Mateusz Masternak

Mateusz Masternak is a Polish cruiserweight whose longevity and résumé have kept him a fixture in Europe’s 200-pound ranks for more than a decade. Fighting out of Wrocław and boxed from an orthodox stance, the 188 cm tall Masternak (reach 188 cm) has compiled a 50–7 record with 33 stoppage victories while campaigning at cruiserweight for regional, international and world-level opportunities. Masternak made his professional debut in June 2006 and built an early run of stoppage wins across Poland and the United States. By 2009–2010 he was collecting youth and regional honours, including a TWBA interim cruiserweight title (February 2009) and multiple interim WBC Youth cruiserweight victories that led to broader recognition. He added the vacant IBO Inter-Continental cruiserweight title in November 2010 and successfully defended that strap in March 2011. That upward trajectory culminated in Masternak’s first European title success when he won the EBU cruiserweight crown via unanimous decision over Juho Haapoja in December 2012. He defended his position among Europe’s best but suffered a setback later that year and into 2013 when he lost the EBU belt to Grigory Drozd by TKO in October 2013. Rather than fade, Masternak rebounded with notable wins and key regional belts. He stopped Shawn Corbin in 2013 to take the WBC Silver International cruiserweight title and in 2014 recorded a high-profile majority decision victory over former world champion Jean-Marc Mormeck. That same year he was edged on the cards by Youri Kayembre Kalenga in a fight for the interim WBA cruiserweight crown, but he later avenged his standing with a stoppage win over Kalenga in April 2018 when the Belgian failed to continue. Masternak’s record includes runs against several top names in the division. He participated in the World Boxing Super Series in 2018, losing to Yuniel Dorticos in the quarter-finals, and he suffered defeats in high-profile European assignments against the likes of Tony Bellew (a unanimous decision loss for the vacant EBU title in December 2015). He continued to remain active and competitive through the 2020s, collecting domestic and international wins, including a unanimous decision over Adam Balski to claim the vacant IBF Inter-Continental cruiserweight title in May 2021. The veteran earned the right to challenge at world level on 10 December 2023 when he fought Chris Billam-Smith for the WBO world cruiserweight title; Masternak lost by corner retirement after eight rounds. He returned to form in Poland, adding domestic honours such as the Republic of Poland International cruiserweight title in November 2024, and in October 2025 captured the vacant EBU (European) cruiserweight title with a seventh-round KO of Joel Tambwe Djeko in Zakopane. His second reign as European champion was brief: on 4 April 2026 he dropped a unanimous decision to Viddal Riley at The O2 Arena in London and is currently active but not a titleholder. Across a long professional career Masternak has mixed technical wins with power — 33 stoppages among his 50 victories — and has remained a durable, seasoned contender at cruiserweight while fighting out of Wrocław.