By Alexey Sukachev

Ergo Arena, Gdansk - A year and three fights ago Ewa Piatkowska fought and lost to 8-0 compatriot Ewa Brodnicka in a lightweight bout. Tonight, Piatkowska captured a world champion status in the... light middleweight division. Piatkowska edged bigger former compatriot Aleksandra Magdziak Lopez to acquire a vacant WBC 154lb title.

Piatkowska, 32 and known as the Tigress, is the EBU welterweight champion but has weighed in at a career high 142 lbs for that fight, five pounds under the welterweight limit. Oppositely, more experienced Lopez, 36, though a career welterweight, have been often toying with light middleweight class in her past.

However, speed was the key for a victory in that fight. Lopez, bigger and stronger, was also slower, being too late in a majority of encounters, missing with her punches and eating blows in exchange. Piatkowska was more resilient, landing her jabs and left hooks to shake up Lopez at times. The Polish American had her share of success but it was not enough to give her a real chance to succeed in this particular bout. Final scores were: 96-94, 96-94, and 97-93 - for Ewa Piatkowska, who improves to 10-1, with 4 KOs. Magdziak Lopez drops down to 16-4-2, 1 KO.

In a battle of two elite local heavyweights, younger and fresher Andrzej Wawrzyk (33-1, 19 KOs), best known for his crushing loss to Alexander Povetkin than for any of his wins, got one to remember as he forced former EBU heavyweight champion Albert Sosnowski to retire in his corner after five complete rounds.

Wawrzyk, 28, was better in the first couple of rounds, effectively outboxing much slower Sosnowski. The latter, nine years his older, was rocked badly in the second round but survived it to get better and to win the third. That was only a reminiscent of his former and better self. Wawrzyk cut Sosnowski in the fourth round and continued to pressure him for the rest of the round. The fifth stanza was also one-sided in favour of a younger fighter, and finally Sosnowski failed to beat the bell for round six, signalizing an injury-induced retirement.

Wawrzyk is 7-0, 7 KOs, since his loss to Povetkin. Sosnowski drops down to 49-8-2, 30 KOs. Sosnowski is 6-7-2 over the last eight and a half years.

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In what was a borderline robbery, undefeated Polish light middleweight Patrick Szymanski was tested mightily and arguably lost to determined (but fairly unknown) Argentinean import Jose Antonio Villalobos (9-2-2, 5 KOs). Instead he was given a questionable split decision in conclusion of ten rounds to acquire a vacant WBC Youth 154lb title.

Szymanski was better early on but Villalobos started to use his right hand to a better extent in round two. His right hands, specifically his long lean spring blows were rocking Szymanski from time to time. The Pole's counterpunches were pretty effective but lacked power to troublt the Argentinean. Szymanski did slightly better in the midst of the fight forcing a deep cut over the Latino's forehead but it didn't affect the guest boxer. Back to work, Villalobos was fresh and willing to take the rest of the fight. Szymanski was cut badly over his left eyebrow and wobbled in the ninth. Both boxers gave their best in the tenth and final round - Szymanski landed at a more frequent rate but the Argentinean's punches were better felt by his opponent.

Final scores were: 96-94 and 95-94 - for the Pole, and 95-94 - for his disappointed opponent. Polish TV presenters were honest in their own score, giving it 96-94 - to Villalobos. BoxingScene had it almost the same: 96-93 - for Villalobos. Szymanski is 17-0, 9 KOs, now, sharing his time between Poland and the States.

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27-year old Michal Cieslak is quickly evolving into one of the Poland's brightest prospects and (arguably) the brightest on in a talent-filled cruiserweight division. It took the Pole less than two rounds two completely demolish usually durable Romanian import Gulian Ilie (21-11-2, 7 KOs).

In the first, Cieslak was steady and methodical. His head shots didn't work for Ilie being fully hidden behind a tight gueard. His soft spot was lower, near his beltline, as the Pole used body shots to test his opponent. In the second round, Ilie was quickly down after what seemed to be a right hand to the back of the head (but surely not intentional). He was up quickly and protesting but Cieslak went after and dropped him hard after yet another right bomb. Up at nine, Ilie was found under fire and went down again. He was dazed getting up, and referee Leszek Jankowiak waved it off at the time a white towel was already flying from the Romanian's corner.

Ilie suffered his sixth loss in his last eight fights, since getting back-to-back upset wins over Italians Christian Dolzanelli and Salvatorre Erittu. Cieslak is 14-0, 10 KOs, and 11-0, 10 KOs, after getting his first three wins on points.

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Recent pro debutant Pawel Stepien (5-0, 4 KOs) went the distance for the first time in his career, outpointing more experienced compatriot Norbert Dabrowski (18-5-1, 7 KOs) over eight hard-fought rounds.

After a timid opener, both combatants got back to work in round two. Dabrowski was better during the first minute of the stanza but Stepien got an upper hand later on. Dabrowski was once again more active at the start of the third, and once again Stepien finished it better. A pair of hard uppercuts rocked Dabrowski in the fourth. The veteran fighter took the fifth but the rest of the fight was in favour of Stepien, who was doing more and more in the ring with each fought round. All the judges have it in his favour: 77-75, and less justified 79-73 (twice). BoxingScene was in agreement with the first judge.