That’s all for now from Brooklyn. We’re heading back to the post-fight press conference. You can read the full fight report here:
Updated
“We all know Fury is just a phony,” Wilder said. “This is just an act. I’m not scared of anybody. We’ll come to your backyard. This is just an act – you’re not a real fighter. I don’t play. This isn’t wrestling. This isn’t the WWE. When you do step in that ring with me I promise you I will baptize you.
“I would love to fight him next, unfortunately. I have other mandatories due. Make the date Tyson, I promise you.”
A quick look at how the punch stats broke down.
- Wilder connected on 75 of 250 punches (30%), compared to 63 of 230 for Szpilka (27%)
- Wilder was 36 of 158 on the jab (23%), compared to 25 of 124 for Szpilka (20%)
- Wilder was 39 of 92 on power punches (42%), compared to 38 of 106 for Szpilka (36%)
Amazing fireworks between Fury and Wilder in the ring after the fight. “Anytime, anyplace, anywhere,” Fury cries while getting within inches of Wilder’s face. Responds Wilder: “You can run around like a preacher, but I will baptize you!” It looks like this is a fight that could actually happen.
Before departing Fury climbs the turnbuckles and gives the crowd the screw-you gesture. Tactful, as ever.
Tyson Fury is in the ring. And he’s trying to wrest the mic from ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. He ultimately succeeds, but Showtime has powered it off.
Tyson Fury has crashed the ring and is trying to wrest the mic from Jimmy Lennon Jr. pic.twitter.com/Opn0DstHvo
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) January 17, 2016
Here’s a look at the knockout. Szpilka threw a left and Wilder countered inside with a right hand that the challenger never saw coming. Just a devastating finish.
Deontay Wilder vs. Artur Szpilka #WilderSzpilka KTFO pic.twitter.com/vHPmA3rFKT
— ZombieProphet (@ZProphet_MMA) January 17, 2016
Deontay Wilder KO 9 Artur Szpilka
A straight right hand ends it. Scary scenes here as Szpilka was immobile for a minute before opening his eyes as officials motioned for the ringside doctor.
Updated
Round 8
Credit to Szpilka and his corner: this is pitch-perfect game plan for an orthodox opponent with a major height advantage. Wilder is not applying pressure, allowing Szpilka to barrel in continuously and land punches. The American’s only substaintial stretches of success have come when he’s been active with the jab, but he’s gone away from that. Wilder misses three punches near the end of the round and slips to the canvas. The crowd goes wild hoping for a knockdown to be ruled – it was clearly not a knockdown – but the aesthetics are reward enough to them. Speaking of the crowd, the official attendance is 12,668 – the second largest ever for a fight at the Barclays Center after Danny Garcia-Zab Judah.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Szpilka (Wilder 74-78 Szpilka)
Round 7
A big shot from Wilder early on and it looks like the American might start to take control. But just when it looked like Szpilka is slowing down a bit, he connects with a vicious right hand over the top. Wilder loading up on his shots and missing badly. Badly! Just ugly. Szpilka probing more with that lead right, keeping it in Wilder’s face, not letting him get set. Wilder misses badly again with a right. Not a good look. Szpilka with a right-left combo punctuated with thudding left to the body. That’s a round that looked like it was going to Wilder before Szpilka took it cleanly over the last minute.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Szpilka (Wilder 65-68 Szpilka)
Round 6
After a measured start for both men, it’s a big right by Wilder. Then a left, then a right that send Szpilka’s sweat into the front row as Wilder moves in for the finish. But Szpilka takes the shots well. Incredibly well. This guy is not going away. More chants of Szpilka! Szpilka! The round goes to Wilder, who landed the harder punches, but Szpilka’s movement and awkward style continue to give Wilder problems.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 10-9 Szpilka (Wilder 56-58 Szpilka)
Round 5
Szpilka barrels Wilder into the ropes again but can’t connect cleanly with anything. Wilder lands a hard right directly on Szpilka’s chin and then follows up with another hook, but the Pole comes back and the two trade blows in the center of the ring, the best sustained action of the fight. It really does seem like Szpilka is getting the best of these exchanges and doing more to take the fight to Wilder. Close round but I’ll give it to Szpilka.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Szpilka (Wilder 46-49 Szpilka)
Round 4
