Deontay Wilder (c) vs. Artur Szpilka - January 16th 2016

[pound per pound]

Two pretenders fighting for paper title.

Neither man is that good. My prediction is Wilder by KO.

If I was a betting man I would still put my money on Szpilka by KO.

Wilder will loose when he meets good counter puncher with power. I don't think that Szpilka is that boxer.

Stiverne would whoop the floor with Szpilka and will be Wilders best win even if Wilder wins the oncoming match.

One semi pretender fighting who really has not beaten anyone vs. a no-name outside of the top ten.

I'd go with Wilder to win, but I also think after the fight ends he'll have more negative exposure.

WIlder's chin is packing some glass. You just never know when he's going to be shaken up. I completely agree with you on the counter punching point and would pick Povetkin to KO Wilder.

[dagilechia]

Whole Poland believes in him like we believed in Głowacki, cmon Szpila! Szpilka is not Molina, not Duhaupas, dont be surprised if he wins, dont think about Jennings fight, we all know what happen then, when Szpilka had to spend about 30 hours in plane and come to USA very short before the fight, now its different
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAZ-BqMEfK8

[Badhusker]

I do think after the Jennings fight, bringing Ronnie Shields on board has been good for Szpilka. I don't think though, even coming off a 4 fight win streak will help him all that much vs Wilder, who I think will clearly prove he is better.

As far as the glass chinned comments, until you are KO'd, your chin is fine. If you survived 35 heavyweights trying to take you out, I don't think it is an issue. Wlad was KO'd 3 times, and never heard the glass chinned comments about him. Morons digging.

[Tanzio]

Wlad was KO'd 3 times, and never heard the glass chinned comments about him. Morons digging.

Then you must have been laboring in the mines of Moria for the last decade or so.

[Rob3_142]

If you survived 35 heavyweights trying to take you out, I don't think it is an issue. Wlad was KO'd 3 times, and never heard the glass chinned comments about him. Morons digging.

He may well have survived 35 heavyweights, but have you seen who they are? The second highest ranked of those 35 (according to BoxRec) was Audley Harrison. Need I say more?

Wilder definitely has the tools to be a good heavyweight, but he does seem very uncoordinated and loose, and yet to be tested against a big puncher. This could well be the test we're all after. I originally voted for a Wilder win on points, but since, I'm a bit more on the fence. It could be a very good fight!

[Ilya Muromets]

Betting odds are falling in favor of Szpilka now. They were 8-1 for Wilder but are now down to 6-1.

[pound per pound]

who takes home the WBC Title?

It would not surprise me is Wilder is an American Audley Harrison type and folds if Szpilka lands a good one. Adding to Szpilka's chances is WIlder's growing ego.

As Champion Wilder has fought no one in the top ten so far. The two he fought were fringe contender types, and each exposed Wilder before he won. It will take a match with Povetkin or Ortiz for Wilder to earn universal respect.

So who wins? Wilder should win. He's the bigger man and the better boxer. He also hits harder and Szpilka was stopped by a medium punching Jennings. Szpilka doesn't have the counter punching skill to make Wilder pay, but he does hit hard enough to make Wilder's legs of a newborn deer shake and wobble. I'm picking Wilder via TKO in 7 but it mostly because Szpilka is not very good or durable.

[Undefeated49-0]

Either this has heated up or they both put on a good show for the cameras.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdTdHFbrZHg

[DrunkenBoxer]

I just watched Szpilka's most recent fight. I wasn't impressed. Most concerning is that he has a bad habit of leaning on his left side and I suspect he'll get crushed by Wilder's right hand because of it. Wilder by KO.

[Undefeated49-0]

who takes home the WBC Title?

It would not surprise me is Wilder is an American Audley Harrison type and folds if Szpilka lands a good one. Adding to Szpilka's chances is WIlder's growing ego.

As Champion Wilder has fought no one in the top ten so far. The two he fought were fringe contender types, and each exposed Wilder before he won. It will take a match with Povetkin or Ortiz for Wilder to earn universal respect.

So who wins? Wilder should win. He's the bigger man and the better boxer. He also hits harder and Szpilka was stopped by a medium punching Jennings. Szpilka doesn't have the counter punching skill to make Wilder pay, but he does hit hard enough to make Wilder's legs of a newborn deer shake and wobble. I'm picking Wilder via TKO in 7 but it mostly because Szpilka is not very good or durable.

I think Wilder has the better pedigree and resume and should win this very comfortably, if he can keep it from turning into a brawl the decision should be unanimous.

[Badhusker]

I don't look at is as a black vs white guy, an american vs poland guy. Both are talking crap so that is good hype. The odds are for those who have money to lose. Szpilka may have his moments, but he will get beat in a way he will probably not ever forget. He is rattled, and will come out reckless, imo.

[Tarkus]

As much as I like the Pole to knock out the annoying loudmouth I dont think it is very likely to happen. Szpilka simply doesn't have the physicality to hang with Wilder. For example Dahaupas. He had no idea how to box but was one tough son of a bitch. So he could last the barrages and survive rounds. Szpilka is the opposite, he seems soft. Even if he is able to outbox Wilder in exchanges, which is a big if with that massive reach disadvantage, he won't survive the incoming. Bar a lucky punch form the Pole he is going to sleape. Wilder stoppage within 6.

[forestbox]

Wilder should win this.got a funny feeling though that wilder could became complacent thinking about fury fight,and looks like szpilka is coming to fight so should be interesting.

[lefty]

Wilder looked very vulnarable for a southpaw's streight left hand/left hook while working on mitts with Jay Deas. Mind here that Jay Deas is 45 y.o. (or so) trainer who never boxed himself and probably never worked in southpaw's stance before, and he was still able to reach Wilder with his letf hand. I think they worked - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaNqUicnvn8

They had a decent amount of time to work on Wilder's flaws though.

