WBA number seven ranked heavyweight Robert ‘The Nordic Nightmare’ Helenius 30-3 (19) scored a shock win when he banged out previously undefeated Adam ‘Babyface’ Kownacki 20-1 (15) in four rounds at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday night.
Kownacki was ranked IBF number three, WBO number three, WBA number four and WBC number six coming into the fight.
The 30-year-old Kownacki started the fight well despite his defensive flaws, getting the better of the exchanges and landing the heavier blows.
But Helenius, 36, fought on close to even terms with the popular Brooklyn-based Polish fighter in round three, regularly finding a home for his right hand.
In the fourth Helenius was in trouble in the corner but the big Fin worked his way off the ropes and hurt Kownacki with a right hand that saw the local fighter hold on to the top rope to avoid going down.
Replays showed it should have been scored a knockdown, but referee David Fields ruled it a slip. In the end, it was purely academic.
Helenius jumped on his wounded foe, sending him to the canvas with a right cross. Clearly hurt, Kownacki beat the count but was on the wrong end of a beating. The fight was waved off at the 1:52 mark of the fourth round.
“I knew that I hit him hard and I knew I just had to continue. I knew he was still hurt after that punch,” Helenius said.
“He just kept coming and coming. He’s a good fighter, I have to give it to him. My strength is to punch back when people come at me. It was a good fight and a tremendous opportunity for me to be here.”
Kownacki took the loss well but was clearly shocked by his first professional defeat.
“It wasn’t my night. It’s boxing. It’s a tough sport and things just didn’t go my way tonight,” he said.
“It was a learning experience and I’m going to go back to the drawing board and get back to work.
“He hit me with a good shot. I knew what was going on, but I’m just upset with myself. It is what it is.”
The fight was billed as a WBA heavyweight title eliminator.
 scored a shock win when he banged out previously undefeated Adam ‘Babyface’ Kownacki 20-1 (15) in four rounds at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday night.){kind=link}