Szpilka getting very comfortable here and not appearing too concerned about Wilder’s power. A sharp left jab by WIlder lands flush but Szpilka keeps moving forward. Wilder raises his power hand mockingly and Szpikla apes the move to the crowd’s delight. Now Wilder is working more effectively: a thudding power shot to the head that seems to give Szpilka pause and another cracking jab. Now it’s a ramrod straight right that must have hurt Szpilka even though he insists no harm. The bell sounds and an easy round for the Alabaman. Once he started landing that jab midway through the round, Szpilka hardly threw anything.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 10-9 Szpilka (Wilder 37-39 Szpilka)
Round 3
Szpilka leads with two probing right jabs then barrels a retreating Wilder into the ropes and in hopes of connecting with the big left. Great head movement by Szpilka. He’s made Wilder miss badly. I’m talking by feet. This does not look good. Wilder connects with a pair of left hands but they don’t seem to have affecting Szpilka all that much. Loving Szpilka’s lateral movement. Another big left hand in the dying seconds. That’s three rounds for Szpilka, zero for Wilder. Tyson Fury shown on big screen between rounds to lusty boos.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Szpilka (Wilder 27-30 Szpilka)
Round 2
Between rounds the crowd has broken into an impromptu singalong of the Polish national anthem. Scenes. Bell rings and Wilder still looking flummoxed by Szpilka’s southpaw stance. Szpilka rushes in an clocks Wilder with a right hand, the flushest connected punch yet for either man. Now a body shot for Szpilka, who is growing more emboldened by the minute. Wilder starts to throw more toward the end of the round but several punches land squarely in Szpilka’s guard. Wilder just not doing much. Another to Szpilka.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Szpilka (Wilder 18-20 Szpilka)
Round 1
Szpilka in gold gloves and black trunks pawing with the right jab. Crowd on his side. Wilder taking measure, moving backwards, hardly throwing a punch in the opening minute until he misses wildly on a counter. Szpilka’s southpaw stance looking like it’s confusing Wilder a bit: he’s not where he expects him to be. Wilder clowns along the ropes before missing badly with two right hands. Neither are throwing many punches here, but it’s Szpilka who’s done (slightly) more to take the fight. Szpilka with a right hand late. Not a round they’ll send to Canastota but I’ll nick it to the Pole.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Szpilka
Big pop for Wilder, who has emerged wearing a mask like something from the orgy scene in Eyes Wide Shut. A very slow, methodical ringwalk with Wilder flanked by members of Al Haymon’s cabal. Lots of jeers from the Polish fans but all in all a 50/50 crowd.
Here comes Szpilka clad in a black robe with red lettering, face concealed by a red bandana. Looks ready.
A moment of silence for two departed members of the boxing community. Firstly for the two-year anniversary of the death of WBC president José Sulaimán, secondly for 1976 Olympic gold medalist Howard Davis.
Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis are 15ft in front of your humble correspondent at the moment, separated only by Showtime’s Jim Gray. We suspect either one of them might have picked their teeth with today’s heavyweight crop, but that’s neither here nor there.
Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis, still drawing a crowd. pic.twitter.com/77wc6HSr9L
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) January 17, 2016
“It was meant to be,” Martin said afterward. “We had 12 rounds and I was pacing myself. I was going to pick it up as we went along. I don’t even get what he was doing. He was scared as fuck. You could see it in his eyes. I still wanted to fight. It was 12 rounds and we trained for 12 rounds. When they go down we go up.”
Ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr called it a torn ACL for Glazkov while announcing the result. Quick diagnosis, that. Martin getting jeered lustily by the crowd throughout a painful in-ring interview with Showtime’s Jim Gray. And with that, it’s on to the main event. Thank goodness.
John L Sullivan, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali ... Charles Martin. Yes, the 29-year-old from Carson, California, has just been crowned the IBF heavyweight champion on a third-round TKO. Glazkov appeared to injure his right knee (badly) on a slip and was unable to continue. Not sure I saw a landed punch on the finish but why quibble over details?
.@stprincecharles defeats @CzarGlazkov & brings home the vacant IBF Heavyweight World Title #WilderSzpilka #Boxing https://t.co/lLpkKbYJbW
— SHOWTIME SPORTS (@SHOsports) January 17, 2016
Speaking of Tyson Fury, he’s seated at ringside for tonight’s proceedings. Last spotted rocking a £9,000 chinchilla fur coat in Manchester, the true heavyweight champion of the world is rubbing elbows with Lennox Lewis while making his feelings known about tonight’s main event.
