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Brandon Adams aims to win this year’s Boxcino tournament

Fighters Network
13
Feb

There was no shame when Brandon Adams ended up being the runner-up in the 2014 Boxcino middleweight tournament.

While he may have lost to the better man in Willie Monroe last May, Adams gained a great deal of experience and exposure fighting in the eight-man tournament.

Not only has Adams made a name for himself in Southern California since his pro debut in 2011, but the Boxcino tournament put Adams on the boxing map as someone to watch.

With that knowledge and experience, Adams feels confident he can win this year’s Boxcino tournament.



Adams will fight Alex Perez in a six-round quarterfinal bout tonight at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn. The bout, along with three other bouts on the Banner Promotions/ CES Boxing card, will be televised live on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.

The winners of Friday’s quarterfinal bouts will fight in semi-final action on April 3 in Corona, California, with the finals take place on May 22. The winner of the tournament will also win the vacant NABA and NABO titles, along with a top-10 ranking by the WBA and WBO.

In a stay-busy bout on Jan. 16, Adams (15-1, 10 KOs) stopped journeyman Lekan Byfields in the second round.

While he came up short in last year’s Boxcino tournament, Adams saw a silver lining from the beginning until the end.

“I felt it was pretty good to get the good exposure I received,” Adams told RingTV earlier this week. “Everybody knows who I am.”

Fight fans do know who Adams is: a young, strong fighter who can hurt his opponents with one punch, as was evident in his fourth round stoppage win over Daniel Edouard almost a year ago. The result was a surprise, considering Edouard was the most-seasoned fighter of the two, even the entire field.

“Edouard hadn’t fought in a while, but was successful to me was that I stuck to my game-plan. Even though it’s six rounds, there’s a strategy to it. You’re not jumping on someone quickly or coming out too aggressively.”

One would think Adams is one of the betting favorites to win the tournament based on talent and having fought in the tournament last year.

He faces a fighter in Alex Perez, who shares the distinction with Adams with having only lost a fight as a pro. Perez has won his last two bouts since a stoppage loss at the hands of Antonin Decarie.

Adams sees similarities in Perez, but believes he has the tools necessary to come out victorious.

“I do see that he has the same style like me. He tends to give a few early rounds to size up his opponent. He also likes to fight on the inside, but I feel that plays into my hands because of my build and structure.

“I felt I gave up a lot of height at 160 pounds, even though I was muscular. I feel stronger and way faster at 154 pounds. Fighting at this weight has allowed me to dedicate myself more to the sport.”

Adams’ march during the tournament, and career for that matter, will be interesting to watch. He has improved as a boxer, but does have power in each hand where one punch could change the outcome of a fight.

The exposure he has received because of last year’s Boxcino tournament has allowed him to remain relevant with fight fans. Adams is a work in progress, but he believes he can improve as a fighter and win significant bouts in his march towards a world title.

He will ascend on that path tonight should he get the win over Perez.

“I know I don’t have that much experience, but I’ve been able to learn a lot. It’s important to pick everything up. I feel great at 147 pounds.

“Everyone knows who I am and I want to broaden that.”

 

 

Francisco A. Salazar has written for RingTV since October of 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Salazar also covers boxing for the Ventura County (CA) Star newspaper, Boxingscene.com, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing

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