American fighter Deontay Wilder retained the heavyweight crown, World Boxing Council (WBC) version, and remains undefeated by defeating compatriot Chris Arreola via technical knockout in the eighth round.
The fight played at the “Legacy Arena” in Birmingham (Alabama) before 11,974 fans, showed Wilder as the dominator, who always imposed his best boxing and punching power, which gave him broad superiority by sending his rival to the canvas in the fourth round.
After he had been knocked down and Arreola received the protection account, Wilder continued with the punishment until the campaign that ended the assault rang out.
The powerful attack to the body and head caused a fracture in Wilder’s right hand, which from the fifth round had to fight only with his left hand.
However, he did not stop giving heavy punishment during the following rounds and at the end of the eighth, Arreola’s team decided to end the fight.
The three judges in charge of the fight also had Wilder as the winner with scores of 80-71, 80-71 and 79-72, respectively.
At the end of the fight, Wilder acknowledged that he did have a broken hand and a sprained right bicep.
“None of those injuries were going to stop me from getting the win and keeping my career undefeated,” Wilder declared at the end of the fight.
The world champion leaves his mark at 37-0, with 36 wins achieved by knockout, while Arreola, of Latin origin, put him at 36-5-1, with 31 victories achieved by fast track.
Arriola, who has played three bouts for the world title, has lost all three and all by knockout.