Deontay Wilder-Dominic Breazeale: ‘Bronze Bomber’ knocks challenger out cold in first round of Brooklyn brawl

Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder defended his WBC heavyweight title with another demonstration of his incredible knockout power on Saturday night as he knocked challenger Dominic Breazeale senseless at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York.

In a thrilling opening round, in which the defending champion was badly shaken before landing the killer blow, Wilder needed just two minutes to cement his position as one of the top heavyweights in the world, albeit against an outclassed Breazeale.

The 33-year-old Wilder recovered after catching a right hand from Breazeale, the WBC’s mandatory challenger, to tee the California-native up with a left jab before executing an obliterating right hook on the chin of the challenger.

The ref began to count, but it was a futile gesture. Wilder (41-0-1, 40 KOs) was already dancing a victory jig to a delighted Brooklyn crowd.

The “Bronze Bomber” was coming off a draw against Tyson Fury in December, the first fight of his pro career that wasn’t a victory. He wanted a rematch with Fury or a unification match with fellow champion Anthony Joshua, but when those couldn’t be made settled for a mandatory defence of his title.