By Francisco Salazar

Boxing fans have become accustomed to watching Wladimir Klitschko in a world tile bout over the last decade or so.

Not that it was a bad thing. Not only did Klitschko show dominance in the division during this time, but he can be appreciated for the title unifications and the subsequent defenses over top-level competition.

With Deontay Wilder winning the WBC a year ago tomorrow, and making two title defenses in the process, some wonder if the Alabama native would provide a serious challenge to Klitschko.

The playing field in the heavyweight division became more even when Tyson Fury shocked the boxing world on November 28 with a 12 round decision over Klitschko in Dusselforf, Germany.

Two world title fights featuring heavyweights will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. tonight. Wilder hopes to solidify his place in the heavyweight division by defending his WBC title against Artur Szpilka.

In the opening bout of the 'Showtime Championship Boxing' telecast, Charles Martin and Vyacheslav Glazkov will battle for the vacant IBF heavyweight title.

Will either one of these four fighters stand out as a clear candidate to one day challenge Fury as the top heavyweight in boxing? Or could the winners of tonight's action be on a collision course to face one another?

Wilder (35-0, 34 KOs) has been criticized for the opposition he faced (except for Malik Scott) in his run towards a world title belt. Wilder's devastating power has been his safety net in both his title defenses against Eric Molina and, most recently, Johann Duhaupas.

While he was victorious, Wilder struggled at times against both fighters, whether it was being hit often or not finishing his opponent earlier than expected.

Wilder has the gift of gab, which makes him a compelling fellow out of the ring. One wonders whether a fight against Fury could be realistic for Wilder later this year, should Fury fight him instead of a rematch against Klitschko.

"I'm not playing with anybody in 2016," said Wilder at Thursday's press conference. "This is a great card. Two heavyweight title fights in one night. It doesn't get much better than that. The heavyweight division is exciting again."

"I'm very honored to have the WBC belt. I even have it tattooed on my body. It's not going anywhere. But there are more belts that I want. It's going to be a long journey and a tough path to fulfill. But I'm that man. When people say the heavyweight champion of the world, I want one person to be recognized."

Szpilka (20-1, 15 KOs) figures to not only stand in his way, but believes he can be the one to defeat Wilder. He has won his last four bouts in a row since being stopped by Bryant Jennings two years ago this month.

The fighter from Poland is a southpaw, something Wilder has not faced often in his career.

A scuffle between the two fighters earlier in the week to promote the fight left a bad taste in Szpilka's mouth.

"I know you have to have to have a great respect for your opponent and I used to have respect for him," said Szpilka, who stopped Yasmany Consuegra after the second round on August 14. "But after what he said about me, I have a problem. You have to prove it in the ring. He has to do it in the ring, not outside the ring. He can say whatever he wants, but we will see it in the ring. I will fight hard and after the fight, you will hear 'The New Heavyweight Champion of the World.'"

The bout between Martin and Glazkov should be compelling and many betting sites have the fight even.

Martin (22-0-1, 20 KOs) fought mostly on club shows in Southern California early on in his career. He has not fought a top-20 contender in the division and the only recognizable names on his record are knockout wins over Rafael Zumbano Love on February 28 and Joey Dawejko in November of 2013.

Originally from Saint Louis and trained by Henry Tillman, Martin is ranked number four by the IBF.

"I'm looking forward to this fight on Saturday and taking what's mine," said Martin, who resides in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson. "I'm so sick of talking about what Glazkov does well. I just want to see if he can do it well against me."

Glazkov (21-0-1, 13 KOs) has faced the better opposition between the two, facing and defeating the likes of Tomasz Adamek, Derric Rossy, Malik Scott, Tor Hamer, and Garret Wilson.

Glazkov became the mandatory IBF challenger when he defeated Steve Cunningham on March 14, a bout where a number of boxing writers thought Cunningham did enough to win.

"Everything is in place for me to become a world champion," said Glazkov, who is managed by Egis Klimas. "Charles is a big guy. He's a lefty, but he hasn't fought good opponents. This will be a good fight. All of my past fights have helped me get ready for this one. I want all of the belts. This is the first step towards my dream."

Francisco A. Salazar has written for Boxingscene.com since September of 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (CA) Star newspaper, RingTV, and Knockout Nation. He could be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing