By: Christopher Roche

In a bout that was simulcast from Poland on ESPN Classic, O’Neil Bell suffered an ominous flash knockdown in the first round. Tomasz Adamek, out hustled Bell for the remainder of the fight, and despite never being in trouble again, Bell quit at the end of round seven.

Bell landed a good right hand in the sixth, and he did not appear gassed. Perhaps there was an injury or a psychological short circuit. Bell recently went MIA before a match several months ago, and he did not appear sharp tonight. Adamek, to his credit, fought a solid, tactical fight, and he clearly was outpointing Bell before the retirement.

As a result of the win, Adamek becomes the mandatory challenger for Steve “U.S.S.” Cunningham’s IBF cruiserweight belt. Adamek, 31, improved to 33-1, 22 KO’s. The 33 year-old Bell dropped to 26-3-1, 24 KO’s.