Preview of Andrew Golota’s Comeback Attempt at Age 45
By Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media Correspondent
Andrew Golota versus Przemyslaw Saleta, Gdansk, Poland, February 23, 2013
Ten round nontitle heavyweight bout on a seven bout card at Ergo Arena in Gdansk
New York, NY ( February 23, 2013)– Andrzej Andrew Golota is light years removed from his heavyweight days of riot with Riddick Bowe at Madison Square Garden. At age 45, and four years out of the ring, Golota will return to the ring and make a final run at an attempt to win a shot at the world heavyweight title. Could Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko, or Alexander Povetkin be in Golota’s future later in 2013? With a few comeback wins, given the crazy state of the heavyweight division, and Golota’s penchant for ring controversy, anything is possible. Golota can certainly do three things: throw low blows; create controversy; and sell pay-per-views in Europe and the Americas.
Andrew Golota versus Riddick Bowe I Riot Fight on YouTube, July 11, 1996
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szp9wO10F4Q
Golota has a career record of 41-8-1 with 33 knockouts. His last win was a 12 decision over Mike Mollo in January 2008 in Madison Square Garden, Golota won eight to 10 rounds on the judge’s scorecards, despite having one eye swollen shut by bout’s end. Golota weighed 237 pounds for the Mollo bout. Golota weighed a massive 256 and 1/2 pounds when he got stopped by Tomasz Adamek in the fifth round of his last ring appearance in Lodz, Poland in October 2009. Golota never had the chance to ask the late Buster Mathis what is was like to fight Muhammad Ali weighing 256 pounds. Mathis got knocked down by Ali twice in the eleventh, and twice in the twelfth and final round, the extra massive tonnage a heavy hindrance.
In a long serious fight, Golota can only compete at 238 pounds or less. Golota’s most credible performances were in 12 round world title bouts with John Ruiz and Chris Byrd, both decision losses. His worst title appearances were first round knockout losses to Lamon Brewster and Lennox Lewis. His most memorable ring appearances were his two disqualification losses to Riddick Bowe, bouts Golota was winning.
Golota’s opponent, Przemyslaw Saleta, 43-7, 21 knockouts, Warsaw, Poland, has been out of the ring for seven years. Saleta last appeared in February 2006, when he outpointed Ed Perry in Reading, Pennsylvania, weighing a trim 233 1/2 pounds.
Saleta did not make it out of the first round when he challenged top rated Zeljko Mavrovic for the European Heavyweight title, getting counted out at 2:58 of the first. Saleta upset 20-0 Luan Krasniqi in Germany to win the European Heavyweight title by ninth round stoppage in July 2002, only to get knocked down three times in the first round of a rematch. Saleta was stopped by former world heavyweight champion Oliver McCall in the fourth round of a bout in Chicago, Illinois, in August 2005. Saleta has experience, but like Golota, it depends which Saleta shows up.
Prediction: Andrew Golota by stoppage in rounds five through eight if Golota is under 245 pounds. If Golota weighs too much, Saleta could go the distance and force a decision, which favors Golota. Saleta has gone 10 or 12 rounds five times in his career. One way or the other, Golota should stop Saleta, but beyond getting out the ring rust, a win by Golota only makes noise in a noisy heavyweight division. Against current Polish heavyweight contenders Artur Szpilka (a southpaw) and Mariusz Wach, and against American heavyweights like Deontay Wilder and Bryan Jennings, Golota would be unlikely to win a round at this point in the game. If Golota is out to prove something to himself, then that’s a different story.
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