I’ve always been interested in boxing — I liked the sport, followed the big fights — but it wasn’t until Adam Kownacki’s rise that it became an obsession, in the best sense of the word. His fights pulled me in completely. I traveled to see him fight, lived by that rhythm, and eventually started my own boxing website. With every new event, I got a little closer to his circle, until — quite naturally — we became friends.

Through Adam, I met his brother Łukasz Kownacki, who was deeply involved in his team at the time. Łukasz isn’t a boxer himself, but he understands the sport like very few people do. He’s got a real instinct for people and for making the right calls — he can see potential in fighters long before others even start paying attention.

It was Łukasz who took Damian Knyba under his wing. He invited him to New York to spar with Adam as part of his preparations for the first Robert Helenius fight. At the time, Damian was supposed to compete in the prestigious Golden Gloves tournament — the kind of event that can open the door straight to a professional contract. But then came the pandemic. Golden Gloves was canceled, and Damian had to return to Poland.

Not long after, he lost in the finals of the Polish National Championships to Oskar Safaryan, mainly due to a cut. I still remember Łukasz calling me after that fight, asking what I thought. Not long after, the decision was made — time to turn pro.

Damian’s debut took place in Człopa, a tiny village most people in boxing have never even heard of. At that time, my portal, BoxingZone.org, was still in its early days. Łukasz sent me the event poster and asked if I could post something about Damian’s debut. I thought — why not?

Soon after, I reached out to Damian myself — and it turned out I was the first person he had ever given an interview to. I remember he was extremely nervous, speaking slowly, pausing often, trying to find the right words. We had to stop recording several times, and later laughed about it once the tension was gone. Today, we both look back on that day with a smile, but at the time, the tension was very real — as if he were giving his first interview to The Ring Magazine in a foreign language.

Damian won that debut fight by first-round knockout. From there, he kept fighting regularly — roughly every two months — mostly on cards promoted by Andrzej Wasilewski. At that point, we only stayed in touch remotely — me in the U.S., him in Poland — but we always spoke before and after each fight. It became our routine, a kind of work ritual.

After a few fights, Łukasz decided to take things to another level. Together with Eryk Rachwał, he organized the first event under the banner of Kownacki Promotions. Another key figure involved was Michał Olżyński, who — as both Łukasz and Eryk would later emphasize — took care of countless details with real professionalism. The show aired on Polsat Sport, and Damian, of course, was the star of the night, finishing his opponent in the first round.

Another event followed in Szczytno, and soon after came the United States. In May 2022, Damian made his U.S. debut — and that was the first time we met in person. After the fight, we spent three days together in Pennsylvania, at a beautiful cabin complex owned by Łukasz and his then-girlfriend (now wife), Justyna. It was a perfect setting — quiet, peaceful, surrounded by nature — with a grill, long talks, and endless boxing discussions.

That’s also when I got to know Eryk better. I’ll admit — at first, I thought he might be a bit of a slick talker (if he’s reading this, he’s probably laughing right now). But I quickly realized how wrong I was. Eryk is the kind of person you want to have around: composed, grounded, loyal, and very straightforward — which I value deeply. Back then, he was only 24, running a football (soccer) agency and working with clubs in Poland. I remember asking him if football was his biggest passion. Without hesitation, he said yes. Today, he laughs about it — because now, boxing has completely taken over his life.

I have no doubt that Łukasz was the driving force behind Damian’s development as a fighter, but Eryk has added far more than “just a few cents” to the project over the years. His work isn’t public — you won’t see it in the media — but I know exactly how much he’s done and how much he continues to do for Damian.

After that New York event, during one of those evenings in Pennsylvania, we sat together around the table. I remember Eryk saying something that stuck with me:

“We’re just getting started with this journey. And you, Michał, have been with us since day one. We’re going up together.”

And that’s exactly what happened. Back then, hardly anyone knew who Damian Knyba was. The name Kownacki was still mainly associated with his older brother, and Rachwał was a complete unknown. But I knew there was something special brewing here. Our relationship was built on trust, communication, and mutual respect — and in boxing, that’s already half the battle.

I don’t want to claim any credit for Damian’s success or development. I’m just lucky to have been there from the very beginning — and happy that I could contribute even a small piece to this whole story.

During that same stay in Pennsylvania, there was also Zbuku, a Polish rapper I had never heard of before. I grew up in a different era — O.S.T.R., Peja, WWO — that was my music. So, Zbuku was completely new to me. But I quickly realized he was a genuinely great guy — calm, grounded, no ego at all. Just a good dude.

It was during that stay in the cabins that something happened — something that might have been one of the key turning points in Damian’s career. We were all sitting around, talking about boxing and plans for the future, when Łukasz’s phone rang. It was confirmation: Oleksandr Usyk’s team wanted Damian for sparring, and they were 100% sure about it. Moments later, Łukasz looked at me and said, “Michał, you post it first.”

And that’s what I did. I published the tweet, and within hours, major Polish sports websites were quoting me as the source who broke the news. I’ll admit — it felt great. Not because of ego, but because it was satisfying to see something we had all been building since Damian’s small debut in Człopa start to reach a global scale.

The sparring sessions didn’t last long, but as Damian later told me — it was a true masterclass. Usyk doesn’t take it easy on anyone.

When Damian returned to Poland, Łukasz organized another event — this time in Ruda Śląska. It was Damian’s first eight-round fight, against Konstantin Dovbyschenko, a tough Ukrainian who, despite having 19 losses on his record, had never been stopped.

That night, Damian wasn’t feeling well. Something in his camp hadn’t gone right. After just three rounds, he was visibly tired, but he still pushed through and won on points. The next day, we spoke on video. He was disappointed — clearly unhappy with his performance. He told me maybe it was a mistake to take an eight-rounder. I told him the opposite — that it was good it happened now rather than later against a tougher opponent. After a moment of silence, he said, “You’re probably right.” Maybe I was.

During that event, Polish commentators Andrzej Kostyra and Krzysztof Kosedowski joked that with that kind of performance, Damian could maybe get a contract in the U.S. — “in a lumber factory.”
They didn’t know what I knew. Because even then, I already had confirmation from Łukasz that Damian’s next fight would take place in the U.S. — and on a major card.

Before Ruda Śląska, Łukasz called and asked if I’d like to handle Damian’s social media — to make everything look more professional so Damian could focus solely on training. I agreed without hesitation, with genuine pleasure.

That’s when Łukasz told me something in confidence — something that was supposed to remain secret at the time. But I think it’s fine to mention it now. He said:

“Damian will fight in December on a Top Rank card at Madison Square Garden.”

I was stunned. That was a shock — for me and for anyone familiar with where Damian’s career was at the time. Łukasz pulled off something incredible.

Of course, I didn’t tell anyone, just as we agreed. Around that same time, a Polish journalist posted ironically on Twitter (now X), saying that the only reason to watch Damian’s fight with Dovbyschenko was for the commentary by Kostyra and Kosedowski.
I replied: “Relax. Damian will soon be fighting on a big show in the U.S.”
He answered: “Yeah, right…” — in that sarcastic, typical Góral tone.
Well… let’s just say time answered that one for me.

A few months later, Damian really did fight at Madison Square Garden, against Emilio Salas, on a Top Rank card. I remember the weigh-in day — I flew into New York for it. It was just the four of us: Damian, Eryk, Łukasz, and me.
Today, when I see how many people are around Damian — reporters, photographers, advisors — it makes me smile. Back then, it was just us, focused on one goal.

Michał Olżyński was also involved from Poland, always supporting the team whenever possible. Damian stopped Salas in the second round, and the name “Knyba” started to circulate much more widely.

For me, that trip was a turning point. It was the first time I saw everything from the inside — the preparation, the tension, the real-life rhythm of a fighter’s camp. After the weigh-in, we went to a photo session — part of which I later featured in one of my YouTube videos. I highly recommend watching it; it shows the raw, unfiltered side of boxing. (“BoxingZone Org” channel on YouTube.)

That trip showed me more than all the previous events I’d covered as an accredited journalist combined. I wasn’t just observing from the outside — I was inside the fighter’s world.
Not long after, Damian made a major change — parting ways with trainer Joe Gadigian and starting a new chapter under Shaun George, the same coach who later guided Zhilei Zhang to big victories.
That’s when Damian truly entered a new stage of his career — and once again, I had the privilege of watching that evolution up close.

The beginning of 2023 brought Damian a huge breakthrough. He signed with Top Rank, becoming the first Polish boxer in history to join that legendary promotional company. It was a big deal. I still remember the emotions leading up to that announcement — everything planned down to the minute: the clock, the note, the official post. One of those professional moments you never forget.

Under Top Rank, Damian fought several notable bouts, though the promotion hasn’t yet thrown him into truly deep waters.
First came Curtis Harper, then Guido Vianello — but visa issues prevented that fight from happening. Officially, no one talked about it publicly, but I knew exactly what was going on behind the scenes.

Next came Helaman Olguin — at the so-called “small Madison Square Garden.” Damian fought through a painful ankle injury yet still clearly outboxed his opponent.
After the fight, we went for pizza. Damian was exhausted, barely hungry, and very unhappy with his performance. Luckily, Eryk — as always — lightened the mood, while Łukasz handled every little organizational detail, then still had to go to work afterward. A real one-man army.

The next stop was sunny Miami, Florida.
I’ve been to 44 states in my life, including places like Daytona and Clearwater, which is close to my heart — but Miami was a first for me. And I loved it.

There, Damian completely shut out Michael Polite Coffie, winning every round. I remember how some “online experts” complained afterward, saying the fight was boring — which I couldn’t understand at all. Damian executed a perfect performance: kept the distance, controlled the tempo, didn’t let Coffie get close.
Right after the fight, I asked Coffie — sweaty and frustrated — what he thought of Damian. He just said:

“Fu*k, man, you can’t even get near this guy!”

And he was right. Damian has the longest reach in the world — and at over two meters tall, he moves like a gazelle: light, fluid, on springs. There’s no one else like him. And I’m not saying this because he’s my friend — I’m saying it as someone who watches boxing every day, every card, everywhere.

