Artur Szpilka

Artur Szpilka, known by the nickname “The Pin,” is a Polish professional boxer who has competed in the heavyweight division. Born on April 12 1989, in Wieliczka, Poland, Szpilka fights from a southpaw stance, standing 6 ft 4 in tall with a 77-inch reach. He began his professional career on October 18, 2008, with a points victory over Senul Cetin in Zabrze, Poland.

Szpilka rose quickly through the Polish and international heavyweight scene from 2008 to 2012, gaining attention for his aggressive style and punching power. He won the vacant WBC Youth Silver Heavyweight title in June 2012 with a fourth-round knockout of Gonzalo Omar Basile in Bydgoszcz, Poland. This period marked the early phase of his career, establishing him as one of Poland’s leading heavyweights.

His profile continued to grow in the United States, where he fought regularly from 2013 to 2016. Notable bouts included two entertaining victories over Mike Mollo in 2013, as well as a decision win over veteran Jameel McCline in 2012. In January 2014, Szpilka faced American contender Bryant Jennings at Madison Square Garden in New York but was stopped in the final round. Later that year, he returned to Poland and scored an important unanimous decision win against former world champion Tomasz Adamek in Kraków, which boosted his reputation at home.

Szpilka’s most prominent fight came on January 16 2016, at Brooklyn’s Barclays Centre, where he challenged WBC World Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder. After a competitive performance through the middle rounds, Szpilka was knocked out in the ninth round. This was his only world title fight, and it marked his peak on the global stage.

After the Wilder fight, Szpilka’s career became inconsistent. He suffered knockout losses to Adam Kownacki in 2017 and Derek Chisora in 2019, but also recorded victories over experienced Polish heavyweights Mariusz Wach in 2018 and Dominick Guinn the same year. His later years were marked by mixed results, including a split-decision win over Serhiy Radchenko in 2020, followed by a first-round knockout defeat to Łukasz Różański in May 2021 in Rzeszów.

Throughout his professional career, Szpilka developed a record of 24 wins, 5 losses, with 16 victories coming by way of knockout. His style has been described as aggressive and fast-paced, with a willingness to exchange punches that made many of his bouts exciting but also left him vulnerable to heavy punchers.

Although he has competed in mixed martial arts and bare-knuckle boxing in recent years, Szpilka remains best known for his professional boxing career, particularly his 2016 world title challenge against Deontay Wilder and his victory over Tomasz Adamek, which secured his status as one of Poland’s most recognisable heavyweights of the 2010s.