By Mikko Salo

The heavyweight landscape looks intriguing for 2016. In Tyson Fury, we have a new undisputed Heavyweight champion recognized by both Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (TBRB) and The Ring Magazine (alphabet titles ignored).

The new champ also happens to be one of the more colorful characters in boxing. His surprising victory over long-reigning king Wladimir Klitschko has the rest of the top heavyweights now dreaming of holding the biggest prize in individual sports.

Two of these dreamers share the same ring on coming Saturday in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, but they do it as co-features of a doubleheader, not as foes in the ring.

For a while, TBRB #3 contender Deontay Wilder (35-0, 34 KOs) and TBRB #8 contender Vyacheslav Glazkov (21-0-1, 13 KOs) were on a path leading to an interesting clash of two top ten contenders, but the fight fell into a quagmire of laughable alphabet politics.

What we are left with is both contenders facing opponents who have never touched the top ten of any respected heavyweight rankings.

In a sport where the best must fight the best for the sport to be interesting, this is of course disappointing. Victories for Wilder and Glazkov will not significantly enhance their TBRB rankings, but merely keep them positioned in the group of contenders looking to challenge whoever is holding the undisputed heavyweight crown after the eventual rematch between Fury and Klitschko.

On the other hand, losses would be devastating, leading to long and arduous rebuilding campaigns.

Wilder has built his contender case on two foundations: a 32-fight KO streak from the start of his pro career through the end of 2014; and a unanimous decision over then-TBRB #3 contender Bermane Stiverne in January 2015.

Following the Stiverne bout, Wilder’s camp lead by Al Haymon decided against going after then-champion Klitschko or other top ten contenders. Instead, they opted to make some easy dollars back home in Alabama on their fighter’s newfound fame. The opponents in the June and September events were tailor-made nobodies Eric Molina and Johan Duhaupas, reported crowds were 9,347 and 8,471 in Bartow Arena and Legacy Arena of Birmingham, less than an hour from Tuscaloosa where Wilder was born and raised.

To put things in perspective:

  • Klitschko vs Fury sold 55,000 tickets at Düsseldorf’s ESPRIT Arena in November;

  • TBRB #9 contender Anthony Joshua sold out the 20,000-seat London’s O2 Arena in six hours with his bad blood-encounter against Dillian Whyte on December 12;

  • Former top ten contender Robert Helenius sold 11,000 tickets one week later in his return to Helsinki’s Hartwall Arena

The fact is that Wilder is not exactly a superstar yet, but he is working on it. The 30-year-old 6’7” heavyweight has the looks and personality to build a business on, headlining at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center being the next step on the path to stardom. Feeding the lanky puncher with inferior opposition after the Stiverne fight has probably been a wise business move since the powerful and talented Wilder still looks a bit raw and uncoordinated at times.

He does carry a knockout punch in his right hand but has dangerous habits of being open to counters - which brings us to the selected opponent of coming Saturday.

Szpilka (20-1, 15 KO) – a 26-year old southpaw from from Wieliczka, Poland - is currently rated #19 by Boxrec.com so he can be considered an upgrade from the likes of Molina and Duhaupas.

He definitely has the experience and the tools to cause trouble to the sometimes careless American, but his own defense is periodically dangerously lacking going in against a fighter as powerful as Wilder.

Szpilka’s lone loss came by TKO 10 in a battle of up-and coming unbeaten fighters in January 2014 against current TBRB #10 contender Bryant Jennings (19-2, 10 KOs) in Madison Square Garden Theater in New York City. The victory over Szpilka actually gave cause for TBRB to advance Jennings in its following edition of heavyweight rankings.

Following his lone loss Szpilka scored the biggest victory of his career in November 2014 by outpointing his countryman, Polish folk hero Tomasz Adamek. Although the former Cruiserweight Champion was 37 years old and aging fast, at fight time he still held TBRB #10 contender status. The Adamek fight took place in Krakow, Poland in front of 18,000 fans.

In other words Szpilka is no stranger to large enthusiastic audiences.

On coming Saturday, the crowd might even be pro-Szpilka with hoards of singing and chanting Polish immigrants. If the Polish fans take over in the stands of Barclays Center, Wilder might experience something he has never seen or heard before in his carefully manufactured career.

The 31-year-old  Glazkov entered the TBRB top ten by defeating the aforementioned Tomasz Adamek in March 2014 by unanimous decision. At fight time the fading Adamek was rated as the TBRB #3 contender, with Glazkov beginning and Szpilka confirming the Polish warrior’s decline into retirement in an eight-month span.

Since the Adamek victory Glazkov has scored wins over Derrick Rossy (MD 10), Darnell Wilson (TKO 7), Steve Cunningham (TBRB #9 contender at fight time, UD 12) and Kertson Manswell (KO 4), looking unspectacular in the process.

The former Olympic medalist does everything well enough to win fights but he does nothing well enough to evoke thoughts of an heir apparent to a certain brother act of Ukrainian soon-to-be-hall-of-famers. The Ukrainian’s defence is solid and he packs some punch in his left hook, but his power is not enough to scare other top contenders.

Due to one more political mess of alphabet proportions Glazkov’s camp ended up choosing to fight one Charles Martin (22-0-1, 20 KO) instead of Deontay Wilder on the Brooklyn card, robbing the public of a very interesting top ten encounter. 29-year-old Martin is currently ranked #41 by Boxrec.com. He turned pro in October 2012 and has been very busy fighting journeymen. The names of his last five opponents tell the story: Manswell (TKO 3), McCreary (KO 1), Zumbano Love (KO 10), Dallas (TKO 1), Sandez (TKO 3).

At 6´5´´Martin is two inches taller than the Ukrainian, but he fights with his hands low, spelling trouble against a solid technician like Glazkov. Southpaw Martin seems to carry power in his straight left, but it remains to be seen how many times it touches Glazkov flush. Martin’s chin has never been tested, Saturday most likely will be the first time.

Brooklyn’s card marks the beginning of a very interesting period in the heavyweight division. Fury’s win over Klitschko has opened up the competition. There are now several contenders dreaming about becoming the Undisputed Champion of the glamour division. Wilder and Glazkov want to keep dreaming.

On Saturday they are banking on keeping their dreams alive by sharing the same ring but not facing each other. Let us hope the doubleheader will be at least a decent start to the heavyweight year of 2016.