Tonight at 10:00 pm EST on Showtime, and streaming free here at BLH, a pair of world heavyweight titles are on the line at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with Deontay Wilder defending the WBC title in the main event against Artur Szpilka.
The fight can be seen on Showtime even if you're not a subscriber, as well, as this is Showtime's free preview weekend.
Wilder (35-0, 34 KO) looks to make a third successful title defense. A year ago, he won the belt from Bermane Stiverne with a dominant 12-round decision victory, and followed up with stoppage defeats of Eric Molina and Johann Duhaupas. He starts 2016 by staying busy, facing Szpilka (20-1, 15 KO), a fearless battler from Poland who will be coming to win.
In the co-feature, the vacant IBF title is on the line between veteran Vyacheslav "Czar" Glazkov (21-0-1, 13 KO) and prospect Charles Martin (22-0-1, 20 KO). Glazkov has been a bit lucky to escape some of his fights with victories or draws in the past, but this is a big step up in class for Martin, too, and looks like a 50-50 fight on paper. Either way, someone's leaving with a belt. Unless they draw. Then nobody is.
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RESULTS
Deontay Wilder def. Artur Szpilka by TKO (2:24 of round 9)
Charles Martin def. Vyacheslav Glazkov by TKO (1:50 of round 3)
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ROUND BY ROUND
DEONTAY WILDER vs ARTUR SZPILKA
Round 1: Judges are Guido Cavalleri (Italy), Pasquale Procopio (Canada), and Waleska Roldan (New York). Referee is Mike Griffin. Really intense stare down during the instructions. Szpilka comes out throwing, showing aggression. Both guys in very wide stances. Wilder flicking his jab out, Szpilka doing the same. Szpilka with a left that gets close. Wilder with a little jab, Szpilka moving around well. Wilder missing ugly with right hands, Szpilka sorta has him off balance a bit by moving in and out. Not a lot of clean shots landing but interesting start. Loud crowd, pro-Szpilka. I liked Szpilka by a bit in this round, in part because he made Wilder miss ugly a bunch. Szpilka 10-9
Round 2: Good right from Wilder, Szpilka gets a little left in. Wilder looking like he might be settling in a bit more, not as much posturing from him. Body shot from Szpilka. Left counter from Wilder, sweeping sort of punch. Good jab to the body from Wilder. Szpilka jabbing a bit now, too. He's not close enough to get serious work done, but then there's a nice little combo with a double jab and a left hand from the southpaw stance. Szpilka closed this round pretty well. Szpilka 10-9, 20-18
Round 3: Szpilka making Wilder uncomfortable in this fight. Just not letting him get his timing down. Deontay with a right to the body, doesn't get there. Wilder blocks a left, showing some nice defense there. Szpilka with a good left that pushes Wilder back a little bit. He's looking to take another round here. Right hand from Wilder, Szpilka eats it. Left again from Szpilka. I really think he's winning this fight. Szpilka 10-9, 30-27
Round 4: Szpilka fighting very confidently tonight. Deontay is fighting about like Deontay, but Szpilka has no fear thus far. And he's not fighting like a psycho, he's fighting very clever. Wilder's jab pumping out and starting to land more consistently this round, though. This is his best round tonight. HARD right hand from Wilder, and Szpilka backs down but takes it well. Wilder showboating. Another right hand lands. Wilder 10-9, Szpilka 39-37
Round 5: Wilder now looking confident coming out for this round. He lands a little right hand early. Ronnie Shields wants Szpilka to back Wilder up this round. Wilder finding his range. There's a hard left from Szpilka that catches Wilder too close to the ropes to back up effectively. Szpilka with a double jab. Right hand from Wilder, not a flush shot. Szpilka with a shot to the arm. Szpilka catches him again, Wilder landing a shot too. Szpilka doing some work now! He's landing clean shots! Hard right uppercut from Wilder. Szpilka 10-9, 49-46
Round 6: This has turned into a fun fight. Wilder starting this round well. Wilder coming hard in the second minute of this round, Szpilka misses a long uppercut, dangerous punch, and Wilder drills him in return. Szpilka with a little charge with about 45 seconds left in the round. There's a right hook to the body from Szpilka. Szpilka with a left. Wilder wobbles a bit, but looked like feet got tied up there. Close round. I barely shade to Wilder. This is a good fight. Wilder 10-9, Szpilka 58-56
Round 7: Wilder with another long right hand early in this round. Szpilka stuck in the corner, but he clinches up when Deontay gets close, good idea. Good right from Wilder again, but he gets caught lunging, too, and clipped himself. Both guys taking the shots well. Szpilka with a hard body shot, Wilder felt that. Szpilka fighting very aggressively late in this round. Szpilka with a left hand late. Good round for him. Szpilka 10-9, 68-65
Round 8: Tentative first couple minutes. Szpilka with a left. Wilder getting his jab going again, though. The upper body movement of Szpilka has given Wilder fits in this fight. Wilder with a lead right, but he goes nuts and slips a bit. Szpilka ate the shot again well. HARD clash of heads at the bell. Wilder 10-9, Szpilka 77-75
Round 9: Left hook from Wilder stings Szpilka a bit, but referee calls it a rabbit punch. Szpilka back with a hard left to the side of the head. Right hand from Wilder, not a clean shot. A minute left in another competitive round.OH MY GOD HARD RIGHT CATCHES SZPILKA OPEN AND HE IS OUT. WILDER TKO-9
VYACHESLAV GLAZKOV vs CHARLES MARTIN
Round 1: Judges are Eric Marlinski (New York), Nelson Vazquez (Puerto Rico), and Benoit Roussel (Canada). Earl Brown is your referee. Martin clearly much, much bigger than Glazkov. Glazkov boxing patiently to start, Martin shoots a hook as Glazkov moves that direction consistently. Glazkov working a decent jab. Martin shoots a long left, glancing blow. Martin throwing some big shots as the round wears on. Not a terrible first round, action picked up down the stretch, too. Glazkov 10-9
Round 2: Glazkov with a right to the body. Martin looks sort of stiff in there. By "sort of" I mean "very." Crowd booing a bit halfway into this round. Brooklyn is a great, unforgiving boxing crowd. Trade of body shots. Martin missing a lot of his shots. Not exactly a quick puncher. But there's some starch on what he's throwing. Martin did a bit more this round. Martin 10-9, 19-19
Round 3: Glazkov gets stung a bit early in this round, and then goes down on a slip. Glazkov showing clear respect of Martin's power. He's not into it. Glazkov clipped and down he goes. His ankle is hurt. He says he doesn't want to fight on. Martin TKO-3