Adam Kownacki shames himself in DQ loss to Robert Helenius
Heavyweight Polish fighter Adam “Babyface” Kownacki (20-2, 15 KO’s) was looking to secure his most personally gratifying professional win to date. Going into this rematch with revenge on his mind, Kownacki was a focused fighter…or so he thought. Instead of defeating Robert “The Nordic Nightmare” Helenius (31-3, 19 KO’s) as he planned, Kownacki suffered a demoralizing disqualification loss due to excessive low blows.
When the two previously fought in March of 2020, Kownacki was world-ranked and thought to be a heavyweight worth keeping a serious eye on. A 10:1 favorite, he was expected to win with ease. However, Helenius upset the odds as he stopped Kownacki by a shocking fourth-round TKO. Neither man has fought since.
Ranked #10 (WBA), Kownacki vowed to produce a different outcome this time around. He said their previous fight was an aberration and vowed that he was focused and would prove himself as the better fighter. In the end, he couldn’t be true to his word.
For Helenius, this fight was all about gaining total respect. Despite being ranked #3 (WBA), the lingering perception held among fans was that he got lucky. Thankfully for him, his mission to prove that the first fight was legit was just validated in style.
DIRTY DEALINGS
When the bout began, Helenius was clearly still riding high on the confidence that accumulated in their first encounter. To add to his beneficial demeanor, the Nordic Nightmare near immediately hurt Kownacki with a right uppercut which slammed the brakes on his offense. The middle portion of the period was rather drab, but in the final thirty seconds Babyface was hurt again. Only this time, Helenius was able to land meaningful follow-up power shots.
The second round was bitter-sweet for the Polish fighter. On the one hand, Kownacki was able to get into a better offensive groove. However, his left eye was essentially completely closed by the conclusion. Toward the end of an uneventful third round, Helenius briefly wobbled Kownacki again with a straight right. Yet, a moment after being hurt, Babyface dipped into his Andrew Gollata bag and nailed the Nordic Nightmare with a firm two-piece to the crotch. The fight was briefly paused for Helenius to recover and Kownacki was given a hard warning by referee Celestino Ruiz.
At the top of the fifth, Kownacki was officially deducted a point for another blatant low blow. To make matters even more bleak, Babyface ended the period getting battered around the ring. Sadly, with no other answers to speak of, Kownacki resulted to his dirty tactics once again in the sixth. Only this time, referee Ruiz had enough of this rule breaking and officially disqualified Babyface. It’s uncertain where Kownacki goes from here. Without question, his career and reputation are in shambles. As for Helenius, he will no doubt be back in the ring soon as his career has just been injected with brand new life.
By: Bakari Simpson
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