BY TIM PARSONS
American world heavyweight champion, Deontey Wilder, will have his third defence of the WBC title he won last year January when he faces Artur Szpilka (20-1, 15 KO’s) tonight at the Barclays centre in Brooklyn New York. It is a year since Wilder won the heavyweight championship after a 100% knockout rate in 31 straight fights, and went the distance for the first time.
Wilder, who now has 32 knockouts in 33 fights, is a powerful Alabama fighter with knockout power and a lot of talking running off his mouth. The 6ft 7 1/2 inch fighter has made no secret of his intention to unify the heavyweight division and will be hoping to once again show his quality by winning in good style against this opponent. The Alabama native is eager to fight Britain’s Tyson Fury, who stunned the boxing world when he dethroned Wladimir Klitschko last November, though we at eye of media were unified in our suspicion Fury might beat the one dimensional Klitschko, despite his long reign in the division up until then.
Wilder is an ultra confident champion with high ambitions to dominate the division and return the lost glamour the big boys which once brought spark to the sport.
“When people say the heavyweight champion of the world, I want one person to be recognized. I wish my opponent and all future opponents good luck, cause they’re going to need it.
“We’re not looking past Artur Szpilka. Things happen due to adrenaline and excitement, but I’m very confident about what I’m going to do on Saturday night. He wants to be the first Polish heavyweight champion of the world. You know he’s coming to make history.
“This is going to be a hard fight, but a fun fight. Everyone who sees this fight, they’re going to get their money’s worth. It’s going to be a great show. I cannot wait. Waiting is the hardest part of boxing.”
Wilder seems to admit that he will be in a hard fight against a polish fighter who will make history if he beats the unbeaten American and takes his title, thereby once again blowing the division wide open and raising the hopes of all serious contenders. Already, Clark Martins and Vyachngov will be contending the IBF title stripped off Tyson Fury by the boxing governing body when he refused to defend the IBF belt this month, but chose instead wait to fight Wladimir Klitschko in a rematch.
The reality of this sport is that until the fight actually begins, each fighter is potentially up for a surprise. Especially so in the heavyweight division where heavy shots are exchanged and one big bomb detonated on the chin can put anyone’s lights out. Determination and ambition can sometimes add to a boxers chances of victory, although this will usually be limited by the fighters skill set.
On the other corner challenging for the championship belt held by Wilder, the Polish fighter is serious about ending Wilder’s time as champion and making his own mark in history as the first Polish world champion ever.
“I’m not just here to get my pay check, Szpilka told the press. Everyone who knows me, knows I come to fight. I don’t just want to win; I want to win in spectacular fashion.
“I have a bunch of friends coming in from Chicago but the next 48 hours will be mostly relaxing. I have a couple small training sessions with Ronnie (Shields) but that’s it.
“I know you have to have a great respect for your opponent and I used to have respect for him. But after what he has said about me, I have a problem. You have to prove it in the ring. He has to do it in the ring, not outside the ring. He can say whatever he wants, but we will see it in the ring.
“I will fight hard and after the fight you will hear ‘The New Heavyweight Champion of the World.’
Talk is cheap, but the fight promises to be a good fight and we can expect the Polish challenger to give it a good shot, potentially even threatening an upset against the American from time to time. Wilder needs to win and look good in doing so, if he must keep his growing fan base and his reputation strong. Expect this fight to go 5 to 6 rounds before Wilder smashes his game opponent into submission and express to reporters his eagerness to fight Tyson Fury who will be at ring side.
Wilder will come in at 98kg, whilst his opponent will be 10kg heavier at 108kg. It should be a good show
