Helenius To Repeat Upset Against Kownacki

Robert Helenius pulled off a huge upset when the 37-year-old knocked out Adam Kownacki in 2020 and he’s back to do it again.

The “Nordic Nightmare” might be in the twilight of his career, but he comes off a devastating knockout of the formerly unbeaten Adam Kownacki, who vows to exact his revenge.

Betting online markets have Kownacki favored to win, but bettors should always expect the unexpected in boxing.

Kownacki Hoping for Title Bout

Kownacki’s loss to Helenius was costly and another loss would rule him out of a world title fight.

After posting top-level wins over Charles Martin, Chris Arreola and Gerald Washington, it looked as though the Polish fighter was heading to the top. However, despite getting the better of the first three rounds on the scorecards, Kownacki was dealt a massive blow.

It came via the right hand of Helenius, who had previously been knocked out against Washington, so it was an upset for the ages.

Adam Kownacki: A Win on October 9 Puts Me Back on The Map https://t.co/KZFET0m8ru pic.twitter.com/3HWaYs80n3

— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) September 28, 2021

The 32-year-old Kownacki still has his sights set on a title fight, but first he must right his wrongs and score a convincing win on Sunday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The boxing betting markets have Kownacki at -230, which is a short quote considering his TKO loss in the first meeting. Bookmakers have a firm belief the Poland-born fighter will bounce back, but Helenus’ longtime trainer, Johan Lindstrom, expects a similar result.

“I think it’s natural that he has to change something because he lost,” Lindstrom told BoxingScene.com. “But I don’t really think that he can change that much from one fight to another. You know, training for it is one thing.

“But you know, as soon as he gets punched in the face, he’s probably gonna fall into the same old Kownacki again. So, I think that he will try to be more of himself, like do more of what he did the last time, but he’ll be in better shape and come even harder.”

Andy Ruiz has come out saying he would like to fight Kownacki, but that’s providing he beats Helenius. Kownacki wouldn’t want to get distracted by the call-out from Ruiz.

“There’s a few opponents,” Ruiz said. “We’re looking at Adam Kownacki, he’s going to be fighting in October as well. There’s Charles Martin, there’s Luis Ortiz.”

It’s a mouth-watering potential clash for the hot favorite, but rule out Helenius at your peril.

Helenius to Double Down

The Finnish fighter caused an upset with the sportsbook when beating Kownacki in the first meeting, and he’s trying to do it again.

Despite losing to the likes of Dillian Whyte and Washington, Helenius defeated a quality fighter in Kownacki. The March 2020 fight was a long time ago now, and this fight was postponed earlier in the year, but he should be ready to fire.

He’s keen to prove the last win wasn’t a fluke, and the boxing odds of +190 are generous. It’s never easy for a fighter to come back from a devastating loss, so that’s in favor of Helenius.

Kownacki believes he was reckless in allowing Henenius to catch him with a power punch.

“Helenius is a good counter puncher and that’s what I got caught with,” said Kownacki. “I got reckless. Every fighter in this division can pack a punch. Everyone who’s seen me fight knows that I come forward and try to destroy people.

“As always, this fight is going to be action-packed. On October 9, I’m going to show everyone that my last fight was an accident and that I’m back to being my old self.”

Deontay Wilder sparring with Robert Helenius as both prepare for fights on Oct 9! 🥊#HeleniusKownacki2 #FuryWilder3 | Buy PPV: https://t.co/Oz3QzMRKhn pic.twitter.com/rsJPoEO1f2

— FOX Sports: PBC (@PBConFOX) September 28, 2021

Neither fighter has faced an opponent since March last year, which makes for an interesting dynamic. They’ll both be chomping at the bit to get into the ring, so whichever fighter can settle his nerves the best, could come away with the victory.

Helenius owns 30 wins, with 19 of them coming by KO. He’s a fighter that can’t be overlooked, despite Kownacki owning wins over Gerald Washington and Chris Arreola. Kownacki is being tipped for a potential title fight, but as he did in the first meeting, Helenius won’t die wondering.