Adam Kownacki vs Ali Eren Demirezen – would Kownacki get back on track?
Polish puncher Adam Kownacki (20-2, 15KO) aims to get back on track after back to back defeats to 'Nordic Nightmare' Robert Helenius.
The Brooklyn based boxer aims to to take his frustrations out on Turkish 'Iceman' Ali Eren Damirezen (16-1, 12KO) on July 30 at the Barclays Center, New York, which he knows is a make or break fight for his career. He has said himself that he needs a win in order to stay relevant.
If you're thinking about gambling on the fight, the odds are currently stacked in Kownacki's favour at 8/15 with Ali the slight underdog at 6/4, or alternatively you can play Polish online casinos.
Facts
He was born in Lomza, Poland on March 27, 1989, which was Easter Monday. Madonna's 'Like a Prayer' was No.1 in the UK charts at the time. He is currently 33 years old and his star sign is Aries.
His family emigrated to Greenpoint, Brooklyn when Adam was just seven years old. He has Polish and American dual citizenship and can speak Polish and English.
He attended Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, where he played basketball, baseball, American football and soccer.
As a young foreigner in the country who was overweight and spoke with a Polish accent, he was frequently bullied in school and outside on the streets, which gave him the motivation to begin boxing.
His main inspiration when he began boxing came from watching Andrew Golota fights.
Adam started boxing at Gleason's Gym aged 15.
The talented amateur won the New York Golden Gloves heavyweight tournament in 2006, aged 17, then again in 2009. In between, he reached the 2007 and 2008 finals but finished runner-up. He reached the quarter-finals of the National Golden Gloves in 2007, but was beaten by Joe Hanks, who British fight fans will remember for fighting Joe Joyce on the Fury vs Wilder undercard in December 2018.
His nickname is 'Babyface' for his boyish looks.
Kownaci made his professional debut on October 30, 2009, where he knockout out his opponent in the first round. It wasn't until his 10th fight against 6-1-1 Ytalo Perea that he was taken to points for the first time.
In the early stages of his career, he worked construction jobs during the day and as security in nightclubs at night to support himself.
His only defeats came at the hands of the same person, Robert Helenius. Their first fight in March 2020 was a WBA World title eliminator, which ended in a surprise stoppage loss, which was a significant upset as Helenius handed Kownacki with his first ever professional loss. Their rematch in October 2021, on the undercard of Fury vs Wilder 3, proved to be even worse for Kownacki, who was disqualified in the sixth round for repeated low blows after being overpowered by the dominant 'Nordic Nightmare'. The result was later changed to a TKO victory for Helenius.
He is trained by Keith Trimble at the Bellmore MMA Gym.
He has sparred rounds with Bryant Jennings and Tyrone Spong.
Adam is married to his wife Justyna Kownacki and is a father to two children – a young boy named Kaz and Teddy, who is under a year old.
A fan of football, he supports the New York Red Bulls who compete in Major League Soccer as a member of the Eastern Conference.
Stats
Bouts: 22
Wins: 20
Losses: 2
Draws: 0
KO Wins: 15
KO Ratio: 68.18%
Height: 6ft 3in (191cm)
Reach: 76in (193cm)
World Rankings
BoxRec: 19
IBO: 80