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Klitschko, Adamek still talking; Adamek to face Peter first?

Fighters Network
18
Jan

The representatives of heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and Tomasz Adamek remain in negotiations and are optimistic the fighters will meet in September in Poland.

Kathy Duva of Main Events, the promoter of Tomasz Adamek, was waiting late Tuesday afternoon to receive a draft of a proposed contract after discussing details with Klitschko’s representatives.

“We’re progressing,” she said. “I feel good about it but you never know. This is boxing.”

Tom Loeffler, Managing Director over K2 Promotions, also is positive but guarded.



“Both sides want to make the fight happen,” he said. “There are some issues to work out but, at least with Adamek, we know he definitely wants to fight. That wasn’t the case with (Alexander) Povetkin and (David) Haye, who pulled out of fights with the Klitschkos.

“We feel good that Adamek would actually get into the ring and fight.”

Meanwhile, Adamek has an interim fight to deal with.

The former light heavyweight and cruiserweight titleholder was called to take part in an IBF title eliminator against Sam Peter but must decide by noon (ET) Thursday whether to take part.

Duva said she would accept that opportunity if a solid deal to fight Klitschko isn’t in place by the dealine. If an agreement is reached, she said, Adamek would face a lesser opponent as a tune-up in April.

Klitschko is scheduled to fight journeyman Dereck Chisora on April 30.

“If you said to me, ‘You have a week to get (the Klitschko fight) done, I’d say we’d get it done.’ The problem is that we have less than 48 hours. Can we get it done in that time frame? I don’t know. If we don’t, we’ll be fighting Sam Peter.

“I want to be clear that this isn’t any kind of ultimatum. We just can’t pass up an opportunity to become a mandatory challenger.”

An Adamek-Peter fight wouldn’t preclude an Adamek-Klitschko fight in September.

“They’ve made their position clear,” Loeffler said. “If they can’t work out a deal with us, they’ll take part in the purse bid. That doesn’t mean we couldn’t make a deal later if both sides are still interested. Even if Adamek fights Peter, we’d still leave the door open for a fight in September.

“It’s hard to say what would happen but we definitely see Adamek as a viable opponent.”

Could an Adamek victory over an opponent of Peter’s name recognition actually make a Klitschko-Adamek fight more valuable?

“It couldn’t hurt,” Loeffler said.

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