The Road to Kownacki vs Arreola: “Heavy Hitters”

There is something about heavyweight boxing that always seems to get me all excited inside as it is truly “the theater of unexpected.”

In NYC, there is a radio personality that goes by the name DJ Enuff and his tag line when he is performing his set is “Heavvvvvy Hitters…suckaaass” which sums up how I feel when two heavyweights meet in the squared circle.

This Saturday, we will see the hard hitting undefeated Polish heavyweight Adam “Babyface” Kownacki (19-0) going up against veteran Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola (38-5-1) in what should be a packed Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Let’s take a quick look at both fighters in anticipation of their clash on Saturday night.

Adam Kownacki is a 30 year-old heavyweight who is looking to position himself for an opportunity at a world title in the near future. For those that don’t know and reside outside of the NYC area, Kownacki is a big-ticket seller and his fan base continues to grow after each impressive outing. On Saturday night, don’t be surprised if you see an abundance of red and white shirts in the crowd supporting the heavyweight which represent the colors of his native country of Poland.

In regards to his in-ring activity, he has only fought twice a year since 2016 but has progressed each time and looks for ways to continue to challenge himself. Last year, against former heavyweight champion Charles Martin, “Babyface” showed he could go the distance while still looking impressive with top tier fighters.

In January of this year, Kownacki provided a highlight reel TKO victory against Gerald Washington which led most to ask when his title opportunity would arrive. On Saturday night, can he look impressive once again and force an opportunity in the near future for a shot at the heavyweight crown?

In the opposite corner, we have the curious case of Southern California native Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola. At the age of thirty eight, Arreola knows that opportunities are few and far between and that these type of high profile fights and paydays will come to a halt soon enough. That has not stopped him from continuing to push himself to see if he can land a final opportunity for a heavyweight title fight.

Arreola has been in with the best of them and some may categorize him as a “gatekeeper” in some form but if you ask him, he is ready to prove to the world that he deserves another run at the title. Under the watchful eye of Jean Jacket-wearing Joe Goossen, this combination of fighter and coach may be the one that produces that opportunity.

In his last fight against Jean Pierre Augustin, Arreola showed the fans in Arlington, TX that he still has some left in the tank to “give it a go”.

Arreola recently mentioned on the Talkbox Podcast powered by Everlast, that if he is unsuccessful this Saturday night, that he will not hesitate to retire and call it a career.

Will Chris Arreola in the famous words of Johnny Wilds “tuck him into bed” and become Babyface’s “Nightmare” or is this the final time he performs in the squared circle?

With a baby on the way, Adam Kownacki has all the motivation in the world to “show out” on Saturday night and inject himself into the world title picture. With the majority of the crowd behind him, can the Polish heavyweight remain composed and put on a career defining performance?

If you aren’t able to see this one live, make sure you tune into Fox on Saturday night and don’t miss this heavyweight attraction.