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Translation:
Do you not like Tomasz Adamek?
Me? A great world champion? I love him!
You obviously joke about him. Why? Weren’t you good friends once?That’s what I thought, but it wasn’t me who threw the first stone.
You still seem to have bad feelings about what Tomasz said about Radoslaw Konderz to one of the authors of his book. The boxer from Gilowice stated that this person “managed Golota’s bitches”, so his information shouldn’t be taken too seriously, as if Adamek was using encouraging measures.
More or less Tomasz apologized for these words but this wasn’t the only rubbish he spoke of. Besides this, from the moment he obtained his first championship belt he stated that he ate all his words. A few times I wanted to say something to him, especially before his lost bout to Chad Dawson. He burned me.
So this means?
When he trained with Buddy McGirt in Florida I made a special trip because I wanted to help. Several times in my career I fought against southpaws, but they basically didn’t want to listen to me. I felt like a dummy. Later Dawson made a windmill out of Adamek. From this point on we stopped calling each other. Then came out the book. Adamek started talking rubbish. Friend or pal you don’t behave like this.
So will this be a personal matter?
What do you mean personal? This is business.
Is it a matter of money?
With Adamek I can fight for free.
So it is in fact personal.
Maybe yes.
If you win will this change your position in the history of Polish boxing, or even more in world rankings? The fight could result as another stain in your boxing honor. The risk is huge.
Boxing is the one thing I’ve done all my life. This is all I know. I make a good living. The fight against Tomasz will be easy money. Besides, I didn’t come up with this idea, but I could have turned it down. Because you’d all be saying, if I didn’t agree to it, that Golota is afraid.
But aren’t you concerned about getting embarrassed?
Of what? Against Adamek? Yet he has no idea about a fight with a real heavy. I will show him this.
After your last injury, torn muscles against Ray Austin, it seemed you would be unable to return to training.
I am now lifting 100 kiligrams with no problem. I pound the heavy bag with all my strength. (We saw this with our own eyes while filming a TV commercial for Polsat TV. Golota is not exaggerating.) I have almost no pain at all.
And that’s enough for Adamek?
I don’t know. I still don’t know if I’m still able to prepare properly for a fight. I’m old. But this is why I want to box. I want to see if I can still do it.
Emotions aside, and analyzing only the subject of the sport of boxing, you are not the favorite in this fight. Adamek is younger, faster, and unlike you he does not lose cold blood in the ring. And he weighs about 100 kilograms (220 lbs.) now. Naturally, if you’re able to hit him the fight could be over, but will you be able to connect?
The ring is not a soccer field. Sooner or later I will get him.
And if not?
He’ll probably fight like Roy Jones against Ruiz. Hit, clinch, escape and outpoint me.
Even your trainer Sam Colonna said that Adamek will win on points…But Tomasz is not Roy Jones. You can’t imitate this guy. I’ll crush Adamek with my mass.
Do you intend to lose weight to be faster?Before Austin I wanted to be fast and lighter. And you see what turned out. My muscle held up but my bone cracked and I lost one arm.
Earlier you were down on the canvas quicker than ever before in your career, after barely a few seconds.
The first round has never been my strong side. Unfortunately, everybody knows this already. But only the first round. If I can get past it then I start to unwind, right? (laughter)
There will be thousands of fans in Lodz. Last time you fought in Poland, even though your opponent was weak, you entered the ring extremely stiff. And it didn’t go away after the first round.
Wasn’t Bates down in that first round?
He was down.
So what are you getting at? In the second round it was over. And do you remember how the public behaved? It was me that set the tribunes in motion. I’ll manage.
Why didn’t you ever work with a psychologist?
I tried but it’s a waste of time. Besides, in my last fights I think I proved that I am capable of pulling myself together.
If there’s anything left to pull together…
Oh you’re asking for it man, you’re asking. I’ll point out a few details. A lot of my fights were bad luck. Just tough luck, understand? You wouldn’t believe it anyway.
