Undefeated World Boxing Council Light Heavyweight Champion
Born on Dec. 1, 1976, in Zywiec, Poland, now residing in Bielsko Biala, Poland
Height: 6’ 1 ½” Weight: Light Heavyweight (175)
Record: 30-0, 21 KOs
Tomasz grew up in Gilowice, a small village of 5,000 surrounded by mountains in
southern Poland.
He began to box at age 12 when, without telling his mom about it, a friend took him to a
boxing gym. The young Tomasz, very talented and fast, was soon in the ring with
grown men. Tomasz had the same trainer in Poland, Andrzei Gimitruk, who coached
heavyweight Andrew Golota to a bronze medal in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South
Korea.
At age 19, Tomasz became one of the three youngest boxers to win the Polish National
Championship in 1995. He won the title again in 1996. In 1998, he won the bronze
medal in the European Championships. As an amateur, he compiled a 108-12 record.
Just prior to being named to the 2000 Polish Olympic Team, where he was a medal
favorite in Sydney, Tomasz signed a professional contract.
Tomasz made his pro debut on March 13, 1999, and won by first-round technical
knockout. He then went on to win his next eight bouts by TKO. On March 2, 2001, in
Warsaw, Poland, Adamek won the International Boxing Council intercontinental light
heavyweight championship with a unanimous decision win over Rudi Lupo.
On Oct. 18, 2002, Adamek won the Polish International Light Heavyweight title with a
third-round TKO over Laverne Clark.
In Finland, on Oct. 4, 2003, Adamek won the vacant IBF intercontinental light
heavyweight title with a second-round knockout over Ed Dalton.
Adamek continued to rack up the wins and move up the rankings. He added another
title to his collection on April 17, 2004, when he won the WBO intercontinental light
heavyweight championship with a fifth-round knockout over Gabrail Gabrailov.
Adamek won a 10-round decision over Ismail Abdoul in Warsaw Poland on Sept. 10,
2004, catapulting him into world contention as the No. 4-ranked WBC contender.
Immediately after this win, Adamek signed with promoter Don King Productions and
manager Ziggy Rozalski, who also manages Polish heavyweight Andrew Golota.
Tomasz then began training in the Golota camp based in Chicago.
The undefeated Adamek made his first world championship appearance and first match
in America for the WBC light heavyweight title against WBC No. 1 contender Paul
“Hurricane” Briggs at the United Center in Chicago on May 21, 2005.
“Briggs will have problems because I am too fast for him,” Adamek said. “I came to the
U.S. to become world champion. My faith in God will give me the mental and physical
power to win this fight. I have had dreams of becoming world champion since I was 12.”
The 20,126 spectators who showed up to see Adamek’s countryman Golota face World
Boxing Organization heavyweight champion “Relentless” Lamon Brewster (Golota was
knocked out in just 53 seconds) had no idea that it would be another Pole that would
steal the show this night. In what turned out to be a 12-round slugfest, Fight of the Year
candidate and a brutal display of wills, both combatants stood toe to toe landing bombs
for most of the contest. It was only revealed after the match that Adamek had suffered
a broken nose close to the fight—altering his sparring regimen—but he never
considered backing out.
As young fighters often do in their first world championship fight, most of the techniques
and tactics were thrown out the window after the sound of the opening bell as both
fighters tried to bang the other with power shots. And what a display it was.
Briggs had been a mixed-martial-arts fighter, with a never-say-die attitude. That neither
fighter went down in this brawl was a testament to both fighters. The only regret was
that HBO did not include this tremendous bout as part of its broadcast, so American
fans did not see it.
In the end, it was Adamek who possessed the superior boxing skills in the contest, but
the fight was very close. Two judges scored it 117-113 and 115-113, respectively. The
remaining judged thought it was a draw. Adamek won the majority decision and title.
“This was my best fight ever,” Adamek said after the fight. “Briggs was a strong, tough
fighter but I was never going to give up. I know I made my country and family proud.”
Briggs was gracious in defeat.
“I felt I rocked him every other round,” Briggs said. “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.”
American boxing fans missed out on another terrific fight was not broadcast in America
when Adamek squared off in his last appearance against European Boxing Union
champion Thomas Ulrich (28-1) on Oct. 15, 2005, in Dusseldorf, Germany.
The undefeated Adamek showed extensive growth in his boxing skills under the sole
tutelage of Polish trainer Andrew Gmitruk, displaying a stinging left jab from the outset
that proved to be his most valuable weapon.
Both fighters came out of the corners ready to fight, and their interplay built until the
middle of the second round when they abandoned safer one-punch tactics, exploding
with a flurry of combinations that increased the attention of the sold-out crowd of 5,000
at the new Mehrzweckhalle.
While Ulrich was determined and skilled, Adamek's telephone-pole jab kept the German
native from establishing a firmer foothold in the match. Both fighters erupted with
power-punch combinations before the bell sounded to end round three, but it was Ulrich
who appeared to be absorbing more of the punishment as blood appeared on his face.
A bronze medalist at the 1996 Olympics, Ulrich tried from the beginning to score with
left hooks but became less successful in landing them as the fight progressed, most
notably in round four where Adamek began to take greater control of the fight.
By round five Adamek dug in and began throwing three- and four-punch combinations,
all set up by the lead jab. Ulrich refused to concede and landed his best two punches of
the contest—both big right hands—but Adamek remained undaunted.
Ulrich, with blood now smeared around a great portion of his face, decided to go for
broke while still capable of turning the fight in his favor. He paid the price for his valor
when Adamek threw a jab followed by a thunderbolt straight right that landed flush,
dropping the challenger with devastating effect.
English referee Ian John Lewis, who had been an invisible gatekeeper up to this point,
counted Ulrich out before he could regain his feet at 1:57 of the sixth round.
Interestingly, Briggs fought and won on the same card, possibly setting the stage for a
re-match.
Tomasz is a highly religious man. His wife, Dorota is a nurse and has seen almost all of
his fights. His two daughters, Weronika, 5, and Roksana, 8, know that their father
boxes to provide a better life for them. Tomasz, who enjoys nature and playing soccer,
is very quiet and humble and prefers staying home more than anything else. He is a
strong Christian Catholic, and his personal hero was Pope John Paul II.