He looked pretty comfortable boxing a southpaw when he boxed Harrison. Now obviously Harrison is crap but in terms of boxing ability and size he's probably as good if not better than Szpilka. They both have poor chins aswell.

[lefty]

Szpilka has only lost once, to Jennings, and just a few days before that fight he flew from Poland to Chicago and they wouldn't let him in because of some visa complaint and forced him take another 12 hour flight all the way back to Poland and then come back again, and if you don't think that takes a lot out of you, a big guy sitting squashed in a plane seat for 12 hours - and the jet lag....He has also put on over ten pounds of muscle since then. So I am anticipating an exciting fight culminating with Wilder on the floor.

Szpilka's chin is even worse than Wilders. He got dropped by a left hook from Jennings and then subsequently stopped on his feet. He was dropped heavily in both the Mollo fights and he was also dropped against some poor journeyman.

[lefty]

...

WIlder should knock Szpilka out with relative ease on Saturday, but it really doesn't mean anything if he doesn't move on to better opponents afterwards.

He knocked out neither Molina nor Duhaupas "with relative ease", and Molina had him in trouble at one point. Szpilka is much better than those two. His only loss had extenuating circumstances. He has beaten a much better fighter than Wilder ever faced. Wilder has the big punch. No question about that but besides that not much. I think the bookie odds are much too high. I might place an online bet if I can figure out how to do it and it's not too much of a hassle.

Both of those guys particularly Duhaupas are far more durable than Szpilka.

[lefty]

Whole Poland believes in him like we believed in Głowacki, cmon Szpila! Szpilka is not Molina, not Duhaupas, dont be surprised if he wins, dont think about Jennings fight, we all know what happen then, when Szpilka had to spend about 30 hours in plane and come to USA very short before the fight, now its different
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAZ-BqMEfK8

What about the two Mollo fights where he was dropped very heavily?

[lefty]

Wilder looked very vulnarable for a southpaw's streight left hand/left hook while working on mitts with Jay Deas. Mind here that Jay Deas is 45 y.o. (or so) trainer who never boxed himself and probably never worked in southpaw's stance before, and he was still able to reach Wilder with his letf hand. I think they worked - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaNqUicnvn8

They had a decent amount of time to work on Wilder's flaws though.

Watching that though, that is rather alarming. It wasnt just once that he got caught with that counter left hand after throwing his right hand. Immediately after time he got caught with it about 2 seconds later he got with exactly the same shot! I hope that was just him being not totally switched on because it was mitt work versus an actual fight.

[dagilechia]

Whole Poland believes in him like we believed in Głowacki, cmon Szpila! Szpilka is not Molina, not Duhaupas, dont be surprised if he wins, dont think about Jennings fight, we all know what happen then, when Szpilka had to spend about 30 hours in plane and come to USA very short before the fight, now its different
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAZ-BqMEfK8

What about the two Mollo fights where he was dropped very heavily?

it was more about his defence and his fight style, he thought he can destroy everyone. Mollo landed a very big punches but Szpilka got up and knocked him out, i think that now Szpilka's defence is much better and i hope he will prove it today. but of course Wilder is the more likely to win

[lefty]

Whole Poland believes in him like we believed in Głowacki, cmon Szpila! Szpilka is not Molina, not Duhaupas, dont be surprised if he wins, dont think about Jennings fight, we all know what happen then, when Szpilka had to spend about 30 hours in plane and come to USA very short before the fight, now its different
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAZ-BqMEfK8

What about the two Mollo fights where he was dropped very heavily?

it was more about his defence and his fight style, he thought he can destroy everyone. Mollo landed a very big punches but Szpilka got up and knocked him out, i think that now Szpilka's defence is much better and i hope he will prove it today. but of course Wilder is the more likely to win

Balanced response!

[caldo2025]

Hopefully, this will be Wilder's last victory lap fight after winning the title. I can understand one easy fight back home in Alabama after winning the title but now we're talking 3 victory laps now and more coming before he takes on a worthy challenger. Some posters are saying Szpilka has a good chance and i hope that they are right but i'm thinking it's the same old same old here with Wilder. I hope i'm wrong.

[Ilya Muromets]

Odds are now down to 5 to 1 from the earlier 8 to 1.

[Ilya Muromets]

Both of those guys particularly Duhaupas are far more durable than Szpilka.

Duhaupas is tough, but Molina had been KO'd twice in round one, most recently by Arreola in 2012. Szpilka has only lost one time, and do not overlook the extenuating circumstances in that fight, namely flying back and forth between Poland and the US TWICE, stuffed in a little airplane seat, jet lagged.

The crowd will be behind Szpilka, but I expect the usual in-house pro-Wilder crooked referee and judge thing.

[crusader]

Szpilka is often overrated in my opinion. He's beaten no one better than a shot version of Adamek, who had just been handily outpointed by perenially lackluster Glazkov, and since that point he's feasted on nobodies--though I guess that's not too out of line with the general level of opposition he's beaten. Moreover, in his only bout against a legit contender he was outclassed and stopped by Jennings, and considering that Jennings isn't much of a hitter and that Artur was floored three times by Mike fornicating Mollo, he certainly doesn't seem very durable either.

Wilder to dominate and win by stoppage.

[Boxing Prospect]

Szpilka is awful and over-rated...but I think he has that "crazy" in him to unsettle Wilder and the "who gives a shit" attitude that could see him going out swinging...I'm hoping he catches Wilder and sees him off, though accept it'd be a clear upset if he does,