Vitali Klitschko Scraps June Date, Will Fight Tomasz Adamek on September 10

BoxingScene.com reports that Vitali Klitschko has decided against taking a fight on June 4, as had been previously rumored, and will instead wait until September 10 to fight next, when he'll face Tomasz Adamek, likely in Poland.

Klitschko (42-2, 39 KO) is coming off of an easy night at the office with his TKO-1 defeat of Odlanier Solis on March 19, when Solis went down on a glancing blow, injured himself on the fall, and had the fight waved off. Adamek (44-1, 28 KO) beat Kevin McBride this past Saturday night in Newark, billed as a final tune-up for Klitschko.

If you haven't really put this in perspective yet, let's run down Adamek's heavyweight career, just to showcase how big of a step up Vitali really is. He has won all of his fights in the division, but against mostly middling (at best) opposition.

• TKO-5 Andrew Golota (10-24-2009): Golota hasn't fought since and appeared to have no real desire to fight on this night, either. The fight was memorable because it was Adamek's heavyweight debut and the crowd in Poland was wonderful. But that's about it.
• UD-12 Jason Estrada (02-06-2010): Estrada is a capable gatekeeper, a former Olympian. And Adamek, fighting at a career-high weight over a shade over 220 pounds, had his troubles with stamina in this one. He got the win, and deserved it, but hardly looked flawless.
• MD-12 Chris Arreola (04-24-2010): Adamek's best heavyweight win to date, but came months after Vitali himeslf had given Arreola his first loss. Adamek did definitely show his grit and ability to stand in with a good heavyweight fighter, even if Arreola is always limited by himself.
• UD-12 Michael Grant (08-21-2010): Fairly entertaining fight, but one without a lot of merit. Grant has been a non-factor for over a decade.
• TKO-5 Vinny Maddalone (12-09-2010): A fight meant to be entertaining, fairly easy, and draw a crowd. It achieved that, but Maddalone is no contender.
• UD-12 Kevin McBride (04-09-2011): A nothing fight. Less meaningful than Grant. Glorified sparring.
  

This is not meant to deter one from wanting to see Klitschko-Adamek; I want to see it, because Adamek is one of the only worthwhile heavyweight fighters we have currently in serious contention (which is often by choice of promoters), along with the brothers and David Haye. Rather, it's just meant to show how big a leap Adamek is really taking here. It's admirable that he's actually going to fight Klitschko instead of just saying he will. He's protected his interests and gotten comfortable at the weight, and though he'll be a huge underdog, he's as ready as he's going to get.