Making the fourth defense of his WBC heavyweight title, Deontay Wilder did so for the third time on home turf in Alabama.
With the crowd at Legacy Arena in Birmingham firmly behind him, Wilder certainly did not disappoint.
After some feeling out from both sides in the first round, Wilder began to truly establish control with his lengthy and sharp jab, consistently getting through Arreola’s guard up top. He finally broke through big-time at the end of the third round, with a furious flurry that put Arreola onto the canvas.
In the fourth round, Wilder suffered a broken right hand, and it forced him to get crafty and work the rest of the fight with just his left.
Still, he was able to consistently do damage, and at the end of the eighth round, with his left eye swollen shut, Arreola’s corner called an end to the action.
The victory for Wilder improved him to 37-0 with 36 KOs, and he made sure to put the rest of the heavyweight division on notice in his post-fight interview – his desire is to unify the heavyweight titles as soon as possible.
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All photos by Ryan Hafey/PBC
