WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder (35-0, 34 KOs) will make the third defense of his title against the powerful Polish puncher, Artur Szpilka (20-1, 15 KOs), live on Showtime, this Saturday at 10:00 pm, EST.
Brooklyn, NY, the home for this clash, is buzzing with anticipation for this exciting heavyweight title fight, as Wilder, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Szpilka, of Wieliczka, Poland, will be the first Heavyweight title fight in Brooklyn in 115 years.
This fight will take place in at the Barclays Center which has quickly become one of boxing’s newest and hottest venues. Wilder is looking forward to the opportunity to expose New York to his exciting style and make a home for himself in boxing’s historic hotbed.
“This is big for me. Being in New York and making history, that’s a dream come true. I’ve been looking to come to Brooklyn for a long time to display my talent. Barclays Center needs a face and I’m looking to make it a home away from home,” Wilder said during a recent media function.
His opponent, Szpilka, is aware of the type of opportunity he has been given and looks to capitalize on the occasion. “It feels amazing to get the opportunity to fight Deontay for his Heavyweight world title,” said Szpilka.
“I can’t wait to be the first ever Polish Heavyweight to win a world title. I’ve dreamed about this many times, and now my time has come. I’ll be ready to put on a show for my fans and take his belt from him on Jan. 16.”
At first glance the matchup seemed to be very one sided in favor of Wilder but as the fight week has unfolded the confidence of Szpilka has become hard to ignore. “Wilder is very tough. He’s tall and strong. This is boxing. He’s human. I know I can beat him. He makes mistakes and I know what I have to do. I know him. I’ve studied him and I see what he does badly.”
Wilder himself has never lacked in the confidence department and still continues to boast that his power and boxing abilities will be too much for Szpilka to handle on Saturday night.
“I’m mobile and agile. My accuracy and my power is the best out there. Artur Szpilka is in for a world of pain,” said Wilder.
Szpilka stands 6’3″ and has won four consecutive fights since suffering the only loss of his career to then-undefeated Bryant Jennings in 2014. Szpilka creates pressure on opponents with his ability to keep coming forward and his rough brawler style. Since working under Houston-based trainer Ronnie Shields, Szpilka has improved his ability to box with skill and finesse yet seems to remain true to his strengths in brawling and coming forward. Szpilka has developed into a more complete fighter under Shields and it appears that he could very well be the toughest test of Wilder’s career.
The extremely athletic and powerful champion is truly a showman and fan favorite as he has made his living by knocking out his opponents in 34 of his 35 professional bouts. Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Showtime Sports, explains how special Wilder is.
“Deontay has used his rare blend of raw power, athleticism and charisma to become one of the can’t-miss boxers of this era,” said Espinoza.
Wilder gave details in a recent interview (via Fight Hype) that he looks to increase upon his 97 percent knockout ratio and make statement within the Heavyweight division with a victory against Szpilka.
“I even wanna get that knock where I buzz him and I be able to do him with a finish move. I got a great finish move that I wanna do for him. This is my year, 2016. I keep saying it because I mean what I say. I want to send a message to all of the heavyweights in this division start with Artur Szpilka. In 2016, Deontay Wilder is not playing.”
Wilder goes on to explain that he knows that Szpilka is the first quality southpaw he has faced, but does not foresee his opponents stance to create an issue with enforcing his will.
“With the southpaws, it’s all about the positioning and it’s always going to be about who is the smartest. I love southpaws, so he is going to see very quickly that this fight is not going to go to the way he’s planning on it going,” said Wilder.
Both Wilder and Szpilka have assured that they are ready to take advantage this juncture in boxing history and are certainly prepared to do their part to create an exciting fight on Saturday night.
Brooklyn may have waited 115 years to see a Heavyweight title fight again but as the fight reaches closer it appears it might just be worth the wait. Excitement looms in Brooklyn; heavyweight championship boxing is back baby!
Photo by Stephanie Trapp/Showtime
