Przemek auf Seite 1 im Sportteil in der Suntimes!!!!
Polish community talking bout Saleta
Przemyslaw "Chemek'' Saleta is a big star in Poland. He's the kind of star the Polish paparazzi love. He dates gorgeous women. He stars in TV shows and movies. He models. He's a sex symbol, and after meeting him, you can understand why. You're tempted to call Saleta the David Beckham of Poland, but you won't because Saleta doesn't like that comparison.
"I'm not trying to build up any image for myself,'' he said.
You believe him because he's earnest and smart and because you've fallen under his spell. He had you from the moment he said to call him "Chemek,'' a nickname of sorts. You realize he only says this because Chemek -- pronounced shem-eck -- is easier to say than the mouthful that is Przemyslaw. But in your daydreams, it's a sign of your burgeoning friendship. (You mention to him that your mom is 100 percent Polish, making you 50 percent Polish, in case this helps your case.)
Saleta will fight fellow Pole Andrew Golota in a heavyweight bout Aug. 13 at the United Center. Saleta doesn't like Golota, and the feeling is mutual. The two never have fought each other.
Rivalry
"Once I read that he said he'd fight me in the streets but not in the ring,'' said Saleta, who retired from boxing for two years before returning to the ring in April. "I've wanted it for years, and fans have wanted it for years. He's not stupid. He must realize the pressure will be on him, and he doesn't take pressure [well].''
Although Golota has made a name for himself in the United States, especially here in his adopted hometown, Saleta is a far bigger star back home. Asked if he thinks Golota is jealous of his status in Poland, Saleta, who has a career record of 42-6 with 21 knockouts, suggests you ask "Andrew'' that question.
Asked if he plans to rush Golota immediately when the two meet in August, Saleta nods. Yep, he saw how Lamon Brewster knocked Golota out just 53 seconds into their fight at the United Center in May. Yep, he remembers how Lennox Lewis did the same thing to Golota in 1997.
"I've got to give it a try,'' Saleta said, suppressing a smile. "That seems to be the thing to do.''
As you might imagine, this will be Poland's Fight of the Century. I suspect a lot of people in Chicago will consider this fight a big deal, too. The city's nearly 1 million Poles, for instance. And all the men who will drool over Saleta's girlfriend, Kasia Kraszewska, a model who recently was featured in the Polish edition of Playboy. Visa problems prevented her from coming to Chicago with Saleta this week to promote the fight, but they plan for her to accompany him here in August.
But enough about the stunningly beautiful -- and quite possibly also brilliant -- girlfriend. Back to Saleta, 37, who shared some stories about his life over breakfast Friday at the Hilton. You ask him about the tabloid press in Warsaw, Saleta's home and Poland's biggest city.
"It isn't good at all,'' he said. "Honest, for me, I don't care. I'm being myself, and I'm not doing anything really wrong. But you're not by yourself on the planet. Your parents are reading all this stuff, and my 11-year-old daughter can read, too. If you do not cooperate, and I do not cooperate when it comes to my private life, they do not write nice.''
Beautiful ex-wife, wife, girlfriend
His 11-year-old daughter is the product of his first marriage, which ended in divorce. He also has a 3-year-old daughter, the product of his second marriage, which is headed for divorce court. He has been dating Kraszewska, the Playboy model, for about six months. His ex-wife was also a model. His soon-to-be ex-wife also posed in Polish Playboy. Did you follow all that?
Saleta blushes and says it's "mere coincidence'' that all his relationships seem to be with models. He met Kraszewska at one of the two Saleta Fitness Centers he owns in Warsaw. She is a friend of one of his employees. He said it doesn't bother him at all that his girlfriend poses naked.
"So?'' he said. "It's no big deal to me.''
Well, he's used to it, after all. Besides, he has posed nude himself. Once, for a magazine featuring Poland's most handsome guys. The photos, he said, were tastefully done.
In addition to the fitness centers and the modeling and the fighting, Saleta also has had a solid TV career in Poland. He currently does boxing commentary. In the past, he has hosted a weekly sports talk show and an extreme sports show. Come January, he expects to start taping a show about fight sports and nightclubs. For this show, he will travel around the world -- Bangkok, Rio, Vegas -- and examine the local fight scene and nightclubs. He also did features on Polish radio for a while -- bits on a variety of subjects, such as "Chemek tells you how to get ready for a date.'' Oh, and he has acted in movies, I believe five in all, including one American release, "The Foreigner,'' starring Steven Seagal. (Saleta played a security guard.) And did I mention Saleta is a former champion kickboxer?
The movies, the TV shows, the fighting career, the Playmates of the Month -- you wonder if Saleta can get any bigger in Poland.
"I can,'' he said. "There are still lots of months left.''
At that, charming Chemek laughs himself silly.