Adam Kownacki weighs 265¼, Robert Helenius 238½

Adam Kownacki weighed in Friday at 265¼ pounds for his title eliminator against Robert Helenius on Saturday at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn.

Adam Kownacki remains as beefy as ever.

The Polish-born, Brooklyn-based heavyweight contender weighed in Friday at 265¼ pounds for his title eliminator against Robert Helenius on Saturday at Barclay’s Center in Kownacki’s hometown.

That’s three quarters of a pound less the career-high 266 Kownacki (20-0, 15 KOs) weighed for his last fight, a unanimous-decision victory over Chris Arreola in August.

Helenius (29-3, 18 KOs) weighed in at 238½ even though, at 6-foot-6½, he’s 3½ inches taller than Kownacki.

Kownacki’s weight doesn’t seem to slow him down. He threw an eye-popping 1,047 punches in the 12-round Arreola fight.

Helenius is coming of a second-round knockout of Mateus Roberto Osorio but was stopped himself by Gerald Washington in eight rounds in his most-recent meaningful fight.

 

Charles Martin stops Gerald Washington in Round 6

Former heavyweight titleholder Charles Martin outboxed, outworked and then stopped Gerald Washington is Round 6 on Saturday.

Former heavyweight titleholder Charles Martin outboxed, outworked and then stopped Gerald Washington is Round 6 on the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury card Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Martin (28-2-1, 25) had built a lead on the cards when he landed an overhand left to the chin, which sent Washington to the canvas flat on his back.

The former football got up fairly quickly on wobbly legs but, obviously dazed, he was in no condition to fight. Referee Tony Weeks took one good look into Washington’s eyes and waved off the fight at 1:57.

The fight was billed as a title eliminator.

Martin has won three consecutive fights since losing his title to Anthony Joshua by knockout and Adam Kownacki by decision in a span of four fights.

Washington (20-4-1, 13 KOs) has now lost four of his last six fights, all by stoppage. At 37, he will be hard pressed to remain a contender.

 

Emanuel Navarrete to defend against Jeo Santisima on Wilder-Fury II card

The tireless Emanuel Navarrete will appear on the pay-per-view card featuring Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder II on Feb. 22 in Las Vegas.

The first of Emanuel Navarrete’s plan for four more fights in 2020 is scheduled for a card that promises to provide momentum for the junior featherweight champion’s pursuit of a unified title and further stardom.

The tireless Navarrete, who put busy back into boxing last year, will appear on the pay-per-view card featuring Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder II on Feb. 22 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, Top Rank announced.

Navarrete (30-1, 26 KOs) will face Filipino Jeo Santisima (19-2, 16 KOs) in defense of a 122-pound belt he won in an upset decision over Isaac Dogboe Dec. 8, 2018 in New York. The card also will include Charles Martin (27-2-1, 24 KOs), a former heavyweight champion, against Gerald Washington (20-3-1, 13 KOs).

Navarrete, of Mexico City, went on to defend the belt four times in 2019, including a stoppage of Dogboe in a rematch May 11 in Tucson, Arizona.

“I am motivated to make my fifth defense in less than a year and especially because I’m proud to be part of a historic card headlined by Wilder vs. Fury II,” Navarrete said.

The 5-foot-7 Navarrete figures to move up to featherweight, perhaps later in the year. First, however, he says he wants to unify the junior featherweight titles.

Two of the 122-pound belts changed hands Thursday night. Murodjon Akhmadaliev, a 2016 Olympian from Uzbekistan, took them from Daniel Roman by a split decision in Miami.

Rey Vargas holds the fourth junior featherweight belt.

Follow Norm Frauenheim on Twitter at @FrauenheimNorm

 

Murodjon Akhmadaliev outpoints Daniel Roman to win titles in eighth fight