Let’s try. First the most embarrassing one. Lamon Brewster and 53 seconds of battle.
This was really just hard luck. It all started a few weeks before the fight. After training I used to take vitamins. Regular complex vitamins. I finished my container and went to the drug store. I bought a new one, identical. After a few days I started ballooning. Like a balloon! I didn’t know what was going on. It turned out it was from the vitamins.
Regular vitamins?
Unfortunately, they weren’t so regular. I didn’t notice one of the warnings “extra strong”. I started reading the ingredients and it turned out that besides the vitamins there was creatine in there. One of the side effects is water retention in the body. I was unable to rid the substance right up to the fight.
But what meaning did this have in the course of your fight?
Unfortunately it did. I started to do my warm up. The water in my body quickly came to the surface. I thought it was enough. My physical therapist Leszek Samitowski explained to me later that it wasn’t a warm up. As soon as I warmed up slightly I was sweating but my muscles were cold. In addition, prior to entering the ring I stood in the hallway leading to the arena for 15 minutes. And there was such a draft it could have ripped your head off. I was frozen to the bone. I once had a similar incident in Madison Square Garden. It was awful. Then there were the shoes!
Shoes?
Yes, shoes. Believe me again. I bought two pairs before the fight. As usual the same size - 12.5. I put them on in the dressing room and my foot was sliding back and forth like if it was in a giant carpet slipper. It was one size too big. I don’t think I need to explain what the job of your feet is during boxing. So I entered the ring frozen, pissed off and with shoes that are too big. I glanced at him and Brewster connected and it was over. He hit me like a blind chicken running into a pile of grain. That was the best fight of his career. In his life he’d never be able to beat me again.
Why did you hit Bowe in the balls?
The son of a ***** didn’t want to go down. And I didn’t know what was going on with me? It gets worse in the second fight. From the fifth round on I didn’t know what was going on. From the third round I was fighting with a broken jaw. Not many people know this. He was swimming on the ropes. The referee should have stopped the fight and spared Bowe.
With Lennox Lewis you also had some adventures.
The case of the shot that I got in my knee prior to the fight, rolled out several times. But today I must admit I probably underestimated him. This wasn’t supposed to be such a hard fight and he wasn’t supposed to be so aggressive. Back then he didn’t seem to be so good. I made a mistake.
And with Michael Grant why did you give up? You really didn’t know that you were leading on points, and that you only needed to go one more round so you could get revenge with Lewis?
My word, I thought I was behind. That’s what they told me in my corner. And then that ref, who did everything he could to get me to quit the fight. Every moment he would warn me for something. That I didn't place my foot right, and this, and that I’m hitting low… but the fact is it was my mistake. A big mistake.
Biggest mistake in your career?
My biggest mistake was to get involved with Al Certo. Because of him I walked off the ring against Tyson.
????
Everybody only remembers the cups flying at me full of drinks. Not many people know that I was fighting not only Tyson.
But who?
With the entire camp. Man, this was in Detroit. The most black city of black cities in the USA. Before the fight Al assured me that regardless what happens in the ring or in the corner I would be able to count on him. And what? Tyson headbutts me and fouls again and again. The ref doesn’t see this. And my corner doesn’t either? Who was I supposed to count on?
So in one word you need the support of your trainer, someone that will “take care” of you…(long silence)
What fight are you most proud of?
You won’t believe it but it was against the giant from Ireland Kevin McBride (June 2007, MSG New York). That was such a classic battle. First he almost knocked me out, again that first round of mine. That was probably the longest round of my life. I held up. Then I started to outpoint him, and then the change of position to southpaw. I caught the giant.
You fouled in the ring because…
With Po’uha it was like this: in the second round I had him. But in the fourth he hit me like no one before. I didn’t know what was going on with me. He hit me with 40 precise punches in that round. Do you believe it? I was fighting for survival. It was instinct.
