Home Boxing News Adamek vs McBride: Best-Laid Plans?

Adamek vs McBride: Best-Laid Plans?

Kevin McBride, ‘The Clones Colossus’, goes into Saturday’s heavyweight bout with Poland’s Tomasz Adamek (43-1, 28 KOs), as a clear underdog, no, make that a huge underdog. He is simply there to make up the numbers in what can be described as a ‘glorified’ sparring session for the highly ranked, two weight ‘world’ champion Adamek.

McBride brings heart, size (6 foot 6 inches) and a losing streak to the fight.  His record stands at 35 wins with 29 KOs and 8 losses (6 coming via KO). His career started in 1992 and he is now 37 years old. In that time, his most notable win is over ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, via 6th round TKO, though it was a completely shot Tyson that McBride beat and a shell of the boxer who reigned with terror in the 1980s.

The venue is the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Adamek’s adopted home in the US. Once again on Saturday he will be fighting in familiar surroundings and supported by his many loyal Polish fans. Whether McBride brings along the Irish supporters remains to be seen but as long as he is there, that’s all that matters from Team Adamek’s point of view.

Adamek has signed to meet a Klitschko brother in September, expected to be Wladimir, in Poland for the WBO, IBF and possibly the WBA belts, though if David Haye spoils the party in his upcoming fight with Wladimir, obviously the best laid plans are out the window.

Kevin McBride was last seen in action in the UK’s popular series Prizefighter, where he won his first bout against Franklin Egobi but lost to Matt Skelton, though was very unfortunate as he floored Skelton for the count only for the referee to somehow view it as a slip. In three fights prior to the tournament he lost to Mike Mollo, Andrew Golota and perennial loser Zack Page, so he has no real form going into this fight and I think has been handpicked purely due to his size, as Adamek’s last few opponents – Chris Arreola, Michael Grant and Vinny Maddalone have all been much bigger than Adamek in preparation for the 6-foot-6-plus Wladimir Klitschko.

Trouble is, McBride fights nothing like Wladimir and has nowhere near the same ability, and while I commend Adamek’s stay-busy approach, I don’t really see what this fight can offer. Is it a potential banana skin, that could ruin the best-laid plans? In theory. But in reality I see Tomasz achieving a comfortable win and stopping a beaten and tired McBride in the 4th round. Adamek has been having a pretty decent run in boxing’s heaviest division and I see no reason why that will end on Saturday.

McBride won’t get in the way of Adamek’s title shot and I’m sure he’ll be more worried about the outcome of the June/July fight between David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko.

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