Unbeaten heavyweight and Brooklyn?s proud adopted son Adam Kownacki is looking to move deeper into the heavyweight mix this weekend as he takes on the seasoned Chris Arreola at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn.
This arena has become home to Kownacki over the course of his career, with nine of his last eleven bouts all landing inside the home of the Nets and the Islanders.
The 30-year-old has remained unbeaten during this time, notching up wins against, most notably, Charles Martin, Gerald Washington and Artur Szpilka. He would also send Iago Kiladze spiralling into a run of losses and a draw following stopping the Georgian for only the second time in his career.
It?s a sidewards step from the challenges of Washington and Martin who Kownacki has defeated over the course of the last 12 months, however, a win on Saturday would set ?Babyface? up for a potential world title shot at some point in 2020.
It was rumoured that Kownacki was in line to face Anthony Joshua following the withdrawal of Jarrell Miller from their June 1. bout, but the PBC stood in the way of this for obvious reasons: Kownacki has been viewed as a future opponent for Deontay Wilder?s WBC strap, allowing the green and gold to be kept in-house.
Kownacki is also ranked at #4 with the IBF, with only European champion Agit Kabayel and Kubrat Pulev ranked higher. With news still being waited on regarding the Joshua-Ruiz rematch, the IBF strap is the most likely to be thrown in the air considering their stringent enforcing of mandatories. A win this weekend would leave him primed for at least one slice of the heavyweight cake.
Kownacki can expect a great reception inside the Brooklyn Center on Saturday. A Polish-heavy contingent will be present, with ?Babyface? confident he has enough to add a sixth defeat to the three-time heavyweight championship contender:
?I have been with two guys that Deontay Wilder fought with Artur Szpilka and Gerald Washington,? said Kownacki. ?It took Wilder ten rounds to knock out Artur Szpilka in a very competitive fight when I just walked right through him. And the same thing with Gerald Washington. I knocked him out in two rounds. My next fight against Chris Arreola, another fight Wilder and I have in common, and I plan to do the same thing, walk right through him.?
?I think if I could beat him in a better fashion than Deontay beat him before, then that?s a good statement!?
Comparing your wins to that of Deontay Wilder is an interesting ploy by Kownacki, with the 30-year-old clearly buying into this ?collision course? that will see him challenge the ?Bronze Bomber? down the road.
Wilder forced Arreola to retire in the 8th having dropped him in the fourth in their 2016 contest. Kownacki certainly has the tools to improve on this performance if desired.
Arreola?s mindset contrasts that of the favourite in the build-up to this fight. Already considering what a loss will do to the career of ?The Nightmare?, his mood seems reflective on his past successes, rather than looking towards the challenge of Kownacki this weekend:
?If I lose this fight, I will retire, plain and simple,? said Arreola. ?I love the sport of boxing and I want people to still remember me as a world heavyweight champion. I believe I still have the skills to do so. When I fought Jameel McCline, he was one of those big heavyweights that everybody was talking about, but never made it,? said Arreola.
?I don?t want to be that guy. I don?t want to be his Jameel. So that?s why I?m working hard out here with Joe Goossen. To make sure to put a little setback to his plans for the world title. He will get there, but my plan is to not let him use my name as a stepping stone.?
Arreola is aware of the role he is assumed to play in this fight. Stating his unwillingness to allow Kownacki to use him as a ?stepping stone? is an important statement of intent, but one that will be hard to back up inside the four corners of the Brooklyn ring.
This is a recipe for an explosive fight, with two guys looking to prove their worth in the heavyweight division for different reasons. Both can bang, both carry power early in the fight and both see this fight as the last step before their next chapter.
Kownacki needs to ride the crest of this wave he currently finds himself enjoying. For his sake, and the sake of the Polish contingent inside the Brooklyn Center, ?The Nightmare? comes to an end on Saturday with a rude awakening.
