Heavyweight Division

[diehard]

No, Stu DID want him for Parker. Briggs said no.

[diehard]

Wilder-Szpilka heating up
By Karl Freitag

WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder and challenger Artur Szpilka spoke to reporters about their upcoming world title fight taking place on January 16 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Deontay Wilder: I’m ready to fight. I didn’t need that last week of training, I didn’t need that last week of strength training. These guys could have went home. If I wasn’t paying my sparring partners, I would have sent them home. But I don’t believe in giving out free money so they had to stay and they had to spar. Not to the point that they did’t give me no work because they gave me great work. I am SUPER ready!

Artur Szpilka: I’m ready to step into the ring and I also like to fight taller fighters…for now whatever Deontay is saying makes no sense. I don’t believe in his words and I’ll be able to prove it in the ring on the 16th. For now it’s just talk.

Also on the call were unbeaten heavyweight contenders Charles Martin and Vyacheslav Glazkov, who meet for the vacant IBF title in the co-feature.

Charles Martin: I want all the hardware. Look out for Prince Charles Martin. I’m here to make a statement…he’s a little guy, I’m massive, strong, powerful, elusive.

Vyacheslav Glazkov: It’s going to be very interesting because all the titles are getting split up, there’s going to be more champions and that’s what the fans always like because for so many years you can count like one person, Klitschkos, and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s going to be happening and changing in the heavyweight division.

[NakiFan]

Yes. Sorry die. I worded that wrong. I still don't see it happening with Briggs. Seems he will price himself out of any offer. Maybe looking for that one big score before retirement.

[diehard]

Believe he can get more money fighting at the O2 against AJ than Parker at Sky. Not to mention that AJ is an easier opponent as it's power against power. Against Parker, speed kills.

[NakiFan]

Speed does kill. You should see JP'S latest Facebook video. Wow....just wow.

[Kiwi]

Can you post a link, Naki?

[gothenaki]

(01-07-2016, 08:52 PM)Kiwi Wrote: Can you post a link, Naki?

Just go here;
https://www.facebook.com/joeboxerparker

You don't have to be a facebook member to check out the vids.

Just a short one, but yeah - looking good.

[NakiFan]

https://facebook.com/joeboxerparker/

[diehard]

Szpilka talks Wilder: I want my place in boxing history

By Przemek Garczarczyk

“I just want a good referee who will pay attention to Wilder’s dirty tricks – like hitting behind the head, holding. I truly believe that everybody watching on Showtime or at Barclays Center will know who is a better fighter. I don’t care about what I cannot control. I believe only in my skills. Me vs. him,” said Artur Szpilka (20-1, 15 KO) in a Fightnews.com® interview. “The Pin” will be challenging WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (35-0, 34 KO) on January 16 at Barclays Center, televised live on Showtime.

When I recently spoke with your US promoter, Leon Margules, he said, “Artur Szpilka is crazy enough and has a heart big enough to be crowned the new heavyweight world champion on January 16. Sometimes you have to forget about stats or bookies’ favorites. In the ring you’re alone. You can achieve anything.”

Artur Szpilka: He’s right. My confidence is rising every day, I watch Deontay fights every day. I won’t talk about Wilder’s weaknesses – just his strengths. We all know he’s strong, powerful, with long reach…but so what? I’m working too hard to not believe in myself. It’s not even about becoming a heavyweight world champion – more about changing history, becoming first Polish heavyweight champion. So, one day, when I am long gone, somebody will say ‘Artur Szpilka, the man who was first Polish heavyweight champ.’ This is very important to me.

Judging by the latest Deontay Wilder interviews – already looking for the next opponents, predicting a knockout and so on – you’re almost an afterthought.

I read all this BS. Almost every day fans are sending me – mostly through social media – some of his quotes. I’m just laughing, but he will have to prove these words on January 16. Every word. There’s one quote by him that should never be said. Something about knocking me out to the verge of death…. You should never wish that to anyone. Ever. This was the stupidest thing he could say – I just hope that his wishes won’t backfire. What comes around…? I will leave everything I’ve learned in the ring. For the first time, he’ll face someone who isn’t afraid of him, is faster and throws combinations. I know what I can do. I wish him great health and a win for myself.

I remember when we were sitting at pre-fight interviews, just a day before the Bryant Jennings bout in January 2014. You were extremely confident, even suggested that Jennings should not even be in the ring with someone with your skill level. It was supposed to be an easy fight…but it ended differently.

