Brooklyn raises another star in Kownacki
MIX the pride and passion of Polish boxing with the heart and attitude of being from Brooklyn, and you get what could be the borough’s latest heavyweight prospect: Adam Kownacki.
He’s called “Babyface,” and though his features might be soft, Kownacki possesses the explosive power, determined will and pride for his people that helped mold former Brooklyn champions Riddick Bowe, Mike Tyson and Shannon Briggs.
“One of my dreams as an amateur was to fight in the main event in Brooklyn, and now it’s come true,” Kownacki said this week. “I’m very excited. I love punching people in the face.”
The spotlight will shine on Kownacki and the Polish flag will fly at Barclays Center on Saturday night when the unbeaten heavyweight takes on Chris Arreola in the main event of PBC Fight Night on Fox.
The broadcast also features WBA interim light heavyweight champion Marcus Browne (23-0, 16 KOs) of Staten Island facing former champ Jean Pascal (33-6-1, 20 KOs) of Canada and Curtis Stevens (30-6, 22 KOs) of Brownsville taking on Wale Omotoso (27-4, 21 KOs) of Nigeria in a junior middleweight bout.
Kownacki, who was born in Lomza, Poland, was 7 when his family moved to Greenpoint, a hub for working-class Polish immigrants. His mother, Jadwiga, found a job in a hotel, and his father, Walter, worked as a baker at Syrena Bakery in Greenpoint. Kownacki turned to boxing after dabbling in football.
There is no “sweet science” in Kownacki’s twofisted approach. He has a fan-friendly, rock-’em, sock-’em style that has packed arenas with his legions of flag-waving Polish fans. He overwhelmed credible contender Gerald Washington in two rounds in January and has knockouts in five of his past six fights.
Kownacki’s name was floated as a late replacement to face Anthony Joshua for
the heavyweight title on June 1 at Madison Square Garden. But Kownacki was 20 pounds out of shape and didn’t have enough time to get ready for the bout. His wife is also expecting a baby on Aug. 29. Andy Ruiz took the fight instead and scored one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. Kownacki has no regrets.
“I want to have a full 12-week camp,” he said. “When I go into a fight, I want to be fully prepared.”
Kownacki (19-0, 15 KOs) has endured a full camp to get ready for Arreola (38-5-1, 33 KOs), who has fought for the world title three times, most recently against Deontay Wilder in 2016.
Arreola, 38, was like Kownacki once, an up-andcoming prospect with title aspirations. But his commitment and dedication have had peaks and valleys. He is making one last try for a title after hiring the highly respected Joe Goossen to be his trainer.
“I feel rejuvenated and ready to upset Adam Kownacki in front of his fans,” Arreola said. “He better be ready because I’m going to bring it to him like he’s never seen before. This is going to be a war, and I will leave with my hand raised.”
Kownacki respects Arreola’s experience, but believes it’s his time to shine.
“He’s been in there with everybody,” Kownacki said. “But we’ll see if he still has what it takes to be a topnotch fighter. Being in the main event might be a new thing for me, but the ring is two guys fighting each other. Nobody is going to run and nobody is going to hide. I can’t wait to enjoy myself.”
It won’t be a pretty fight, but it should be entertaining.
PREDICTION: Kownacki by stoppage in the seventh round.