In New York’s ever-growing boxing scene, one undefeated heavyweight prospect is looking to make some splash when he faces off against a former world champion on one of the biggest cards in the city in 2018.
Adam Kownacki, a Polish heavyweight that has earned himself a top-10 spot in the WBC heavyweight rankings, will be facing off against Charles Martin, a former IBF heavyweight champion. The fight will be the opening fight in the televised portion of the September 8 Showtime card from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
As Kownacki continues to climb the ranks in the heavyweight division, a win over Martin could put him in a position to challenge for a heavyweight title down the line. In a recent conference call, Kownacki told Fightful that this fight is a good first major test as Kownacki will face off against his most experienced opponent yet as far as fighting world-class heavyweights.
“I think it’s a good test against a former world champion [as we’re ranked close to a shot] against the WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. I think this fight will fight elevate me to a whole another level,” Kownacki said.
Though Kownacki comes from Poland, he has spent the entirety of his pro career in the United States, adopting New York as a home away from home. Kownacki has fought on many big boxing cards inside the city in the past few years and Kownacki said he intends to continue his success fighting in New York.
“I love it. In fact, it’s one of the best feelings. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. So I want to continue that and keep winning in New York,” Kownacki said.
The September 8 Showtime card will also feature a WBC welterweight title eliminator between Yordenis Ugas and Cesar Barrionuevo while the main event is a fight between Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter for the vacant WBC welterweight title.
