NEW YORK, United States, May 19 – Undefeated Deontay Wilder brutally knocked out Dominic Breazeale in the first round of their grudge match Saturday night to retain his World Boxing Council heavyweight world title.

Wilder, who has one of the most destructive right hands in heavyweight history, floored the challenger with a one-punch knockout with 43 seconds left in the opening round at Barclays Center arena.

The vaunted knockout artist Wilder swarmed Breazeale from the opening bell, hurting him with a straight right hand then finishing him off later in the round with the devastating right to the chin that was set up by a left jab.

“When I hit him with the right hand the first time his body language changed,” said Wilder. “When you been in there with so many different guys you learn to recognize body language. I knew he was slowing down and opening up.”

Breazeale barely landed a punch in the fight and his defence was non-existent as he walked right into the knockout blow. He lay motionless on his back, then got up at the count of 10 as the referee grabbed him and waved it off.

Wilder was very focused, showing off his superior handspeed, conditioning and punching power in another one-sided victory.

Wilder, 33, improved to 41-0-1 with 40 KOs in making the ninth defence of his title against heavy underdog Breazeale.

Breazeale, who had lost just one previous fight to Anthony Joshua, dropped to 20-2 with 18 KOs.

There was bad blood between the two heading into the fight with the buildup marked by a series of macabre threats from Wilder, who had spoken of his willingness to cause a fatality in the ring.

Threats of violence are a stock-in-trade part of promoting fights, but Wilder’s gruesome pre-fight comments were condemned by many in the sport as going too far.

Wilder’s comments have appalled many in boxing, while WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has vowed to hold a hearing into the remarks.

Wilder backed off on his comments immediately after the knockout in the ring, making light of the death threats.

– ‘A lot of hatred’ –

“Everything just came out of me. There was a big buildup to this fight,” he said. “There was a lot of animosity, a lot of chaos, a lot of hatred against each other. This is what makes boxing so great.

“When you get into a fight and settle your differences as men, that is what this sport is all about. We can handle this with our hands and at end of the day we can say we lived to see another day.”

Wilder, who won the bronze medal for the US at the 2008 Olympic Games, moved up the all-time heavyweight defence list and joined four iconic champions who also made nine straight defences: Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. The all-time record for any division is 25 by Joe Louis.

On the undercard, featherweight world champ Gary Russell Jr. dominated former junior featherweight world titlist Kiko Martinez with a fifth-round knockout victory.

Russell was heavily favoured defend his 126-pound belt for the fourth time.

%thecontent%%avatar%

%author%

%authornetworks%

%authordescription%

%authornetworks%

Comments

%sidebar%","opedarticle":"","sidead1":"ff","sidead2":"dd","sidead3":"","homestory":"

%title%

%game%%date%Read More--","taxonomyitem":"

%title%

%game%%date%Read More------","fixtureitem":"%name1%%score1%VS%score2%%name2%%time%","home":"rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn 1rn 2rn 3rn 4rn 5rn rn rn rn

Kipkurui on a brace as K’Ogalo skin Leopards

rn rn Footballrn rn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rn Read Articlern rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rnrnrnrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

More Headlines

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Green triple-double fuels Warriors’ comeback winrn

rn rn Basketballrn rn rn rn 7 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Wilder retains WBC title with brutal first round KOrn

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn 7 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Pep relentless as City’s financial muscle pounds rivalsrn

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn 7 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Djokovic to meet Nadal for 54th time with Rome title at stakern

rn rn Gamern rn rn rn 7 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Qatar officials say 48-team World Cup will not be ‘imposed’rn

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn 7 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Lyon cruise to sixth Women’s Champions League titlern

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn 7 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rnrnrn rn rn

Most Popular

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn rn Isuza in as Migne names AFCON squadrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn rn Why I left Jesse Were, Cheche out u2013 Mignern rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn rn EPL set to splash the cash as transfer window opensrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Athleticsrn rn rn rn rn Nyairera fears new IAAF rules will end careerrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Rugbyrn rn rn rn rn Four changes for Shujaa in London, Paris 7srn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn rn Chapa Dimba All-Stars pick first win in Spainrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn rn Will AFC give Gor guard of honor at Kasarani?rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn rn Money-minting lessons from Camp Nou for Gor, AFCrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn rn CHAN team to face Uganda/Djibouti in friendlyrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

