Damian Knyba Breaks Down Joey Dawejko in Brooklyn

Brooklyn, NY, USA - Damian Knyba 17-0 (11 KOs) continued his unbeaten rise on Saturday night at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, methodically breaking down veteran Joey “Tank” Dawejko 28-14-4 (16 KOs) en route to a seventh-round stoppage. The 6′7″ Polish heavyweight entered the ring in red and white at 259.8 lbs, facing a stubborn, compact opponent who matched him at 259 even — but the symmetry ended there.

From the opening bell, Knyba used his height and reach to full effect, pumping out a sharp jab that soon became the defining weapon of the bout. Dawejko, true to his Philadelphia roots, tried to slip inside with looping hooks to the body, but Knyba’s composure and clean straight punching dictated the rhythm.

Early Control

Through the first three rounds Knyba set a patient pace — jabbing, probing, and steadily wearing down the smaller man. Sweat flew off Dawejko’s head with each clean connection, and by the third his face was beet-red from repeated right hands and body shots. The younger man’s work rate and conditioning told the story; he was boxing within himself, keeping distance and building pressure round by round.

Steady Punishment

Rounds four through six were a clinic in measured aggression. Knyba began jabbing harder, mixing combinations to head and body, while Dawejko relied on movement and defiance. The veteran’s experience showed — subtle weaves, shoulder rolls, flashes of counter jabs — but the power differential was unmistakable.

By the end of the sixth, Dawejko was visibly fatigued, circling the ropes and staggering slightly to his corner after absorbing a series of punishing rights and lefts. Knyba’s jab-right combination and disciplined body attack had eroded his opponent’s resistance.

The Finish

Sensing the moment in Round 7, Knyba tightened the screws. He continued stalking behind the jab, forcing Dawejko to the ropes, then unleashed a barrage of straight shots and uppercuts that left the veteran unable to respond. Referee intervention came as Dawejko sagged to the canvas under the sustained assault, trying to duck but absorbing too much cleanly.

It was a professional, decisive finish — Knyba’s most complete performance to date.