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Brian Adams is known as the punching poet. It’s a strange nickname for a boxer, but one that suits Adams just fine.
“I’d definitely say I’m a boxer, not a slugger,” says Adams, 29. “I like to use my brain in the ring. My idol growing up was Michael Carbahal. He was a skinny guy, like me, but he was smart and surgical with his punches.”
“I’ve been with Warner Brothers for ten years. It’s rough balancing a day job with heavy training. My goal is to have a positive impact on people and right now I can do that by boxing and by doing my job.” Adams, who hails from the Hollis section of Queens, is certainly not your typical fighter. That is probably why he was so adamant about getting involved with his latest fight, ‘Fighting For America: A night of Thanksgiving’, a benefit to raise money for the Twin Towers Fund. “When I heard Lou (Dibella, founder of Dibella Entertainment and former HBO boxing czar) was putting this together, I told him I had to be a part of it” Adams said. The event at Roseland Ballroom, which included Adams and several other fighters on the rise, raised approximately $150,000 for the fund. All gate proceeds and a large portion of the fighter’s purses were donated to the fund as many of the city’s firemen, police officers, rescue workers and other heroes watched from the balcony. “Making the money isn’t important,” continued Adams. “Helping out the city is.” Adams dedicated this fight to his sister-in-law’s coworkers at Cantor Fitzgerald (his sister-in-law called in sick on September 11th). A significant portion of his purse will go to the children of two of the victim’s who happened to be close personal family friends. Adams, a former four-time Golden Gloves champion and U.S. National Amateur Champion, fought his friend and former sparring partner Richard Kiley. Adams established control of the bout early on, using a stiff jab and quick right hand. In the third round, Kiley's eye started to swell under the pressure of Adams' jab, and in the fourth, a cut left eye forced Kiley to pick up the pace. He landed a hard left hook that jarred Adams, but was unable to follow up. It was to be Kiley's last chance, as midway through the fifth his eye had completely shut and referee Jim Santa was forced to stop the fight on the advice of the ringside physician. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Fighting For A Worthy Cause in New York Sports is owned by Brian Igel. Permission to republish Fighting For A Worthy Cause in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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