The American promoter of WBC cruiserweight champion Krzysztof “Diablo” Wlodarczyk is congratulating his fighter for retaining his title by 12-round split decision over Francisco “The Wizard” Palacios.

Fighting in the main event Saturday night at the Hala Luczniczka in Bydgoszcz, Poland, Wlodarczyk (45-2-1, 32 KOs) was able to defeat the #1 rated and previously undefeated Palacios (20-1, 13 KOs) by scores of 118-112 and 116-113 Wlodarczyk over-ruling a 115-113 Palacios tally.

“It took a true champion to execute a game plan perfectly and beat back the challenge of a very skilled fighter,” said Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing. “There were over 8,000 fans here tonight watching Krzysztof put on a masterful performance.”

Puerto Rico’s Palacios had his moments in the fight but, in the end, didn’t do enough to “take” the title.

“When you’re in with a kid like Krzysztof who can hit like a mule, you either go out on your shield or choose to play it safe and lose by decision. That’s the choice Palacios made tonight,” continued Margules. “He fought well in certain spots, but fought much too cautiously. Krzysztof’s punches were harder and more accurate throughout and he came on strong at the end.”

The victory over Palacios was Wlodarczyk’s second successful defense. He also formerly held the IBF title by defeating American Steve Cunningham.