Artur Szpilka ([ˈartur ˈʂpilka]; born 12 April 1989) is a Polish professional boxer and mixed martial artist. He has challenged once for the WBC heavyweight title in 2016. He holds a notable win over former two-weight world champion Tomasz Adamek.
| Artur Szpilka | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Szpilka in 2013 | |
| Born | 12 April 1989 Wieliczka, Poland |
| Nickname | Szpila ("The Pin") |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Weight | 224 lb (102 kg; 16 st 0 lb) |
| Division |
|
| Reach | 76 in (193 cm)[1] |
| Style | Boxing |
| Years active | 2008–present (boxing) 2022–present (MMA) |
| Professional boxing record | |
| Total | 29 |
| Wins | 24 |
| By knockout | 16 |
| Losses | 5 |
| By knockout | 5 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 4 |
| Wins | 3 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| Losses | 1 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Boxing record from BoxRec | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Background
editSzpilka was born in Wieliczka, Poland in 1989.[2] He has said he was a football hooligan before a local boxing coach suggested he should take up boxing instead. As an amateur, Szpilka won the Polish national heavyweight title and reached the quarterfinals of the Junior world championships before turning professional in 2008.[3] In October 2009 when he was 20 years old, he was arrested for being involved in a brawl between rival football fans and spent 18 months in prison.[4]
Professional career
editOn 30 June 2012, Szpilka fought Jameel McCline in Lodz, Poland, which he won by unanimous decision (UD). Szpilka's winning secured the fight with Mike Mollo in 2013, the winning by knock out resulted in consequent revenge. Both bouts Szpilka won by an early knock out, despite that in bout he was knocked down and counted. The first fight was over in the sixth round, the second in the fifth, Mollo became grounded unable to rise.
On 25 January 2014 Szpilka was defeated by Bryant Jennings. Jennings initially was to face Mariusz Wach, however Wach pulled out of the fight and Szpilka stepped in as he called out Jennings on Twitter and the fight was arranged shortly afterwards. The fight took place on 25 January 2014 in Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Szpilka lost the fight by referee stoppage in the final round.[5] Later that year, on 8 November 2014, Szpilka scored his most significant win following a ten-round UD over former light-heavyweight and cruiserweight world champion Tomasz Adamek.[6]
On 16 January 2016 he fought for the WBC heavyweight title against defending champion Deontay Wilder. Szpilka proved an awkward opponent for Wilder with his elusive style, making the champion miss on many occasions. Unfortunately for Szpilka, while advancing closer to Wilder in round nine, he was caught by a hard right hook on the chin which knocked him out cold. He remained on the canvas for several minutes and needed to be stretchered out of the ring.[7]
About a year and a half after the Wilder fight, Szpilka made his comeback in New York against compatriot Adam Kownacki. Kownacki was in control for most of the fight, dropping Szpilka and subsequently getting a TKO victory in the fourth round.[8] His next fight was against American Dominick Guinn, whom he defeated by Unanimous Decision. After that, Szpilka had another all-Polish main event, this time against former heavyweight world title challenger Mariusz Wach. Szpilka was visibly smaller and was hit flush several times, and at times the fight seemed like it was going to be stopped. However, in the end he succeeded in edging out Wach by a tiny margin and won by split decision.[9]
On 20 July 2019, Szpilka fought former world title challenger Derek Chisora. In what was expected to be an action-packed and entertaining fight, Chisora managed to make easy work out of the Pole and knocked him out in the second round. In 2020 Szpilka moved down to cruiserweight and won his first fight against Serhiy Radchenko by way of majority decision.[10]
Mixed martial arts career
editIn 2022, it was announced that Szpilka would make his mixed martial arts debut against his former opponent in boxing, Serhiy Radchenko at KSW 71: Ziółkowski vs. Rajewski on 18 June 2022.[11] He won the bout via second-round technical knockout.[12]
