Baltimore Ravens' Tom Zbikowski Wins Another Fight

Baltimore Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski narrowly emerged victorious in a four-round decision against Caleb Grummet Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Zbikowski (3-0, 2 KOs) hired trainer Emmanuel Steward to work in his corner mere days before his third bout as a professional.

After dominating the first two rounds, “Tommy Z” was essentially bullied by Grummet over the final six minutes.

"He was big and strong," said Zbikowski, 25, who triumphed in his first two matches in less than three total minutes in the squared circle. "It was a learning experience. I have a lot of things to learn about boxing."

Steward doesn’t believe the two-time third-team AP All-American at Notre Dame has scratched the surface of his potential as a prizefighter.

Nevertheless, the Hall of Famer noted Zbikowski has much room for improvement.

"Thank goodness it wasn't a six-round fight," Steward said. "He has to come with me for some serious boxing training. He has to be with me."

“Tommy Z,” who compiled a 75-15 record as an amateur pugilist and advanced to the finals of the Chicago Golden Gloves, is expected to undertake a heavy workload from promoter Bob Arum during the NFL lockout.

"As long as he is available to fight, we plan to keep him very busy, whether it's once a month, every two or three weeks," said Arum, a corruptible weasel who acknowledged during a 2000 federal trial that he bribed the International Boxing Federation (IBF) to attain a higher ranking for one of his fighters.

"Our matchmakers feel he can compete at the top level in boxing as a cruiserweight, and we're going to keep him busy.”

The Illinois native is tough and he could become a force under the tutelage of Steward.

“Two months ago, the guy was playing against the Steelers,” said Mike McCarthy, 27, a huge boxing fan who hails from Dorchester. “Now, he’s fighting on major fight cards. It will take time.”

With the 2011 football season in grave jeopardy, Tom Zbikowski has “time” and that is bad news for cruiserweights around the globe.