All Wilder and Fury at Barclays

Deontay Wilder retained his WBC heavyweight championship with a devastating knockout of Artur Szpilka in the ninth round on Saturday night at the Barclays Center.

But perhaps the most dramatic point of the evening came after the fight when Wilder’s fellow heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, crashed the ring to confront his American rival.

“Anytime, any place, anywhere,” Fury cried while getting within inches of Wilder’s face. Wilder replied: “You can run around like a preacher, but I will baptise you!”

Wilder then suggested he was willing to fight fury in Britain. “We all know Fury is just a phony,” he said. “This is just an act. I’m not scared of anybody. We’ll come to your backyard. This is just an act – you’re not a real fighter. I don’t play. This isn’t wrestling. This isn’t the WWE. When you do step in that ring with me I promise you I will baptise you.

“I would love to fight him next, unfortunately. I have other mandatories due. Make the date Tyson, I promise you.”

Earlier, Wilder (36-0) knocked Szpilka out cold and flat on his back with a powerful right hand to the head. Szpilka (20-2) was out for several minutes as medics were called to the ring. He eventually slumped against the turnbuckles as doctors tended to him.

With former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis sitting ringside, Wilder recorded his 35th KO and silenced a Polish-flavoured crowd that went wild for Szpilka.

The heavyweights fought a fantastic eight rounds and were closing in on a ninth until Wilder caught the Pole flush with 36 seconds left in the round.

Charles Martin won the vacant IBF world heavyweight championship in an underwhelming bout against injured Vyacheslav Glazkov in the co-main event.

Related articles

• Dani Garavelli: Don't KO Tyson Fury
• Roy Jones Jr.: The end of an era...hopefully
• Flashback Friday | Donovan "Razor" Ruddock vs. Michael "Dynamite" Dokes
• 'I should have been born a woman'
• World Boxing Champ Models Traditional Masculinity
• World Boxing Champ Models Traditional Masculinity - henrymakow.com

Emanuel Steward 1944 - 2012

Emanuel Steward, who trained legendary fighters Thomas Hearns, Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko among many others, has died at the age of 68.

He made his name as a trainer at the Kronk gym in Detroit, where Hearns first became world champion in 1980.

The American handled more world champions than any other trainer, 43 in all, and was working with current heavyweight champion Klitschko in July.

"Boxing has suffered a tremendous loss," said Klitschko.

"Rest in peace Emanuel. You will be greatly missed."

Steward, who had been suffering from colon cancer, also trained boxing greats Wilfred Benitez, Julio Cesar Chavez, Oscar de la Hoya, Evander Holyfield, Mike McCallum and James Toney.

In addition to Lewis, other British fighters coached by Steward, who was inducted into the International Hall of Fame in 1996, include former light-heavyweight world champion Dennis Andries and former featherweight world champion Naseem Hamed.

Promoter Frank Maloney, who managed former world heavyweight champion Lewis, said Steward was unique in style.

"He was quite a character," he told BBC Radio 5 live. "He had a very strange method of doing his training programme, but got the best out of Lennox Lewis and took him to a new level.

"I also saw him work with Naseem Hamed and he was a great believer in the fighter having to be excited, and having to knock people out. He wasn't really into the science of boxing, more the excitement, and giving the crowd what they wanted."

Ten-time world champion De la Hoya, who trained under Steward in 1997, said: "It brings me great grief and sadness to hear of the passing of one of the best and most respected trainers of this era.

"I learned a lot from him during our professional relationship and I will be forever grateful for his help during that time.

"We were also friends and I know I am going to miss him as so many others will too. He was an important part of our boxing community."

Freddie Roach, who trains multiple world champion Manny Pacquiao, said on Twitter

Emanuel Steward passing today is the biggest loss to boxing in a long time. He'll be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."

As an amateur boxer, Steward won 94 of his 97 fights and a National Golden Gloves bantamweight title in 1963, before becoming a trainer.

He was perhaps most closely associated with Hearns, whom he first trained as an amateur at the fabled Kronk.

In March 1980, Hilmer Kenty became Steward's first pro world champion when he won the WBA lightweight crown, also becoming the first world champion from Detroit since heavyweight great Joe Louis decades earlier.

Under Steward, Hearns became the first boxer to win world titles in five weight divisions and engaged in classic fights with Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Marvin Hagler.

Steward linked up with Lewis following the British heavyweight's defeat by Oliver McCall in 1994 and the partnership endured until Lewis's retirement in 2004.

Steward was immediately enlisted by Klitschko and, having lost his WBO belt to Corrie Sanders in 2003, the Ukrainian became world champion again in 2006.

The duo worked together until July when Steward became ill, leaving Klitschko to train without Steward for his fight against Mariusz Wach next month in Germany.

"His spirit is always here," Klitschko said. "I can hear his voice in sparring while doing things, whispering in my ear. As the famous saying goes 'the show must go on', and that's exactly the case."

Related articles

• Famed boxing trainer Emanuel Steward passes away at the age of 68
• Legendary trainer Steward dies
• Emanuel Steward, famed boxing trainer, dies at 68
• Legendary boxing trainer Steward dies at 68
• Boxing trainer Steward dies at 68
• Klitschko's trainer Steward dies

Lewis Fancies Chisora Chances

Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis thinks unfancied Brit Dereck Chisora has the power to shock Vitali Klitschko later this month.

Klitschko chose to meet 28-year-old Chisora, instead of another Londoner David Haye, in the defence of his WBC heavyweight title on 18 February.

The 40-year-old Ukrainian was last defeated nine years ago by Lewis.

"Vitali is very good but Chisora has a chance. All it takes is one punch on the chin to win," said Lewis.

“"If Klitschko is in the fight, in the ring, and he gets punched, there is a chance that he might get hurt or knocked out”Lennox Lewis

Chisora has lost his last two title fights after defeat by Tyson Fury in their battle for the British and Commonwealth belts and a controversial points loss against Robert Helenius in December.

But the Zimbabwe-born fighter insists he can bounce back in style by knocking out Klitschko in Munich.

Lewis stopped Klitschko in the sixth round of their 2003 bout in Los Angeles to retain his WBC and IBO crowns before retiring from the sport.

And he believes Chisora has the punching power to cause a big upset.

"I always say if you walk into the ring, you have to get wet," said the 46-year-old.

"If he [Klitschko] is in the fight, in the ring, and he gets punched, there is a chance that he might get hurt or knocked out.

"It will be an interesting fight."

Chisora, whose two scheduled fights against Klitschko's younger brother Wladimir were cancelled, won the race to face Vitali ahead of compatriot Haye.

Haye, 31, has not fought since surrendering his WBA heavyweight title to WBO and IBF champion Wladimir in July 2011.

However, the Bermondsey fighter insists he is ready to come out of retirement and challenge Vitali.

Lewis said: "He should come back, but he should not think about the Klitschkos right now.

"He should beat a couple of other people, so people actually think 'yeah, you know, he can do it this time, he can beat a Klitschko'."