By Jim Dower: Unbeaten heavyweight contender Adam Kownacki (19-0, 15 KOs) destroyed former world title challenger Gerald Washington (19-3-1, 12 KOs) by a 2nd round knockout on Saturday night on Premier Boxing Champions on FOX at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Showing massive punching power, Kownacki, 29, dropped the 36-year-old Washington with a massive shot to the head. The fight should have been stopped but referee Harvey Dock allowed it to continue. Washington got up and was tagged a couple of more times before the fight was finally halted. The official time of the stoppage was at 1:09 of round two.
Kownacki looked somewhat out of shape at 258 lbs, but there was nothing wrong with his punching power. He nailed the 6’6″ Washington with a storm of punches in the first round that should have resulted in the fight being stopped.
“I want the belt, baby,” Kownacki said after the fight about wanting a title shot against WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.
Kownacki is ranked #8 with the WBC. He’s going to need to get ranked higher for him to get a crack at Wilder’s title, because hes probably too dangerous to be given a title shot in a voluntary defense by the Bronze Bomber. Kownacki, 6’3″, fought a lot like Chris Arreola tonight. He’ll need to raise his game to have a chance of beating a fighter as talented as Wilder. Right now, Kownacki is too slow, and hittable for him to have a chance of beating Deontay.
Kownacki landed 58 of 141 shots for a connect rate of 41 percent, according to CompuBox. For his part, Washington connected on 18 of 86 punches for a connect rate of 21 percent. Kownacki threw a lot of punches in the first round. He was very busy for a heavyweight, and especially with the kind of physique that he has.
In other boxing results on the card, unbeaten featherweight prospect Chris Colbert (10-0, 3 KOs) looked sharp in beating Josh Hernandez (8-2, 7 KOs) by an eight round unanimous decision. The scores were 79-73, 79-73 and 79-72.
Unbeaten 2016 U.S Olympian Gary Antuanne Russell (8-0, 8 KOs) stayed undefeated in beating journeyman Roberto Almazán (7-9, 2 KOs) by a second round knockdown. Russell, the brother of World Boxing Council featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr., dropped Almazan twice in the fight.
Undefeated super featherweight prospect Chordale Booker (14-0, 7 KOs) defeated Juan De Ángel (21-10-1, 19 KOs) by an eight round unanimous decision. The scores were 80-71, 79-72, and 79-72. De Angel was knocked down in the seventh round.
Featherweight Stephen Fulton (15-0, 7 KOs) defeated Marlon Olea (14-4, 12 KOs) by a fifth round knockout.
In a big surprise, Marsellos Wilder (3-1, 2 KOs), the brother of WBC heavyweight champion Deontay ‘Bronze Bomber’ Wilder, was knocked out in the 4th round by cruiserweight journeyman William Deets (7-12, 3 KOs).