In the sophomore bout in the sport, Szpilka faced Denis Załęcki at High League 4 on 17 September 2022. He won the bout via first round technical knockout after Załęcki suffered a knee injury.[13]
Szpilka was then scheduled to face Arkadiusz Wrzosek at XTB KSW 78: Materla vs. Grove 2 on 21 January 2023.[14] However, the bout was scrapped as Szpilka withdrew from the bout citing a back injury.[15]
Szpilka faced Mariusz Pudzianowski at XTB KSW 83: Colosseum 2 on 3 June 2023.[16] He won the bout via technical knockout in the second round.[17]
Szpilka faced Arkadiusz Wrzosek at XTB KSW 94: Bartosiński vs Michaliszyn on 11 May 2024. He lost the bout via knockout in the first round.[18]
Professional boxing record
edit| 29 fights | 24 wins | 5 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 16 | 5 |
| By decision | 8 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Loss | 24–5 | Lukasz Rozanski | KO | 1 (10), 2:25 | 30 May 2021 | Podpromie Hall, Rzeszów, Poland | For vacant WBC International bridgerweight title |
| 28 | Win | 24–4 | Serhiy Radchenko | MD | 10 | 7 Mar 2020 | Hala Sportowa im. Olimpijczykow, Łomża, Poland | |
| 27 | Win | 23–4 | Fabio Tuiach | KO | 1 (10), 1:27 | 26 Oct 2019 | Hala Sportowa Zeromskiego 9, Sosnowiec, Poland | |
| 26 | Loss | 22–4 | Derek Chisora | KO | 2 (10), 1:01 | 20 Jul 2019 | The O2 Arena, London, England | |
| 25 | Win | 22–3 | Mariusz Wach | SD | 10 | 10 Nov 2018 | Arena Gliwice, Gliwice, Poland | |
| 24 | Win | 21–3 | Dominick Guinn | UD | 10 | 25 May 2018 | National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland | |
| 23 | Loss | 20–3 | Adam Kownacki | TKO | 4 (10), 1:37 | 15 Jul 2017 | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, US | |
| 22 | Loss | 20–2 | Deontay Wilder | KO | 9 (12), 2:24 | 16 Jan 2016 | Barclays Center, New York City, New York, US | For WBC heavyweight title |
| 21 | Win | 20–1 | Yasmany Consuegra | RTD | 2 (8), 3:00 | 14 Aug 2015 | Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, US | |
| 20 | Win | 19–1 | Manuel Quezada | RTD | 3 (8), 3:00 | 12 Jun 2015 | UIC Pavilion, Chicago, Illinois, US | |
| 19 | Win | 18–1 | Ty Cobb | TKO | 2 (8), 1:46 | 24 Apr 2015 | UIC Pavilion, Chicago, Illinois, US | |
| 18 | Win | 17–1 | Tomasz Adamek | UD | 10 | 8 Nov 2014 | Tauron Arena, Kraków, Poland | Won vacant IBF International and Republic of Poland International heavyweight titles |
| 17 | Loss | 16–1 | Bryant Jennings | TKO | 10 (10), 2:20 | 25 Jan 2014 | The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US | |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Mike Mollo | TKO | 5 (10), 1:41 | 16 Aug 2013 | US Cellular Field, Chicago, Illinois, US | |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Brian Minto | UD | 10 | 15 Jun 2013 | Łuczniczka, Bydgoszcz, Poland | Won vacant WBC interim Baltic heavyweight title |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Taras Bidenko | RTD | 1 (10), 3:00 | 20 Apr 2013 | Hala Podpromie, Rzeszów, Poland | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Mike Mollo | KO | 6 (8), 2:45 | 1 Feb 2013 | UIC Pavilion, Chicago, Illinois, US | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Jameel McCline | UD | 10 | 30 Jun 2012 | Atlas Arena, Łódź, Poland | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Gonzalo Basile | KO | 4 (10), 1:43 | 2 Jun 2012 | Łuczniczka, Bydgoszcz, Poland | Won vacant WBC Baltic Silver and WBC Youth Silver heavyweight titles |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Terrance Marbra | TKO | 1 (6), 2:46 | 24 Mar 2012 | Resorts Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | David Saulsberry | KO | 2 (6), 1:09 | 5 Nov 2011 | Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, US | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Owen Beck | RTD | 4 (6), 3:00 | 15 Oct 2011 | Spodek, Katowice, Poland | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | David Williams | KO | 1 (4), 1:53 | 29 Jul 2011 | Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, US | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Ramiz Hadziaganovic | KO | 1 (4), 0:33 | 25 Jun 2011 | Podpromie Hall, Rzeszów, Poland | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Jeremy May | KO | 1 (4), 1:20 | 31 Jul 2009 | Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, US | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Zoltan Kallai | PTS | 4 | 16 May 2009 | GranTeatro, Rome, Italy | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Viktor Szalai | TKO | 1 (4), 1:46 | 28 Feb 2009 | Lublin, Poland | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Mihaly Nemet | TKO | 2 (4), 0:53 | 29 Nov 2008 | Spodek, Katowice, Poland | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Senol Cente | UD | 4 | 18 Oct 2008 | MOSiR Hall, Zabrze, Poland |
