Undefeated Brooklyn boxer Adam “Babyface” Kownacki returns to old block to talk PRs and Poland

January 17, 2019 By Alex Wieckowsk Special to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Adam “Babyface” Kownacki, Poland-born but Brooklyn-bred, spoke with the Eagle recently about his undefeated season. Eagle photo by Alex Wieckowski

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Brooklyn boxer Adam Kownacki may hold a whopping undefeated 18-0 ratio so far this season, but even so, he wasn’t prepared for the outpouring of support that greeted him at Greenpoint’s Amber Steak House on Tuesday, where the Polish immigrant was hosting a neighborhood meet-and-greet.

“I’m shocked so many people found the time to come out today,” Kownacki said. “I grew up a couple streets from here. This is amazing.”

Fans, friends and family members gathered inside the steakhouse at 119 Nassau Ave. to say hello to, take pictures with and get autographs from their favorite Brooklyn-bred boxer, who is so far undefeated this season, 18-0 with 14 wins by knockout.

Born in Poland, Kownacki moved to Greenpoint in 1996 with his parents and two brothers at age 7. He spent much of his childhood wandering around the Brooklyn neighborhood.

“I used to play soccer in the parks here,” Kownacki reminisced. “It’s an amazing feeling that people still remember me. I haven’t changed a lot, I’m still the same kid.”

Speaking with the Greenpoint Gazette, Kownacki attributed part of his success to his Brooklyn childhood. “Brooklyn has a rich history of fighters, so fighting is in Brooklyn’s backbone,” he said. “Growing up, a person ended up in a couple scuffles and had to learn how to fight.”

Kownacki also pointed to his immigrant background as a source of scrappiness. “Being a Polish immigrant was tough,” he admitted. “Not knowing the language, you had to adapt to a new surrounding and new friends. Luckily, moving to Greenpoint made it easier because it was Little Poland at the time, and you could take care of everything in Polish.”

The boxer’s next big fight is coming up next week on Jan. 26 at Barclays Center against Gerald Washington. “I’ve been training three months for this fight,” Kownacki told the Gazette. “Two times a day for a total of four to five hours. This fight is a lot bigger. I feel that a lot of people are way more interested and that my brand is getting bigger.”

The fact that he’s fighting on his home turf doesn’t hurt either. “Fighting in Brooklyn, I’m focused,” he said. “I got my hometown fans supporting me, I love it.”