Adrian Granados Wins In A Huge Upset Over Amir Imam & DeGale v. Bute Video Highlights

Adrian Granados Scores Real Combat Media Upset of Year, Stop Top Contender Imam

By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent

Adrian ‘El Tigre’ Granados of Chicago, Illinois, scored the Real Combat Media ‘Upset of the Year’ thusfar in boxing Saturday night, when he stopped top contender Amir Imam on Showtime in Quebec City, Canada, and earned a world title shot with World Boxing Council World Super Lightweight champion Viktor ‘Iceman’ Postol of Ukraine. Tyson Fury did defeat Wladimir Klitschko to win the World Heavyweight title, but it did not look like an upset as the aging Klitschko managed to land only four punches a round against the taller busier Fury, who had height and reach advantage and used it to perfection with ease.

Granados, 17-4-2 with 12 knockouts, fought draws with Lanardo Tyner and Kermit Cintron. He was robbed of decisions against Frankie Gomez, Brad Solomon and Felix Diaz, who combined for record of 49-0 at the time he fought them. Add Amir Imam, 18-0 to the list, and the total of top contenders Granados has fought becomes an astounding 67-0 and  his ‘I will fight anyone’ approach paid off with a spectacular dividend over the WBC world rated number one fighter in the 140 pound weight class.

18-0 Amir Imam of Albany, New York, figured to make Granados his next victim, dropping him hard in the first round, but it was not to be. Granados got up to a 10-8 deficit, and proceeded to punch the daylights out of Imam nonstop for the next seven rounds. Finally, in round eight, Imam tried to hold on to Granados-but could not. Much like Tyson Fury did with Steve Cunningham at Madison Square Garden, Granados pushed off the tired Imam backwards into the ropes at Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada, and then finished him off with head power shots for a TKO at 2:34 of the eighth. Imam was doubled over and his arms were down, completed out of it and done. Granados was due, and this was the magic moment. Some fighters have a hard start in life and in the room. Granados was one of them, but in the end, a stunning victory resulted, a world ranking, and a world title shot opportunity was created.

Imam’s WBC Continental Americas title belt was not at stake in this bout, but his number WBC 140 world ranking was, and Granados got it and the theoretical mandatory title shot.

Result: Adrian Granados TKO 8 Amir Imam (2:34), Super Lightweights

Granados was down in first round. Imam doubled over, out on his feet at time of stoppage.

Referee: Alain Villeneuve