By Jake Donovan

The pre-fight tension continues to exist between Deontay Wilder and Artur Szpilka ahead of what has quickly become a grudge match. The bout headlines a card pitting a pair of heavyweight title fights - the first of is kinds to be staged in Brooklyn since 1900.

Paired up with a vacant title fight between Vyacheslav Glazkov and Charles Martin, the night of heavyweight action airs live from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York (Saturday, Showtime 10:00 p.m. ET).

Given their personalities, tempers were expected to eventually flare between Wilder and Szpilka. Both are outspoken outside the ring and generally fun to watch once the opening bell sounds.

The two camps managed to generally avoid one another while sharing the same space. However, things reached a boiling point during - of all things - a photo shoot at the top of the World Trade Center in New York City. What initially appeared to be posturing during a face-to-face verbal exchange turned into a brief shoving match before the two heavyweights were immediately separated.

A similar level of intensity existed on stage during Friday's weigh-in - perhaps a good thing for the festivities as it is utterly pointless for heavyweights given the division's unlimited weight limit.

Nevertheless, both fighters look to be in solid physical condition for the 2016 season premiere of Showtime Championship Boxing. Their obligatory stare down was without incident during Friday’s weigh-in ceremony, other than hard looks and a few words exchanged between one another.

Once they get in the ring, the fight takes on an entirely different dynamic.

Wilder makes the third defense of the title he earned exactly 52 weeks ago with a 12-round win over Bermane Stiverne last January in Las Vegas. The win made him the first American boxer to lay claim to a heavyweight belt in more than seven years, adding to his status as the last American male boxer to win an Olympic medal, taking home a bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

His first defense was the first heavyweight title fight to ever be staged in Alabama. The bout took place in front of a sold-out crowd at Bartow Arena on UAB campus in Birmingham, less than an hour from his hometown in Tuscaloosa. Wilder endured a near-disastrous third round before repeatedly dropping and eventually stopping Eric Molina in nine rounds.

A return to Birmingham in September saw Wilder headlined the first NBC primetime-televised heavyweight title fight, turning back the challenge of France’s Johann Duhaupas in 11 rounds.

Szpilka (20-1, 15KOs) hopes to make for a first of his own, as his native Poland has yet to claim a heavyweight titlist in boxing history. The charged-up southpaw homes to succeed where countrymen Tomasz Adamek and Andrew Golota have fallen miserably short in recent years, although he’s a long shot to accomplish the feat.

Then again, any heavyweight with power boasts a puncher’s chance in any given fight.

The 26-year old southpaw has shown a flair for the dramatic in the past, namely in his pair of off-the-canvas knockout wins over Mike Mollo. Both fights took place in separate Chicago venues six months apart in 2013, both with Szpilka dropped early before rallying back to win by knockout.

His TV-friendly style led to an HBO-televised showdown with Bryant Jennings in a Jan. ’14 matchup of unbeaten heavyweights. The night resulted in the lone loss of his career, suffering a 10th round knockout in a fight he was trailing by a considerable margin the entire way through.

Szpilka has since won four straight, with his last three coming under the watchful eye of one of the game’s top trainers in Ronnie Shields.

krikya360.com STAFF PREDICTIONS: DEONTAY WILDER vs. ARTUR SZPILKA

Ryan Burton (Wilder TKO 9): Spzilka has moments early and the champ survives a couple gut check moments on his way to victory.

Stephen "Breadman" Edwards (Wilder KO2): Wilder keeps his title with a quick knockout.

Peter Lim (Szpilka KO4): Szpilka enters the ring very much a live underdog. Despite his imposing height and reach, Wilder allows crude and limited brawlers to close the distance with alarming ease. Eric Molina and Johann Duhaupas were handpicked, garden variety right-handers who did just that. Wilder's negligible mileage as a pro against southpaws coupled with his tendency to hold his gloves low proves to be his Achilles' heel. Szpilka's right hook finds Wilder's chin over his low-hanging left in the fourth round to drop the lanky titleholder. A follow-up barrage stops Wilder for an early candidate for the 2016 Upset of the Year.

Takahiro Onaga (Szpilka TKO6): I feel like predicting a crazy one to begin the year and I see Szpilka shocking the world and stopping Wilder. It's a fight where Wilder is big favorite but will be fighting a man coming to do more than just survive, he's in there with a man looking to knock him out.

Cliff Rold (Wilder KO): for a first defense this would have been fine. That this is Wilder's third straight no hopes is not. Szpilka is tough and as heart so he'll last a while and might have moments.

Victor Salazar (Wilder Dec.): Spzilka has a good beard. I see him rocking Wilder early with Wilder recovering and winning a decision.

Alexey Sukachev (Wilder KO8): Ridiculously, Deontay Wilder is highly overrated and highly underrated at the very same time. He is overrated because his real skills don't match with all the hype around him. And he is underrated because his durability isn't as low as some critics say. The latter means more fragile Szpilka will be in a world of trouble against a bigger and a harder puncher in Wilder. He can sustain this pressure early on but when his legs start to give up due to severe fatigue, his mins will be numbered.

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox