Adam Kownacki insists he is not a dirty fighter
Just two fights and almost two years ago, Polish bruiser Adam “Babyface” Kownacki (20-2, 15 KO’s) was a red-hot prospect in the heavyweight division. The friendly boxer was media approachable, supported by a tremendous Polish following and had a high-paced, television-friendly style of fighting. He even had successfully made a number of impressive television showings and everything seemed to be going his way. Well, that was until he ran into a brick wall named Robert “The Nordic Nightmare” Helenius (31-3, 20 KO’s).
Ahead of the bout, most viewed the dust-up as a ‘gimme’ win for Kownacki. At the time, the Swedish boxer was considered to be over the hill and a ready-made meal for Babyface. Once in the ring however, the Nightmare lived up to his moniker in a major way! Helenius overwhelmed, roughed up and stopped Kownacki in four short rounds. The crushing defeat was recorded as a major upset. Naturally, Kownacki vowed to return better than ever. Well, he was true to his word about returning. As for the rest, he left a great deal to be desired!
PLEASE BELIEVE ME!
Seventeen months after their initial engagement, Kownacki and Helenius went to war again on the undercard of Fury v Wilder 3. Sadly, Babyface was out-punched, worked over and made to look even worse than the first time. By the conclusion of the second round, Kownacki’s right eye was nearly shut and he certainly had no real answers as to how to alter the course of the bout. Caught in this dangerous and embarrassing situation, the Polish fighter first got desperate and then got dirty. Seemingly looking for a way out, Kownacki began regularly nailing Robert Helenius with hardy lowballs.
The eye-catching fouls immediately drew the attention and admonishment from referee Celestino Ruiz. Unfortunately for Kownacki, feeling things were only going downhill, he would not stop terrorizing the Swede’s testicles. Ultimately, he was disqualified for the unscrupulous behavior in the sixth round. Now, saddled with back-to-back losses and suddenly viewed as a sketchy boxer, Babyface is at an all-new low in his career. Yet, let him tell it at least, this is only a pitstop and not his final destination as he is not the dirty fighter his last performance lends credence to.
UNKNOWN FUTURE
Only time will tell how Kownacki rebounds, or doesn’t, from this precarious position. No matter what he does, he certainly can’t lose a third consecutive fight, so he’s well advised to take on a soft touch next. After that, the situation gets really mysterious really fast. Thankfully, while he is no spring chicken, Babyface has more than enough time to right his career. Yet, that is if and only if he can re-enter and remain in the win column. At this gloomy moment in his career however, that is far away from a guarantee!
By: Bakari Simpson
