Deontay Wilder defeated Chris Arreola handily on Saturday night in Birmingham, Ala. after Arreola’s corner stopped the fight following the eighth round. It wasn’t Wilder’s relatively early victory and domination that was quite as impressive as the circumstances surrounding his win.
Wilder and his team said after the fight that the boxer beat Arreola despite having a broken hand and torn biceps. This information makes complete sense to anyone watching as The Bronze Bomber knocked Arreola down in the fourth, but the volume of his punches thrown dropped off after that. Wilder hardly threw his right hand in the 5th-8th rounds of the fight before Arreola’s corner decided to stop the fight.
Despite his injuries, Wilder spoke with the media briefly after the fight and did an interview aired on FOX. However, he skipped a press conference in favor of a trip to the hospital.
After his win, Wilder said he would welcome a fight with Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko or Anthony Joshua.
Now 37-0 with 36 wins by knockout, Wilder says his goal is to unify the heavyweight division.
More must-reads: