When it comes to the promise of an all-action heavyweight fight with world title implications (and the equal potential for sloppy fun), it would be fairly difficult given their styles and personalities for Adam Kownacki vs. Chris Arreola to disappoint on Saturday night.
Arreola (38-5-1, 33 KOs), the 38-year-old veteran of three world title opportunities, has doubled down on his win-or-go-home intentions by saying he would retire if he lost. Kownacki (19-0, 15 KOs), meanwhile, has all but guaranteed an instant classic by saying the fight would resemble a heavyweight version of the classic Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward trilogy.
Considering Kownacki, a native of Poland who will be fighting in his adopted backyard of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday (Fox, 8 p.m. ET), believes he is one victory away from accepting a title shot -- whether it be unbeaten WBC champion Deontay Wilder or the winner of the Andy Ruiz Jr.-Anthony Joshua rematch -- there is certainly plenty for both competitors to fight for.
"It sounds like the perfect matchup, like a great matchup for fans," Kownacki said. "We're both looking for a knockout, so there is definitely going to be a lot of heavyweight haymakers being thrown. It's not one of us trying to get the finish, it's both of us trying to get the finish.
"I have a mission to be the first Polish born heavyweight champion of the world, and that's my goal. You've got to stay humble because a lot of times you know it could drop you down back to earth real quick."
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Although the 30-year-old Kownacki believes his quick January knockout of Gerald Washington was enough to get the attention of the hard-hitting Wilder, he has been unsuccessful in luring him into the ring. It's a reality that doesn't appear to get any easier considering Wilder is contractually tied into rematches against Luis Ortiz and Tyson Fury over the next nine months.
Still, Kownacki maintains that he's the perfect fighter to hand the 6-foot-7 Wilder his first defeat due to his constant pressure and ability to fight on the inside. While he waits for the chance, Kownacki has kept himself busy by focusing on defeating former Wilder opponents quicker than "The Bronze Bomber" already has, including Artur Szpilka and Washington.
That quest will only continue this weekend when Kownacki faces Arreola, who was stopped by Wilder in Round 8 of their 2016 title bout.
"If I lose, there's no reason for me to be in the sport of boxing," Arreola said. "I'm in boxing to be a champion. If I lose, it brings me all the way back to the bottom, and I don't want to keep crawling back up and keep crawling back up again. I'm too old to be doing that.
"So it's a make-or-break kind of fight. It's a win-or-go-home thing. I know Adam has intentions to retire me, and I'm not planning to retire no time soon. I know Adam worked his butt off to get me out of boxing, but I worked hard myself."
Despite having issues managing his weight for years, Arreola enters this pivotal fight in quite possibly the best shape of his career. He also added veteran trainer Joe Goossen to his team to get a new look after years working under the tutelage of Henry Ramirez.
Goossen has not only instilled fundamentals in Arreola, he has helped him sure up his defense a bit. Still, Goossen's reputation historically is that of an offensive trainer and Arreola pulled no punches when saying his best defense for Kownacki's aggressive style is simply "more offense."
"I've known Joe for many years. I've always been a fan of Joe ever since the [Jose Luis] Castillo-[Diego] Corrales fight," Arreola said. "And he's part of the family. Dan Goossen was my old promoter, rest in peace. I wanted to keep it in the family. I like the way he works. I like that he's an old school -- very old school -- kind of a coach. He's very methodical and he makes sure that he's there every minute of training camp."
Arreola has been honest throughout training camp in admitting his professional career hasn't necessarily gone the way he imagined it thanks to three unsuccessful attempts at a world title. In 2009, he suffered his first defeat against Vitali Klitschko via stoppage. Five years later, he was knocked out by Stiverne.
"The first time was really the most pressure, when I fought Klitschko. That was the biggest pressure," Arreola said. "The second time when I fought Stiverne, I didn't have any pressure. I didn't feel like I had the pressure because I was actually in really good shape and I was ready for that fight. Just happened that I got caught, and it's boxing.
"I wasn't even thinking about being the first Mexican champion or being the first anything against Wilder. All I wanted is to be the champion. I just wanted to be a champion."
Arreola's dream of becoming the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent was achieved by Ruiz in April when he upset Joshua. Arreola said he's happy for Ruiz, who he has known since he was a teenager, yet remains hungry to equal the feat.
"I think that a desperate man is a dangerous man and I think he's very desperate to get in line for a title shot," Kownacki said. "He had two knockout wins in a row so I'm prepared for the best Chris Arreola. He looks like he's in great shape. I've just got to make sure I have a better game plan and that I'm in better shape, which I know I've put in a lot of hard work for."
Kownacki also learned a lesson from Ruiz's upset in that he needs to be ready at all times for any opportunity. After Joshua's original opponent Jarrell Miller was pulled due to a failed drug test, Kownacki was offered the fight but was forced to turn it down.
"I could have had an opportunity to fight Anthony Joshua but I was out of shape. So I didn't pick up the challenge," Kownacki said. "So from now on, I'm in boxing shape. That's it. Because the title shot could come around the corner in a couple of weeks' notice because injuries and accidents happen. So I'm definitely going to be in camp nonstop, always working and perfecting my craft.
"Yes, [I regret it]. I wasn't in the boxing shop. I wanted to fight. It was my birthday. I found out my wife was pregnant, so I enjoyed life a little bit, which I regret because boxing's my full-time profession. And since that call I was, like, 'Yo I got to get in shape' and make sure that never happens again."
Also on this card are a pair of light heavyweights battling for an interim belt as Marcus Browne puts his strap on the line against Jean Pascal. Browne, who has had his own trouble outside of the ring with domestic violence arrests involving his former girlfriend in June, will make the walk once again after claiming the interim WBA title in January with a win over Badou Jack. Pascal is coming off a decision loss to Dmitry Bivol in November.
Plus, Curtis Stevens returns to the ring after scoring a decision victory over Carlos Jairo Cruz in July 2018. The former title challenger is 3-1 with the lone loss coming via vicious knockout from David Lemieux in 2017. He faces off with Wale Omotoso in a junior middleweight battle on Saturday.
Prediction
Expect this one to be a beautiful disaster in all the right ways. You can also expect it not to go the distance.
The biggest question coming in is how much does Arreola have left and how long can his chin stand up? While Kownacki is currently streaking and very much looks the part as a future title contender, he struggled at times against a determined former champion in Charles Martin last September in a sloppy brawl that went the distance as both fighters gassed out.
Kownacki, who will have the rabid Polish fanbase in his favor, has recommitted himself to better shape and should have enough advantages in terms of youth, speed, power and chin to outlast Arreola in a war.
Pick: Kownacki via TKO6
Fight card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightclass |
|---|---|---|
Adam Kownacki -3000 | Chris Arreola +1200 | Heavyweights |
Marcus Browne (c) -2500 | Jean Pascal +1100 | Interim light heavyweight title |
| Curtis Stevens N/A | Wale Omotoso N/A | Junior middleweights |