Deontay Wilder overcame Artur Szpilka on Saturday night (Photo: Stephane Trapp)
By Chris Robinson
On Saturday night, WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder scored the third successful defense of his title with a crushing ninth round knockout over Poland’s Artur Szpilka inside of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
In front of an estimated 12,668 fans and live on SHOWTIME’s airwaves, Wilder again proved his worth.
Watching from ringside was WBA and WBA heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, as well as Wilder’s mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin. Wilder moves his record to 36-0 with 35 knockouts while Szpilka drops to 20-2 with 15 knockouts.
In what some describe as somewhat of an uneventful affair, Wilder changed the mood of the action in the ninth with a chilling right hand that hit his foe’s chin and left Szpilka out cold. The brave challenger was later taken to Lutheran Hospital on a stretcher as a precautionary measure.
“He was definitely a crafty guy,” Wilder said of Szpilka. “I haven’t competed against a southpaw in three years. He was a tough competitor, but you’re fighting for a world title. It’s not supposed to be easy. I’m surprised it took that long, but we had 12 rounds and they can’t all can’t be pretty.”
Check below for a highlight of Wilder’s knockout.
Chris Robinson can be reached at CRobinson@hustleboss.com