Szpilka Eyes Charles Martin, Maybe Stiverne To Get Ready

By Luke Furman

Polish heavyweight contender Artur Szpilka (20-2, 15 KOs) has returned home. He will rest and then undergo surgery on his injured hand. After that, rehabilitation awaits and then he returns to the ring.

Szpilka was in action on January 16th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. He did very well, but fell short, against WBC champion Deontay Wilder, who knocked Szpilka out in the ninth round.

On the undercard, Charles Martin (23-0-1, 21 KOs) captured the vacant IBF heavyweight title with a third round TKO of Czar Glazkov. 

Szpilka is now hoping to get a shot at Martin, who was given a full year to make defenses before his mandatory obligation is due.

Martin hopes to get in the ring with Wilder or WBA/IBO/WBO champion Tyson Fury. Both Wilder and Fury are bound to other fights. Wilder has a mandatory due against Alexande Povetkin and Fury has an immediate rematch with Wladimir Klitschko. That could open the door for a Martin-Szpilka battle, depending on when Szpilka will be physically ready to fight.

"Right now I want to get a fight with a good opponent to get into the [IBF] rankings, and then I would go after the IBF belt. Martin has a year to make a voluntary defense. We have the same promoter, so this fight is possible, but first I must fight to enter the rankings," Szpilka said.

In order to get a good position in the rankings, he must face a durable opponent and he's willing to fight former champion Bermane Stiverne of Canada. Stiverne (25-2-1, 21 KOs) is promoted by Don King, who has a good relationship with  Szpilka's adviser Al Haymon.

"I would like to [go in] with someone from the top, maybe Stiverne," Spilka said.

Luke Furman covers boxing for bokser.org.