NEWARK, N.J. — Polish heavyweight boxing makes its return to the Prudential Center for the first time in over a decade as Polish big men Damian Knyba and Andrzej Wawrzyk meet in a ten-round showdown on Saturday, Feb. 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
The all-Polish heavyweight fight harkens back to when Tomasz Adamek, considered by many to be the greatest Polish-born fighter ever, packed Prudential Center a record nine times with thrilling slugfests. Now, Knyba (14-0, 8 knockouts) and Wawrzyk (34-4, 20 KOs) will look to write a new chapter at Prudential Center.
The event, which is titled Winter Warfare, will be promoted by PrimeTime Promotions. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.prucenter.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
Knyba of Wudzyn, Poland is undefeated in his three-year professional career, including a Knockout of the Year contender in November of 2024 against Richard Lartey, which aired live on ESPN+. The 6’7″ big man will be competing for the first time in a ten-round fight as he looks to prove he is ready to become a contender for the heavyweight championship.
“I don’t feel any pressure fighting in a big arena in front of thousands of fans. However, I do feel more motivated. I love to fight in front of large audiences on big time shows and this will be no different. I hope a lot of people come because I am going to put on one hell of a show!,” said Knyba, who is promoted by Top Rank Inc.
First he must get through Wawrzyk, a 6’5” heavyweight with far more experience at the world level, having challenged for the WBA heavyweight title in 2013 against Alexander Povetkin. He also has scored knockout wins over former heavyweight contenders Frans Botha (TKO in 5), Danny Williams (TKO in 1) and Albert Sosnowski (TKO in 5). Wawrzyk has shown he is still a world class fighter at age 37, having gone the distance with current WBA heavyweight titleholder Kubrat Pulev just a year ago.
The co-main event will feature another rising Polish fighter as Fiodor Czerkaszyn (25-1, 15 KOs) of Warsaw, Poland against an opponent to be named in an eight-round middleweight bout. The rest of the main card will feature former IBF bantamweight and WBO junior bantamweight world champion Miyo Yoshida (17-5) against Beata Dudek (5-5, 4 KOs) in an eight-round bout. Yoshida, who is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, is fighting for the first time since losing her world title in a close bout last October.
Those three bouts will air live in Poland on TVP Sport.
“This event is the culmination of the past few years of hard work we have put in to resurrecting Polish boxing. We are on a mission to bring back the days of Tomasz Adamek and Andrzej Golota and it starts with Damian Knyba,” said promoter Eryk Rachwal of PrimeTime Promotions.
Said Knyba’s manager Lukasz Kownacki: “We still have a long way to go but we are following along the path that the great Polish heavyweights have paved for us. Damian Knyba will be making a statement to show that it is out with the old and in with the new,” said Knyba’s manager Lukasz Kownacki.
“Prudential Center continues to pride itself on providing tri-state area boxers a platform to showcase their skills on the biggest stage,” said Dylan Wanagiel, VP of Sports Properties & Special Events for Prudential Center. “We are thrilled to partner with PrimeTime Promotions in delivering the best the sweet science has to offer to Newark for ‘Winter Warfare’ on Saturday, February 1. Our venue has proudly hosted thousands of Polish boxing enthusiasts during the halcyon days of Tomasz Adamek and we know those fans will bring their energy back to Brick City in support of fellow countrymen Damian Knyba, Andrzej Wawrzyk, Fiodor Czerkaszyn, and the remainder of the packed undercard.”
The rest of the undercard will feature some o the best upcoming talent from around the New Jersey and New York area and beyond, including Ghandi Romain (6-1-1, 4 KOs), Jean Pierre Valencia (3-0, 2 KOs), Elise Soto (7-0, 7 KOs), Christopher Houston (1-0), Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson (14-2, 8 KOs), John Vallejo (5-0, 2 KOs), Michal Soczynski (8-0, 5 KOs), Mateusz Bereznicki (1-0, 1 KO) and more.
About Prudential Center:
Prudential Center is the world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opened in October 2007, the state-of-the-art arena is the home of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) three-time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall University’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball program, Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) New York Sirens, and more than 210 concerts, family shows and special events each year. Ranked in the Top 5 worldwide by Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today, Prudential Center is recognized as one of the premier venues in the United States, and hosts over 2 million guests annually. For more information about Prudential Center, visit https://www.prucenter.com/ and follow the arena on Facebook, X and Instagram @PruCenter. Prudential Center is a HBSE property.