Hanging with @LennoxLewis & @Tyson_Fury in #Brooklyn! #WilderSzpilka pic.twitter.com/QlQ3WiONjh
— Barclays Center (@barclayscenter) January 17, 2016
Right now Vyacheslav Glazkov and Charles Martin are in the ring fighting for the IBF heavyweight title. Chances are you’ve heard of neither unless you’re a hardcore boxing fan. If you’re wondering how they’ve come to fight for a major heavyweight belt, it’s because the IBF chose to strip Tyson Fury of the strap he won from Wladimir Klitschko when Fury chose to fight a rematch with Klitschko rather than take on the IBF’s mandatory contender, which is Glazkov.
Tonight marks the first heavyweight title fight to take place on Brooklyn soil in 115 years. Then, James J Jeffries stopped James J Corbett in the 23rd round before a crowd of 7,000 at the old Seaside Athletic Club on Coney Island. The date was 11 May 1900. Since I couldn’t be there for the Boilermaker’s third title defense, you can read the New York Times account here and two others below.
From the Durango Democrat:
The finishing blow came suddenly and was a startling surprise. Corbett had been making a wonderful battle. His defense was absolutely perfect, and while he was lacking in strength, he had more than held his own and stood an excellent chance of winning the fight had it gone the limit. He had not been badly punished and had managed to mark his man severely. The winning punch was a short left to the jaw. Corbett dropped like weight and was clear out. Jeffries showed his ability to take punishment at any distance and hard. He was clearly outboxed and at times was made to look like a novice. The crowd, which numbered fully eight thousand, was with Corbett and his defeat fell upon a silent crowd. There were cheers for him when he revived and left the ring, and he was generally given more consideration than the victor. Corbett is still a factor in pugilistic fame. He has regained much of his old time form. The battle was clean and it is doubtful if there was a single infraction of the rules.
From the Atlanta Constitution:
Corbett emerged from a year’s retirement from the ring rejuvenated and fresh. He was as fast and clever as back in the days when people marveled at his skill. His footwork was wonderful and his defense perfect. He outboxed his man at both long and short range, and if he had the strength necessary he would have gained an early victory. A hundred times he ducked the punch that knocked him out. At times he made the massive Jim look like a beginner in the art of offense and defense with his hands. It was a clean knockout that came so quickly that it dazed the thousands of keen spectators, and left them in doubt as to just how the winning blow was delivered. It was avowed that it was a left hand jolt to the jaw but Jeffries himself and Referee Charley White, who stood at his side, say it was a right hand swing.
It’s Warsaw on the East River tonight at Barclays. There always strong contingent of Polish fight fans here in New York have turned out in great numbers for tonight’s card. And not only to support their countryman Szpilka in the main event: many have been here since doors opened more than four hours ago to watch Warsaw native Maciej Sulecki improve to 22-0 with a seventh-round stoppage of Chicago’s Derrick Findley. Another high point of Polish pride came in the night’s last non-televised bout when Brooklyn heavyweight Adam Kownacki – whose red and white trunks were a crowd favorite – outpointed Danny Kelly over eight rounds.
Welcome to the Barclays Center for tonight’s WBC heavyweight title fight between Deontay Wilder and Poland’s Artur Szpilka. The final preliminary bout between Vyacheslav ‘Czar’ Glazkov and Charles Martin is about to start – more on this one later – meaning we should have at least 40 minutes before Wilder and Szpilka make their ringwalks. Here’s a quick look at the results from tonight’s earlier undercard tilts, from most recent to least.
- Adam Kownacki UD 8 Danny Kelly (eight rounds, heavyweights)
- Mike Lee KO 3 Joseph Gardner (eight rounds, cruiserweights)
- Julian Sosa KO 2 Bryan Timmons (four rounds, junior welterweights)
- Carlos Gongora TKO 4 Derrick Adams (six rounds, light heavyweights)
- Botirsher Obidov UD 4 Ramil Gadzhiev (four rounds, middleweights)
- Ivan Golub KO 1 Juan Rodriguez Jr (eight rounds, welterweights)
- Maciec Sulecki TKO 7 Derrick Findley (10 rounds, middleweights)
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime check out Barry Glendenning’s report from David Haye’s comeback fight earlier today in London.
If this fight was about making a statement, David Haye took just two minutes to oblige. Only 125 seconds were required for him to fell the hapless and hopeless Mark de Mori with a blizzard of punches, winning his comeback fight with a first-round knockout. Despite his primal howls of triumph, a little context is required; against hand-picked, patently inferior opposition, this particular statement should be viewed as little more than Haye coughing politely, ting-tinging on his glass and announcing his return to the heavyweight ranks after an absence of three and a half years. But that was all that was required on an evening when the 35-year-old former world champion, who had last fought in July 2012, claimed the shoulder issues that once threatened to derail any hopes he had of a return to the ring have been put behind him.