Mixed martial arts record
edit| 4 matches | 3 wins | 1 loss |
| By knockout | 3 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 3–1 | Arkadiusz Wrzosek | KO (punches) | XTB KSW 94: Bartosiński vs. Michaliszyn | May 11, 2024 | 1 | 0:14 | Gdańsk/Sopot, Poland | |
| Win | 3–0 | Mariusz Pudzianowski | TKO (punches) | XTB KSW 83: Colosseum 2 | 3 June 2023 | 2 | 0:31 | Warsaw, Poland | |
| Win | 2–0 | Denis Załęcki | TKO (knee injury) | High League 4: Natsu vs. Lexy 2 | 17 September 2022 | 1 | 0:41 | Gliwice, Poland | |
| Win | 1–0 | Serhiy Radchenko | TKO (submission to elbow) | KSW 71: Ziółkowski vs. Rajewski | 18 June 2022 | 2 | 2:52 | Toruń, Poland | Catchweight (231 lb) bout. |
Pay-per-view bouts
edit| Date | Fight | Pay-per-view buys | Network | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
8 November 2014
|
Tomasz Adamek vs. Artur Szpilka | 100,000
|
Cyfrowy Polsat PPV | [20] |
| Total sales | 100,000 |
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Pitbull: Last Dog | Boxer 1 |
References
edit- ^ "Artur Szpilka ("Szpila") | Boxer Page". Tapology. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ "Artur Szpilka Height, Weight, Age, Nationality, Reach, Stance, Bio - PBC Boxing". FOX Sports. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ Glinski, George (13 June 2024). "I KOd 'World's Strongest Man' and lost to Deontay Wilder, but I started off as a football hooligan". Talksport.
- ^ Velin, Bob. "Artur Szpilka faces tall task to become first Polish-born heavyweight champ". USA TODAY. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ Christ, Scott (25 January 2014). "HBO boxing results: Bryant Jennings outclasses and stops Artur Szpilka". SB Nation. Vox Media. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
- ^ Alexey Sukachev (8 November 2014). "Szpilka Likely Ends Adamek, Scores Decision Win". BoxingScene. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
- ^ Rafael, Dan (17 January 2016). "Deontay Wilder retains title with devastating KO of Artur Szpilka". ESPN. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
- ^ "Adam Kownacki Batters, Stops Artur Szpilka in Four Rounds". BoxingScene.com. 15 July 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
- ^ "Artur Szpilka Survives Near Disaster To Edge Mariusz Wach". BoxingScene.com. 10 November 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
- ^ "News Archive". Box.Live. 20 July 2019. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
- ^ Seb Sternik (2 June 2022). "Deontay Wilder's former world title challenger Artur Szpilka discovers first MMA opponent". planetsport.com.
- ^ "KSW 71: Ziolkowski vs. Rajewski Full Results". cagesidepress.com. 18 June 2022.
- ^ Wojciech Obrembski (17 September 2022). "High League 4. Artur Szpilka wygrywa z Denisem Załęckim". tvp.pl (in Polish).
- ^ Stachura, Bartholomew. "Artur Szpilka vs. Arkadiusz Wrzosek the fight of the evening of the KSW 78 gala". lowking.pl. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ "KSW 78. Artur Szpilka's injury. He will not fight Arkadiusz Wrzosek". sport.tvp.pl. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ Jay Anderson (8 March 2023). "KSW Colosseum 2 Adds Mariusz Pudzianowski vs. Artur Szpilka at Heavyweight". cagesidepress.com.
- ^ Marrocco, Steven (3 June 2023). "KSW Colosseum 2 video: Mariusz Pudzianowski knocked out by Artur Szpilka". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- ^ "XTB KSW 94: Bartosiński vs Michaliszyn Full Results". KSW (in Polish). Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ "Artur Szpilka". Sherdog. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ "Walka Adamek-Szpilka hitem sprzedaży PPV?" (in Polish). Retrieved 15 May 2022.
External links
edit
- Boxing record for Artur Szpilka from BoxRec (registration required)
- Artur Szpilka article at sport.pl (in Polish)
- Artur Szpilka – Profile, News Archive & Current Rankings at Box.Live