Rising heavyweight prospect Adam Kownacki 20-0 (15) knows he has a tall order in front of him when he takes on Robert Helenius 29-3 (18) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York this Saturday night.
The 30-year-old Brooklyn-based Pole will be giving up three inches in reach and almost four inches in height against Helenius, who is expected to use his range to try to control the distance from the outside.
Kownacki, who is ranked number six or higher by all four major sanctioning bodies, says he covered all bases in training camp.
“It’s been a hard camp and we’ve been doing extra strength and conditioning to make sure I’m ready. We also worked hard on our skills like we always do. It’s all going to add up to a great fight on Saturday,” Kownacki said.
“Right now I’m just focused on Robert Helenius. It’s going to be a tough test and a tall test. I have to be ready to exact my game plan and pass the test.
“His jab is the main thing I’m focused on. If I can get past his jab, I think I’m going to have a lot of success. When I get inside, I’m going to punish him and if I get the chance, I’ll be ready to end the fight.
“I want to fight the best. My team will talk about what’s next for me and what kind of step-up I can get. Right now I’m just focused on March 7 and what’s going to be in front of me.
“The support here in Brooklyn keeps getting bigger and I love it. It shows that if you’re a kid from Brooklyn, you can make your dreams come true. Hard work is all it takes.
“Of course, there’s pressure on me fighting at home. But if you want to be great, you have to perform in those situations. It’s going to keep getting bigger and bigger and I’m going to keep putting the work in to get better and better.”
 knows he has a tall order in front of him when he takes on Robert Helenius 29-3 (18) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York this Saturday night.){kind=link}