All Sports

rn trn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Green triple-double fuels Warriors’ comeback win

rn rn rn Basketballrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Wilder retains WBC title with brutal first round KO

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Pep relentless as City’s financial muscle pounds rivals

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Djokovic to meet Nadal for 54th time with Rome title at stake

rn rn rn Gamern rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Qatar officials say 48-team World Cup will not be ‘imposed’

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Poll Question

rn rn ntnttnttntt

Will Barcelona win the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League?

ntt
• YES
ntt
• NO
ntt

View Results

ntnn Loading ...n rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Lyon cruise to sixth Women’s Champions League title

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Nadal downs Tsitsipas to reach 50th Masters final, Konta faces Pliskova for Rome title

rn rn rn Gamern rn Saturday, 18th May 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Griezmann jeered on last Atleti appearance

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Bucks rout Raptors to take 2-0 NBA Eastern Conference lead

rn rn rn Basketballrn rn Saturday, 18th May 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Koepka sets 36-hole major record as Tiger misses PGA cut

rn rn rn Golfrn rn Saturday, 18th May 2019rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Load More Storiesrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Sponsored

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Featured

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Timothy Olobulurn Kipkurui on a brace as K’Ogalo skin Leopardsrn rn rn Viewrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Green triple-double fuels Warriors’ comeback winrn rn rn Viewrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Wilder retains WBC title with brutal first round KOrn rn rn Viewrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Pep relentless as City’s financial muscle pounds rivalsrn rn rn Viewrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Djokovic to meet Nadal for 54th time with Rome title at stakern rn rn Viewrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rnrnttt","sidebar":"rn rn rntrn rn t

Most Popular

rn rn t rn t

rn tIsuza in as Migne names AFCON squadrn

rn Footballrn rn Tuesday, 14th May 2019rn rn rn t

rn tWhy I left Jesse Were, Cheche out u2013 Mignern

rn Footballrn rn Tuesday, 14th May 2019rn rn rn t

rn tEPL set to splash the cash as transfer window opensrn

rn Footballrn rn Thursday, 16th May 2019rn rn rn t

rn tNyairera fears new IAAF rules will end careerrn

rn Athleticsrn rn Thursday, 16th May 2019rn rn rn t

rn tFour changes for Shujaa in London, Paris 7srn

rn Rugbyrn rn Thursday, 16th May 2019rn rn rn t

rn tChapa Dimba All-Stars pick first win in Spainrn

rn Footballrn rn Tuesday, 14th May 2019rn rn rn t

rn tWill AFC give Gor guard of honor at Kasarani?rn

rn Footballrn rn Monday, 13th May 2019rn rn rn t

rn tMoney-minting lessons from Camp Nou for Gor, AFCrn

rn Footballrn rn Saturday, 18th May 2019rn rn rn t

rn tCHAN team to face Uganda/Djibouti in friendlyrn

rn Footballrn rn Wednesday, 15th May 2019rn rn rn rn rn trn rn rnrn rn rn rn t

Featured

rn rn trn rn rn rn rn Timothy Olobulurn Kipkurui on a brace as K’Ogalo skin Leopardsrn rn rn Viewrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Green triple-double fuels Warriors’ comeback winrn rn rn Viewrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Wilder retains WBC title with brutal first round KOrn rn rn Viewrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Pep relentless as City’s financial muscle pounds rivalsrn rn rn Viewrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Djokovic to meet Nadal for 54th time with Rome title at stakern rn rn Viewrn rn Sunday, 19th May 2019rn rn rn rn rn rn rn trn rn rn rn","articleerror":"

Oops...Something broke on our end

"},"messages":{"accessdenied":"Access to the account has been denied ","httperror":"Oops, something went wrong...please try again","contactgoogle":"Contacting Google","firsttime":"Seems this is your first time with this signin system. Please wait as we get your name","signinsuccess":"Cool. You're now signed in. This signin will close automatically now","pendingrequest":"Still communicating with the server","signedout":"Seems you were signed out. Try submitting again after you've been signed in","trackingerror":"Couldn't track Analytics","xhrnotconfigured":"To webmaster: Please confirm the xhr/ajax receptor is configured on the server","loadmore":"Load more stories"}}; /* ]]> */