Translation:
Do you not like Tomasz Adamek?
Me? A great world champion? I love him!
You obviously joke about him. Why? Weren’t you good friends once?That’s what I thought, but it wasn’t me who threw the first stone.
You still seem to have bad feelings about what Tomasz said about Radoslaw Konderz to one of the authors of his book. The boxer from Gilowice stated that this person “managed Golota’s bitches”, so his information shouldn’t be taken too seriously, as if Adamek was using encouraging measures.
More or less Tomasz apologized for these words but this wasn’t the only rubbish he spoke of. Besides this, from the moment he obtained his first championship belt he stated that he ate all his words. A few times I wanted to say something to him, especially before his lost bout to Chad Dawson. He burned me.
So this means?
When he trained with Buddy McGirt in Florida I made a special trip because I wanted to help. Several times in my career I fought against southpaws, but they basically didn’t want to listen to me. I felt like a dummy. Later Dawson made a windmill out of Adamek. From this point on we stopped calling each other. Then came out the book. Adamek started talking rubbish. Friend or pal you don’t behave like this.
So will this be a personal matter?
What do you mean personal? This is business.
Is it a matter of money?
With Adamek I can fight for free.
So it is in fact personal.
Maybe yes.
If you win will this change your position in the history of Polish boxing, or even more in world rankings? The fight could result as another stain in your boxing honor. The risk is huge.
Boxing is the one thing I’ve done all my life. This is all I know. I make a good living. The fight against Tomasz will be easy money. Besides, I didn’t come up with this idea, but I could have turned it down. Because you’d all be saying, if I didn’t agree to it, that Golota is afraid.
But aren’t you concerned about getting embarrassed?
Of what? Against Adamek? Yet he has no idea about a fight with a real heavy. I will show him this.
After your last injury, torn muscles against Ray Austin, it seemed you would be unable to return to training.
I am now lifting 100 kiligrams with no problem. I pound the heavy bag with all my strength. (We saw this with our own eyes while filming a TV commercial for Polsat TV. Golota is not exaggerating.) I have almost no pain at all.
And that’s enough for Adamek?
I don’t know. I still don’t know if I’m still able to prepare properly for a fight. I’m old. But this is why I want to box. I want to see if I can still do it.
Emotions aside, and analyzing only the subject of the sport of boxing, you are not the favorite in this fight. Adamek is younger, faster, and unlike you he does not lose cold blood in the ring. And he weighs about 100 kilograms (220 lbs.) now. Naturally, if you’re able to hit him the fight could be over, but will you be able to connect?
The ring is not a soccer field. Sooner or later I will get him.
And if not?
He’ll probably fight like Roy Jones against Ruiz. Hit, clinch, escape and outpoint me.
Even your trainer Sam Colonna said that Adamek will win on points…But Tomasz is not Roy Jones. You can’t imitate this guy. I’ll crush Adamek with my mass.
Do you intend to lose weight to be faster?Before Austin I wanted to be fast and lighter. And you see what turned out. My muscle held up but my bone cracked and I lost one arm.
Earlier you were down on the canvas quicker than ever before in your career, after barely a few seconds.
The first round has never been my strong side. Unfortunately, everybody knows this already. But only the first round. If I can get past it then I start to unwind, right? (laughter)
There will be thousands of fans in Lodz. Last time you fought in Poland, even though your opponent was weak, you entered the ring extremely stiff. And it didn’t go away after the first round.
Wasn’t Bates down in that first round?
He was down.
So what are you getting at? In the second round it was over. And do you remember how the public behaved? It was me that set the tribunes in motion. I’ll manage.
Why didn’t you ever work with a psychologist?
I tried but it’s a waste of time. Besides, in my last fights I think I proved that I am capable of pulling myself together.
If there’s anything left to pull together…
Oh you’re asking for it man, you’re asking. I’ll point out a few details. A lot of my fights were bad luck. Just tough luck, understand? You wouldn’t believe it anyway.
