Adam Kownacki defeats veteran Chris Arreola by unanimous decision

Adam Kownacki wanted to retire Chris Arreola by knockout, but he had to settle for a unanimous decision. He was good but didn’t look ready for Deontay Wilder.

Adam Kownacki (20-0, 15 KOs) headlined his first main event on Saturday, Aug. 3 on PBC on FOX against the aged but dangerous Chris Arreola (38-6-1, 33 KOs). Kownacki had high hopes of stopping Arreola inside of eight rounds, but he had to settle for a unanimous decision victory.

WBC champion Deontay Wilder stopped Arreola in round 8 in 2016. Kownacki wanted to have an easier time against Arreola but was never able to cause significant damage.

Kownacki attacked Arreola at the start of round 1. Arreola fought back in spurts, but Kownacki walked through his power. Arreola was trapped against the ropes often, but maintained his composure and stayed in his guard.

Kownacki increased his aggressiveness in round 2. He scored with big hooks to Arreola’s body and head. Arreola showed heart and tried to counter, but his punches didn’t phase Kownacki. Kownacki looked a bit fatigued in the last minute but didn’t stop throwing his hands.

Kownacki hammered Arreola with a right uppercut 40 seconds into round 3. Arreola took it well, but it had to hurt. They fought head to head for most of the round and Kownacki got the better of the action.

Arreola scored first in the fourth round. It was a good round for Arreola who pushed Kownacki back and stayed active. Kownacki’s punches lacked velocity, and Arreola’s confidence looked high. Arreola won the round.

Kownacki’s activity level rebounded early in round 5. He tagged Arreola with excellent shots but never hurt him. Arreola smothered his punches and hit Kownacki mostly with slapping punches. Kownacki’s hands were heavy but slow.

A majority of round 6 was fought inside of a phonebooth. Kownacki created space with stiff jabs, but Arreola sidled up close to him after. Arreola never lost his resolve, but Kownacki still outscored him.

Arreola held his left hand after the bell of round 6. His injury was telegraphed, but he still threw the left in round 7. He doubled up with it to Kownacki’s body and head, but there was nothing on it. It was a challenging round to score, but Kownacki controlled the action which tipped things in his favor.

The eighth round was slow and cautious, but round 9 saw a lot of back and forth action with Kownacki landing several powerful right hands. Arreola took them on the chin and continued to counter but not with much effectiveness.

Kownacki won round 10, 11, and12, but Arreola never gave up. He deserves a lot of credit for his heart and spirit. Arreola did all he could to win the fight, but his age and injured left hand held him back.

When the fight finished and the scores were read, Kownacki won by unanimous decision with two scores of 117-111 and one of 118-110. Kownacki controlled the match, but he never came close to stopping Arreola.

While talking to FanSided days before the fight about Wilder, Kownacki said, “He [Wilder] looks bad because he won’t fight me since he’ll be like, ‘Oh snap, he’s fighting the same guys, and he’s doing this to them?'”

Arreola was the first of three opponents Kownacki shared with Wilder that he wasn’t able to defeat earlier than Wilder. Kownacki is a force in the heavyweight division, but his punches lacked Wilder’s devastating power. He will likely fight several more times before receiving a title shot. He’s talented but needs to develop more to challenge the division’s best.