Heavyweight division heats up

NEW YORK (AP):

The heavyweight division is starting to get more interesting after years of domination by the Klitschko brothers and little in the way of worthy challengers.

Tyson Fury ended Wladimir Klitschko's decade run as champion in November with an upset win that breathed some new life in the division. There are also a number of upcoming young heavyweights who may one day make their marks as champions.

And then there's Deontay Wilder, who fights tonight in Brooklyn against Poland's Artur Szpilka in one of two heavyweight title fights that will be broadcast on Showtime.

Wilder is an Olympic medalist and unbeaten as a pro. He holds the WBC version of the title, and is a bruising slugger with 34 knockouts in 35 wins.

But he's done little since winning his title to make his case that he's the best heavyweight in the world, other than stop a few journeymen in his home state of Alabama. And that

doesn't figure to change against Szpilka, even if the Barclays Center is a bigger stage.

No matter, says Wilder. He's pretty confident that this is going to be his year.

"I keep saying that I want it to be embedded in you guys' brains that 2016 belongs to Deontay Wilder, where he will unify the division," Wilder said. "There

hasn't been one since 1999. That was Lennox Lewis. Now I must make history. I can't let any man get in my way from that."

Odds are Wilder will have to wait longer than 2016 to accomplish his goal. The way boxing's multiple sanctioning organisations work, it may never happen.

Fury and Klitschko will meet, likely in May, in a rematch of their fight. And even if Fury wins the rematch of their lacklustre first fight, it's doubtful he would risk fighting Wilder before the end of the year.