Then came Richard Lartey, who felt the full power of Damian’s punch — a brutal knockout that left him unable to leave the ring on his own. That was the beginning of a streak of stoppages.
After Lartey came Andrzej Wawrzyk, Marcin Siwy, and most recently Joey Dawejko — all stopped before the final bell.

The Wawrzyk fight drew the most attention. Damian, to put it mildly, doesn’t like him. He joked about him off-camera, but also didn’t hold back in front of the microphones.
I remember the press conference hosted by Eryk, since it was a Kownacki Promotions event. Damian smiled and said:

“I’ve got nothing against Andrzej… not even respect.”

I had never seen Damian talk about anyone like that before — or since.
At that conference was also my good friend, Piotrek Łącz — a talented boxer and great guy — who also took every opportunity to throw some verbal jabs at Wawrzyk. Let’s just say Andrzej didn’t have an easy time that week. He got beaten up badly in the ring, and the whole atmosphere around the fight had a strange, darkly comedic feel.
Both Damian and Piotrek were clear: they believed Wawrzyk had earned that treatment with his behavior outside the ring. I won’t go into details, but I trust they had their reasons.

I remember the days before the event — setting up equipment, speakers, all the logistics. I spent three or four straight days with Piotrek. And if you know him, you know he goes crazy if he can’t hit the gym. He was frustrated because everything kept getting delayed — but still, he was a great presence. Few people are as genuine and decent toward me as he is.
We slept in Damian’s camper — he on the top bunk, me below. And honestly, after spending four days with someone 24/7, you’d normally want some space. But with Piotrek, it was the opposite — we just got along naturally.

When Damian was living full-time in the U.S., his diet consisted mostly of food from Bratek Deli, a Polish deli in New Jersey. After the conference and weigh-in before the Wawrzyk fight, we went there to eat — me, Piotrek, and Damian.
Something funny happened — I said something in Polish that I definitely shouldn’t have said, not realizing that everyone around us also spoke Polish. Luckily, it all ended with laughter and some good-natured teasing from the guys. For the next few days, they didn’t let me forget it.

I can’t even count how many moments and stories I left out here. But if what I’ve written covers even ten percent of what really happened, it still gives a fair picture of the scale of this journey.
What we’ve all experienced together over these years could fill a whole book.

Today, Damian stands before the biggest opportunity of his life — a fight for the interim WBC heavyweight title. Officially, it’s a “temporary” belt — but in reality, it’s a ticket to a full world title.
No Polish boxer has ever held even that interim version. On January 10, 2026, in Oberhausen, Germany, Damian Knyba will step into the ring against the undefeated champion Agit Kabayel.

I see the comments — many people already write him off. Maybe 80% of them think he doesn’t stand a chance.
But I know more than those 80%.
I’ve seen how this guy trains, how he reacts under pressure, how he grows from fight to fight. I know he can go toe-to-toe with Kabayel — and I know he can win.

Someone might accuse me of bias — and that’s fine. In this case, I don’t want to be objective. Because I know Damian has everything it takes: mental toughness, technical skill, and ring maturity.
Honestly, it’s still hard for me to believe everything happening now is real.

People talk about a lack of experience. But those people haven’t seen what I’ve seen. Damian has sparred with some of the best — including Filip Hrgović, Arslanbek Makhmudov, Zhilei Zhang, and Oleksandr Usyk.
As he told me, those Hrgović sparring sessions were wars. He came back with bruised ribs, barely able to sleep at night — but he didn’t quit. Everyone else dropped out, but he stayed until the end, even while sick. That’s not a guy who backs down.

Many top fighters respect him for that professionalism and character. The kind of experience he’s gained in sparring is worth more than many official fights.
For years, fans said Damian was “fighting nobodies.” And now that he’s getting a top opponent, those same people say “it’s too soon.”
But Damian has wanted these fights for a long time. He never avoided challenges — it was others avoiding him. Kabayel was the one who called him out, and Damian accepted immediately. And good for him — because if not now, when?

Now is the moment for Damian Knyba to prove his worth and silence the doubters.
I truly believe he can win this fight. And I say that not just as a journalist, but as his friend — because first and foremost, that’s what he is to me.
No matter what happens in the future, that won’t change.

I’ve seen how hard he’s worked for all of this, how much he’s sacrificed.
If anyone in Polish boxing deserves this opportunity right now, it’s him.
Whatever happens, I’m convinced this is just the beginning of something great. With people like Łukasz Kownacki, Eryk Rachwał, Shaun George, and Piotr Wilczewski by his side, Damian has everything it takes to reach the top — because his dedication, focus, and drive are second to none.

Sometimes I catch myself thinking that all of this feels like a movie — only without a script or a director.
In this film, there are no random roles.
Everyone who’s been part of this journey from the start knows that the most important chapter is only beginning now.

And regardless of what happens in Oberhausen, I know one thing for sure:
this story has already earned its place in the history of Polish boxing — and in my heart.

Because I’ve never been part of such an incredible journey.
And this train… is only just picking up speed.

— Michal Adamczyk