Andrzej Gmitruk critical of Adamek’s plan: it should have been handled differently

“I’m surprised by trainer Roger Bloodworth’s statements,” Andrzej Gmitruk, former trainer of Tomasz Adamek, says in an interview with Przemysław Osiak of “Przegląd Sportowy.”

– What was the main reason for Tomasz Adamek’s defeat by Vyacheslav Glazkov?
AG: Several things contributed to it. I believe Tomek could have beaten Glazkov, but even a layman will notice that he was switched to a completely different way of boxing than before. This new style did not guarantee him success against the Ukrainian. Glazkov is a talented boxer, but he is nowhere near his countryman, Wladimir Klitschko. I am also surprised by the words of trainer Roger Bloodworth, who keeps insisting that Tomek gets better every day. However, the fight with Glazkov showed something completely different. I also do not understand Main Events’ promotional strategy. Just a few years ago, thousands of Poles would turn up at the Prudential Center in Newark. Meanwhile, the fight in Bethlehem could have been organized much better.

– Did Adamek’s camp make a mistake by choosing the fight with Glazkov and the route to becoming the IBF’s mandatory challenger?
AG: We all saw that Tomek should have pursued a fight for the WBC title vacated by Vitali Klitschko. I do not understand why promoter Kathy Duva failed to see that. Why was a fight between two fighters from the same stable arranged? There were certainly other options. Why was a rematch with Chris Arreola not organized? It would have sold very well in the United States, and Tomek would once again have had a good chance of winning. Arreola’s fighting style clearly suited him. A victory could have opened the way to a truly serious fight, specifically for the WBC title.

– Should your former charge continue boxing?
AG: This is a very personal matter. The decision belongs exclusively to Tomek, and he certainly needs time to make it. He should not listen to advisers, but act according to his own convictions. He is 37 and has done a great deal for Polish sport. He won championship belts in two weight classes. It will be difficult for any Polish boxer to repeat that achievement. I would not want him to lose the prestige he worked for over the years, but every decision he makes must be respected. I hope that the people who, only recently, predicted great success for him in the heavyweight division will not turn their backs on him. After the defeat by Glazkov, Tomek cannot be left alone, as he was after the fight with Klitschko, when he found himself in the dressing room.

Interviewed by: Przemysław Osiak, przegladsportowy.pl