Let’s try. First the most embarrassing one. Lamon Brewster and 53 seconds of battle.
This was really just hard luck. It all started a few weeks before the fight. After training I used to take vitamins. Regular complex vitamins. I finished my container and went to the drug store. I bought a new one, identical. After a few days I started ballooning. Like a balloon! I didn’t know what was going on. It turned out it was from the vitamins.
Regular vitamins?
Unfortunately, they weren’t so regular. I didn’t notice one of the warnings “extra strong”. I started reading the ingredients and it turned out that besides the vitamins there was creatine in there. One of the side effects is water retention in the body. I was unable to rid the substance right up to the fight.
But what meaning did this have in the course of your fight?
Unfortunately it did. I started to do my warm up. The water in my body quickly came to the surface. I thought it was enough. My physical therapist Leszek Samitowski explained to me later that it wasn’t a warm up. As soon as I warmed up slightly I was sweating but my muscles were cold. In addition, prior to entering the ring I stood in the hallway leading to the arena for 15 minutes. And there was such a draft it could have ripped your head off. I was frozen to the bone. I once had a similar incident in Madison Square Garden. It was awful. Then there were the shoes!
Shoes?
Yes, shoes. Believe me again. I bought two pairs before the fight. As usual the same size - 12.5. I put them on in the dressing room and my foot was sliding back and forth like if it was in a giant carpet slipper. It was one size too big. I don’t think I need to explain what the job of your feet is during boxing. So I entered the ring frozen, pissed off and with shoes that are too big. I glanced at him and Brewster connected and it was over. He hit me like a blind chicken running into a pile of grain. That was the best fight of his career. In his life he’d never be able to beat me again.
Why did you hit Bowe in the balls?
The son of a ***** didn’t want to go down. And I didn’t know what was going on with me? It gets worse in the second fight. From the fifth round on I didn’t know what was going on. From the third round I was fighting with a broken jaw. Not many people know this. He was swimming on the ropes. The referee should have stopped the fight and spared Bowe.
With Lennox Lewis you also had some adventures.
The case of the shot that I got in my knee prior to the fight, rolled out several times. But today I must admit I probably underestimated him. This wasn’t supposed to be such a hard fight and he wasn’t supposed to be so aggressive. Back then he didn’t seem to be so good. I made a mistake.
And with Michael Grant why did you give up? You really didn’t know that you were leading on points, and that you only needed to go one more round so you could get revenge with Lewis?
My word, I thought I was behind. That’s what they told me in my corner. And then that ref, who did everything he could to get me to quit the fight. Every moment he would warn me for something. That I didn't place my foot right, and this, and that I’m hitting low… but the fact is it was my mistake. A big mistake.
Biggest mistake in your career?
My biggest mistake was to get involved with Al Certo. Because of him I walked off the ring against Tyson.
????
Everybody only remembers the cups flying at me full of drinks. Not many people know that I was fighting not only Tyson.
But who?
With the entire camp. Man, this was in Detroit. The most black city of black cities in the USA. Before the fight Al assured me that regardless what happens in the ring or in the corner I would be able to count on him. And what? Tyson headbutts me and fouls again and again. The ref doesn’t see this. And my corner doesn’t either? Who was I supposed to count on?
So in one word you need the support of your trainer, someone that will “take care” of you…(long silence)
What fight are you most proud of?
You won’t believe it but it was against the giant from Ireland Kevin McBride (June 2007, MSG New York). That was such a classic battle. First he almost knocked me out, again that first round of mine. That was probably the longest round of my life. I held up. Then I started to outpoint him, and then the change of position to southpaw. I caught the giant.
You fouled in the ring because…
With Po’uha it was like this: in the second round I had him. But in the fourth he hit me like no one before. I didn’t know what was going on with me. He hit me with 40 precise punches in that round. Do you believe it? I was fighting for survival. It was instinct.
.
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