Deontay Wilder looked a little rusty in the early going of his fight with Gerald Washington last night, but the defending (for the fifth time) WBC heavyweight champ got the job done in style in the end. Rust or no rust, Wilder is certainly capable of being outboxed and his critics will no doubt point to the opening four rounds of the Washington fight as more proof of this, but Wilder has the big, the monstrous, the devastating equaliser: his crushing right hand.
Deontay Wilder
Deontay Wilder boxing news
Wilder KOs Washington in the Fifth Round, Retains his WBC Title
Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder scored a fifth-round technical knockout over Gerald Washington. Wilder landed a powerful short right hand followed by a left hook to Washington’s temple that sent him crumbling to the canvas. Washington beat the count, but was on very unsteady footing. Wilder quickly jumped all over him and landed several unanswered thunderous left and right hooks that badly staggered Washington and violently snapped his head back, which prompted referee Michael Griffin to stop the fight at 1 minute, 45 seconds in the round, to save Washington from taking anymore punishment.
Breazeale stops Ugonoh; Hurd KOs Harrison; Wilder TKOs Washington

In the blistering televised opener, Dominic Breazeale (18-1, 16 KOs) stopped previously unbeaten Izuagbe Ugonoh (17-1, 14 KOs). Ugonoh controlled the fight early landing heavy blows to both Breazeale’s body and head, but Breazeale was able to compose himself and stormed back to knock out Ugonoh in impressive fashion.
The co-main event featured Jarrett Hurd (20-0, 14 KOs) knocking out Tony Harrison (24-2, 20 KOs) in the ninth round of their contest.
Results: Deontay Wilder stops Gerald Washington

WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (38-0, 37 KOs) has to come from behind to beat a surprisingly good #8 WBC Gerald Washington (18-1-1, 12 KOs) by a 5th round TKO on Saturday night at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham. Alabama. Wilder kept his offensive weapons under wraps until the 5th round when he hurt Washington with a devastating right hand to the head.
Wilder vs. Washington: The Gravy Train Continues
Deontay Wilder returns to his home state of Alabama for what’s sure to be some down-home, southern-cooking against yet another non-de script opponent in former USC football player Gerald Washington. In case the main event is a one-side debacle, Al Haymon added two intriguing bouts for Saturday’s PBC on Fox broadcast.
Dominic Breazeale attempts to put the pieces back after suffering a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua last June. On Saturday, Breazeale will try his hand against an unknown fighter, at least stateside, in Izuagbe Ugonoh. Ugonoh is a professional kick boxer and boxer from Poland with a record of 17-0, (14ko’s).
Wilder 222 lbs vs Washington 239 lbs -Photos
Weigh-In Results:
Deontay Wilder 222 vs. Gerald Washington 239
Tony Harrison 153.6 vs. Jarrett Hurd 153
Dominic Breazeale 263 vs. Izu Ugonoh 230.6
By Ryan Greene, Premier Boxing Champions – Jerry Izenberg will tell you he’s covered boxing for so long that the only reason he missed the fight between Cain and Abel was due to a big traffic jam.
Wilder vs Washington: final press conference quotes
Heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder and unbeaten Gerald Washington went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before their primetime showdown that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes this Saturday, February 25 from Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama.
(Jennifer Hagler/Premier Boxing Champions)
Joshua says Deontay Wilder should face top contenders, “rather than taking easy pickings”
In his own super-polite way, IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua has laid into rival champ, WBC ruler Deontay Wilder. AJ is no trash-talker and never will be, but he got as close to being verbally aggressive towards another fighter as he is likely to get when he spoke about Wilder and his “easy pickings” opposition.
Washington: Wilder won’t be able to hit me from outside
Heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder and unbeaten Gerald Washington kicked-off fight week with a media workout in Alabama Wednesday before they headline Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes action this Saturday, February 25 from Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama.
Also working out at Round 1 Boxing Gym and featured in televised action beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT were rising super welterweight contenders Tony Harrison and Jarrett Hurd, who battle for a vacant junior middleweight world title, plus hard-hitting Dominic Breazeale and undefeated Izuagbe Ugonoh, who meet in a 10-round heavyweight battle.
Deontay Wilder on future fight with Joshua: we’re talking an Ali-Frazier type of thing
While almost all fight fans and boxing historians feel there will NEVER be another fight or night as epic and as truly special as the happening that was the Joe Frazier-Muhammad Ali super-fight from 1971, reigning WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder says that a fight between he and rival champ Anthony Joshua would rank right up there with “The Fight of The Century.”