You know well the circumstances before this bout. I was stopped by the INS in Chicago, had to fly back to Poland and wait for a special visa. It was crazy not knowing if this fight will even happen. It started weird – with a challenge to Jennings on Twitter after my countryman Mariusz Wach pulled out. There was no time for a full training camp, but maybe there’s some truth in saying that I didn’t respect Jennings’ skills enough. I lost – now this is ancient history. I was a different fighter then – only 222 pounds, and now I have 234 pounds of strength and muscle. I’m a man now. You can ask Ronnie (Shields, Szpilka’s trainer) how much I changed training at the Houston Plex Gym in the last eight months. Mentally and physically. I have couple of ideas how to fight Wilder, the best possible corner, people who I trust. I also learned that by talking too much, I put an unnecessary pressure on myself. I’m staying true to my initial words about kicking his ass, but this is all. I know how tough it is to lose a fight. He will know January 16. It hurts.

You’re saying that Deontay is an honorary member of Team Szpilka, bringing extra motivation…

Exactly. After the fight I’ll say ‘thank you, Deontay.’ I’m using his words as extra fuel. I want to prove to him and myself how good I could be. Wilder will already know who he is facing after we meet for the first time.

There are a lot of statements from you about how mentally strong you are for this fight. Going back to the 2013 Jennings fight again – you admitted after the bout that all the crowds and the cameras during ring walk got to you. Something changed?

It will not happen again. This is one of the most important lessons from the Jennings bout. I understood then how much work is in front of me. Do you remember the Adamek fight in Poland, where stakes were even higher for me? I wasn’t nervous at all. Calm, collected. There’s a nothing to lose, everything to gain attitude now. It gives me wings! Now in the last couple of days before we’ll fly from Houston to New York, it’s just waiting. There’s nothing I can learn now, just small, cosmetic adjustments to all the work we did in the past months.

We can expect WBC #1 ranked Alexander Povetkin with his promoter Andriey Ryabinsky seating in the front row of Barclays Center in NYC. Both Povetkin and Wilder were talking recently about their possible fight…

Plans will change…I’m happy for them – they’ll see how good I am…

How much better fighter are you than when you defeated Tomasz Adamek, in November 2014?

I can do more between the ropes plus all the mental difference is enormous. It was huge change from the Jennings-Szpilka fight, but now my self confidence is on another level entirely. I’m only 26, learning fast. Training with the best in the world like the Charlo Brothers, Lara and Rodriguez is priceless. Every day I’m trying to steal some moves from them…

It’s working?

I tried to learn some defensive moves from Lara, but some stuff he’s doing, does not work for heavyweights. I got more luck with putting some Charlo defense in my repertoire and some of his offensive punches.

Do you believe there is one decisive factor in the fight vs. Wilder?

Not really. Stamina, strength, how we will handle each other’s punches, will decide it. Wilder is convinced that he already knows all about boxing… good for me. I will not get rattled or provoked, but if he tries something funny, he will immediately know that some stuff does not fly well with me.

This will be a special event for Showtime. 30 years of Showtime Boxing, the New York City showcase of Deontay Wilder, heavyweight champion of the world from United States, a historic evening with two heavyweight championship bouts. Is it Szpilka against the world?

I just want a good referee. One who will pay attention to Wilder’s dirty tricks – like hitting behind the head and holding. I also truly believe that everybody watching on Showtime or at Barclays Center will know who is a better fighter. I don’t care about what I can’t control. I believe only in myself, in my skills. It’s me vs. him. The rest doesn’t matter.

[Dodge]

Pretty excited for the heavyweight division alot of up and coming fighters, some still honing their craft, some coming back from retirement i think it's looking the healthiest it's been for a longtime. Hopefully fury can beat klitschko again to keep it that way, just a comment ill paste from boxing 24 sums it up;

975-Champ Foreman,Ali,Frazier,Quarry,Norton,Lyle,Bonavena,Bugner,Shavers,Kirkman,Wepner 1985-Champ Holmes,Coetzee,Thomas,Witherspoon,Weaver,Dokes,Bey,Page,Berbick,Smith 1995- Champ Foreman,Mcall,Bowe,Moorer,Lewis,Hide,Holmes,Akinwande,Gonzalez,Butler,Golota. And I think everyone remembers the 2000’s and the Klitschko brothers reign. Today’s division is just as talented as any of the ones I posted if not more so. I admit there is no Ali or Tyson but who knows what will be in a year or two. Champ Fury,Klitschko,Povetkin,Wilder,Ortiz,Martin,Glazkov Joshua,Parker,Haye,Stiverne,Pulev,Whyte,Chisora,Helenius,Takam,Chagaev,Browne,Ruiz jr,Jennings and ten or more undefeated young guys coming up makes a pretty deep division