Wieliczka in Review: Who Gained Ground and Who Must Wait
Another gala promoted by Tomasz Babiloński is now behind us. Once again, its setting was truly exceptional. It would be difficult to find another venue anywhere in the world as extraordinary for boxing as the Wieliczka Salt Mine. From a sporting perspective, however, there was a certain sense of disappointment. The main event lacked the extraordinary aggression promised by both fighters. Even so, fans witnessed several interesting moments. Domestic matchups are also attracting increasing interest.
The evening’s most important event was supposed to be the clash between Krzysztof Zimnoch (17-0-1, 11 KO) and Artur Binkowski (16-4-3, 11 KO). Many had predicted that the latter would lose inside the distance. Binkowski proved, however, that his work with trainers Boehm and Teodorescu had produced results. Despite a short training camp and having no time for sparring, he went the full distance with the highly rated Zimnoch.
He fought with ambition, leaving plenty of health and heart in the ring. He was not, however, able to seriously threaten the boxer from Białystok. From the winner’s perspective, the bout was not particularly valuable. It also showed that it is still too early for Zimnoch to compete with the European heavyweight elite, even against someone like Dereck Chisora. The planned trip across the Atlantic could be a good solution. In the United States, he should be able to find sparring partners who will raise the standard of his training.
Krzysztof Głowacki (20-0, 13 KO) could also travel to the United States. In Wieliczka, he once again showed why he is ranked among the world’s best. His effective, no-nonsense boxing proved devastating for ring veteran Richard Hall (30-14, 28 KO). Arranging the bout with Francisco Palacios, as announced by Babiloński, would be a good move both athletically and from a marketing standpoint. After two defeats to Krzysztof Włodarczyk, the Puerto Rican has stagnated competitively, but he could still provide Głowacki with a valuable test.
What else did the gala show? That a well-prepared Rafał Jackiewicz (43-11-2, 21 KO) can still attract fans and guarantee an entertaining spectacle. The “eternally young” boxer still has a place on Polish boxing cards.
The continued move up through the weight classes by Michał Żeromiński (5-1, 1 KO), on the other hand, seems unnecessary. In my opinion, the boxer from Radom should compete no higher than the junior welterweight limit.
Kamil Szeremeta (5-0, 0 KO) will soon need more serious objectives than domestic opponents. His example shows that the path from the top tier of Polish amateur boxing to the national professional level need not be a long one. This is particularly evident at middleweight.
Similar conclusions can be drawn by observing the development of Michał Cieślak (2-0, 0 KO). The successful return to the ring by Robert Świerzbiński (12-2, 3 KO) is also encouraging. His appearances on future Polish cards should guarantee a decent level of quality. It is good that an ill-fated trip to Canada did not end the boxer’s career. After a painful stoppage defeat, there were many signs that it might.
