for ESB) and she seemed to be concerned with the fact you’re working with McGirt now. He’s been having bad luck recently. He lost with Gatti, Tarver, and Brewster. What do you think about Buddy as a trainer?
Tomasz Adamek: He’s great. I found a common tongue with him at the very beginning. Within the first week there were some remarks from him, but now everything is OK. Coming back to Buddy’s loses, I asked Buddy about them. Gatti- it was the end of his career, injuries, hadn’t spar too much, Brewster weighted too much Tarver had to lose 25 pounds, wasn’t in good shape. Sometimes even the best trainer can’t help. But, when I come to the gym in good shape, they see I’m slim, they see I’m fast, my trainer can expect a lot from me. If you come to the gym out of shape 2 months before the championship fight, even the best
trainer in the world can’t help you. A professional fighter should have professional attitude to the sport.
Q: What’s the difference between Colonna and McGirt as trainers?
Tomasz Adamek: The main difference is that Buddy used to be a fighter in the past. He fought many years and has a lot of experience. What I like about Buddy’s training is a diversity of training intensity. There’s a place for hard training but in meantime there’s also a place for a lighter one. That’s what was missing in Chicago [in 2005]. I was tired and additionally I had the nose injury. McGirt regulates trainings’ intensity very well. I also feel that his advice during sparring sessions is correct. I’m satisfied with working with Buddy. Ha hasn’t changed my style, I do what I used to do, he just added some elements, but not too many. I can see the guy knows what it’s all about. As I said, he was a good boxer, now he trains many good fighters, I’m satisfied with Buddy.
Q: What can you say about your regular trainer, Andrzej Gmitruk? We know he had a heart attack, had to undergo a surgery…
Tomasz Adamek: Andrzej was the one who was supposed to prepare me for the fight, but unfortunately, he has these health problems. Buddy took responsibility for everything. He took care about everything and he’s responsible for preparing me for the fight.
Q: I’ve seen an interview with Paul Briggs recently. He said that with his new trainer by his side he finally had started to box and he’s not just a slugger anymore. On the other hand, I’ve seen his last fight (with Clavero) and he didn’t look like he had improved too much. Do you think he can surprise you with anything new?
Tomasz Adamek: I’ve seen the fight too and I was surprised he decided to change his style. I think he was more dangerous as a puncher. I don’t want to criticize him, because we’ll meet in the ring on October 7. I just want to win the fight- this is my goal. The Clavero fight wasn’t too impressive. I don’t know how his camp is going, but I’ve heard there was a conflict between Paul and his trainer about 4 weeks ago [reportedly, Briggs wanted to hire Colonna, the trainer who prepared Adamek for the first Briggs fight]. Anyway, i don’t care about it. What I care about are my prepartions and my fight. I count on myself and I believe that God will give me the power to win. I want to give a good show to my fans and to put my best foot forward on HBO.
Q: Talking about HBO, it will be your first fight televised in the USA. Do you feel any additional pressure because of that?
Tomasz Adamek: You know, it makes me happy, that boxing fans will have the opportunity to see me. I will give the very best of me, as always- that’s the way it was in Germany and that’s the way it was in Chicago, where I have that serious injury- I fought before thousands of people then, so I don’t feel any special pressure now. I’m happy that finally my fight will be shown in America, because the big contract with TV was what I’ve always wanted. If everything goes fine, I’ll get it.
Q: I want to get back to the first Briggs fight for a moment. It was a bloody and close fight. Why? Briggs was such a hard opponent or it was related to the nose injury?
Tomasz Adamek: It was the hardest fight of my career. I broke my nose 4 weeks before the fight. Briggs punches renewed the injury. I was choking during the fight. It was extremely hard to fight. I won with my faith. Faith can make miracles. It was hard but I won, showing the world that a Pole can make it.
Q: I’m asking about Briggs because in my opinion Ulrich boxing skills are superior to Paul’s. And you defeated Ulrich easily…
Tomasz Adamek: I never disregard my opponents, no matter how weak he seems to be. You can beat everyone but you can also lose to anyone. That’s why I train so hard. Buddy doesn’t have to motivate me, because he can see, I’m doing my best. I’m a professional and I take boxing very seriously. I’d been working very hard for my championship, and that’s how I’m going to work till the end of my career. This is boxing. You risk your heath here, very serious injuries happen, especially if you’re not prepared properly. I have toughness and persistence in my blood, so I always train hard.
Q: On October 7 undercard Maciej Zegan will face Nate Campbell in the IBF Lightweight eliminator. Have you got any news from Maciej’s camp?
Tomasz Adamek: I called him few days ago. He said he was working very hard. He knows it’s the big opportunity for him. He realizes how important the fight is for him. He was robbed in the championship fight in Germany [against Grigorian, WBO belt]. It’s gonna be a though fight for him,. I’ve seen his opponent in action. He’s very good fighter. I wish him best luck, I’m sure the fight will be interesting.
Q: Listening to what you say about your preparations with Buddy, I think you’re going to show rather American style in the ring…
Tomasz Adamek: I’m sure I’ll fight behind the jab; Buddy said already during the first training on pads, that my jab is fast and powerful. So the jab will stay. We mix the traditional polish jab with some elements of American school and I think it will work in the ring.
Q: Many of your fans are concerned about the fact that you sometimes keep your left hand low. In the first Briggs fight, Australian caught you few limes with his big right…
Tomasz Adamek: You know, it’s hard to fight with such a serious injury [broken nose]. The hand went low and I couldn’t control it, I was exhausted because of the injury. I won that fight with my will, I defeated my weakness and I won. I guess the upcoming fight will be clean. I like clean fights, like the one against Ulrich.
Q: There have been a lot of rumors about your conflict with Don King. If there were no promoters or TV-contracts issues, who would you like to fight next?
Tomasz Adamek: Names like RJJ, Johnson, Hopkins… I know that HBO or Showtime is interested in signing me. If I win, we’ll fight very soon. I’m very fight-hungry, but I’m focused on October 7 at the moment. I don’t want to think what’s going to be in 4-5 months.
Q: It seems to me, that you have a status of a star among polish fans in the USA. Do you feel fans’ support during your fights? Does it help you or you’re only focused on your fight?
Tomasz Adamek: When you enter the ring and you see your fans, it really helps, no doubt about that. But after the bell rings, there’s only fight, you’re focused on what’s going on inside the ring.
Q: The last, personal question. You have 2 young daughters. Recently fans around the world had an opportunity to watch Chris Byrd taking horrible beating from Wladimir Klitschko’s hands. His son was in the corner then, watching it. What’s your opinion? Do your daughters watch your fights?
Tomasz Adamek: They’ve seen my last fight. Their daddy was standing on his feet, everything was OK. Of course it would be easier if they were boys, boys are emotionally stronger. My daughters know, that their daddy fights, but I don’t take them with me to watch my fights.
Q: Any predictions on October 7 fight?
Tomasz Adamek: I know, I’ll win. I believe in my victory. I believe that God give me the strength and everything will be OK.