Deontay Wilder (38-0, 37 KO) put his WBC heavyweight belt on the line against Gerald Washington (18-1-1, 12 KO) in a fight that featured few highlight reel moments—that is, until its explosive end. After a feeling-out first round, Washington landed a couple of solid rights to the body in an otherwise quiet second.
The third featured its share of clenches as both tried to establish a rhythm, but both worked on the inside while tied up. Though neither fighter was offering much output, Deontay upped the pace slightly in the fourth (perhaps the first round he clearly won). However, the knockout artist was just biding his time and launched a missile of a right hand and left hook in the fifth that put Washington down. He rose on shaky legs, but Wilder smelled blood, keeping a laserlike focus on his opponent before he unleashed a slew of unanswered punches. Ref Mike Griffin stepped in to stop the fight at 1:45 of the fifth, after which a dazed Washington pitched across the ring, clearly saved from further damage.
