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It has been 115 years since a heavyweight championship was held in Brooklyn, so perhaps it makes sense a double dose will be offered Saturday night at Barclays Center.

It has been 115 years since a heavyweight championship was held in Brooklyn, so perhaps it makes sense a double dose will be offered Saturday night at Barclays Center.

Deontay Wilder of Tuscaloosa, Ala., will defend his WBC belt against Artur Szpilka of Poland, while in a separate bout, Charles Martin of St. Louis challenges Vyacheslav Glazkov of Ukraine for the vacant IBF belt.

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Tickets remain available. Showtime will televise both bouts as part of its free preview offering. The fights also will be streamed on YouTube.

Former undisputed champion Lennox Lewis has been in Manhattan this week promoting Saturday night’s heavyweight doubleheader, offering a reminder how long it has been since the average sports fan could name the heavyweight champion of the world.

Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko dominated the division for much of the past 15 years. But Vitali has retired and Wladimir was dethroned late last year when he lost a decision to Tyson Fury in Germany. Fury captured the WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine titles with the victory. Fury was since stripped of the IBF crown because he chose to accept a rematch with Klitschko rather than defend against the IBF’s mandatory challenger. That’s why Martin and Glazkov will meet for the vacant crown Saturday night.

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With all that’s at stake, Saturday night at Barclays Center might be the most important night in heavyweight boxing since Lewis retired after successfully defending his WBC title for the final time in a classic heavyweight brawl with Vitali Klitschko in 2003 at Staples Center. Interest in the heavyweight division will either grow or fade again based on what happens Saturday night in Brooklyn.

“I’m looking forward to the fights Saturday,” Lewis said. “There are four great heavyweights that I’m excited to see. The heavyweight division is wide open right now. It’s time for the guys who are standing by the wayside to show that they want to be the next undisputed champion.”

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Wilder isn’t shy about insisting he’s the man for the job. Unbeaten in 35 fights with 34 knockouts, Wilder is making the third defense of his WBC title and is looking to become a household name.

“I’m very honored to have the WBC belt,” he said. “But there are more belts that I want. It’s going to be a journey and tough path to fulfill. But I’m that man.”

Szpilka (20-1, 15 KOs) thinks he’s the man, too.

“I want to be the first Polish heavyweight champion of the world,” he said. “Everyone who knows me knows I come to fight. I don’t just want to win. I want to win in spectacular fashion.”

The 6-foot-7 Wilder weighed-in at 228 pounds Friday, while the 6-3 Szpilka was a solid 233. Martin (22-0-1, 20 KOs) is 6-5, 249 pounds, while the 6-3 Glazkov (21-0-1, 13 KOs) is 218 pounds.

“I’m looking forward to taking what’s mine,” Martin said. “I’m so sick of talking about what Glazkov does well. I just want to see if he can do it well against me.”

Be careful what you ask for.

“Charles is a lefty, but he hasn’t fought good opponents,” Glazkov said. “He’s a big strong guy, but it’s the heavyweight division. Everyone is strong. 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.”

Brett Yormark, the CEO of Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment, is expecting a crowd in excess of 10,000 for the building’s first boxing card of 2016.

“This will be our 16th event and I expect 2016 to be our biggest year,” he said. “This is certainly an exciting way to kick off boxing at Barclays for 2016.”

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