Photos by Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions
On Saturday February 25, 2017, Deontay Wilder (38-0, 37 KOs) scored a fifth-round knockout victory against Gerald Washington (18-1-1, 12 KOs) to retain his WBC Heavyweight title at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
The scheduled 12-round fight headlined a PBC on FOX telecast in the U.S.
Wilder, a 31-year-old native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, sought to make the fifth defense of his WBC title.
Washington, a 34-year-old native of California, sought to take advantage of a title opportunity after Poland’s Andrzej Wawrzyk failed a drug test and was rendered unable to fight Wilder.
Wasington held his own in the fight, but in Round 5, he was viciously dropped with a right hand and left hook combination that sent him tumbling down.
Washington was unable to recover from Wilder’s vicious power shots.
Wilder regained his title and his status as one of the best in the Heavyweight division. However, the state of the Heavyweight division is divided as there are several titleholders.
“As I’ve been saying, I’m looking to unify the division. I think it’s critical to have one fighter and one champion, and that’s Deontay Wilder. Let’s hope Joseph Parker is ready for me because I’m definitely ready for him,” said Wilder.
Anthony Joshua, who is generally regarded as the best in the division, holds the IBF title, and he’ll take on Wladimir Klitschko in April.
Joshua Parker currently holds the WBO strap, while the WBA title is vacant. Among these three titlists, who do you think is the best?
Let us know in the comments section below.
Gerald Washington put up a great fight until Deontay Wilder ended things in Round 5. #Boxing #PBConFox pic.twitter.com/kkDq2cFHon
— RoundByRoundBoxing (@RBRBoxing) February 26, 2017
