Wilder makes boxing history with brutal KO
Deontay Wilder has secured an impressive piece of boxing history, improving to 40-0 with a brutal knockout of Luis Ortiz.
Wilder remained undefeated and defended his WBC heavyweight championship belt with a 10th round stoppage of Ortiz on Sunday.
Wilder knocked down Ortiz three times in the fight, finishing off the previously unbeaten challenger with a right uppercut as the referee stopped the fight with 55 seconds left in the 10th.
It marks the 39th knockout of Wilder's career, the most by any heavyweight champion in history after 40 fights.
It's the first loss of Ortiz's career, the Cuban now 28-1.
“I am the most dangerous man in the world," Wilder said after the fight.
"I am the most baddest man on the planet."
Wilder's victory paves the way for a mouthwatering clash with British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
Wilder compared Joshua to a cow in calling out the fellow unbeaten fighter ahead of Sunday's bout.
A Wilder-Joshua showdown figures to be the biggest bout the heavyweight division has seen in more than a decade -- if it ever comes off.
This fight will do for Wilder what the Klitschko fight did for AJ.He showed heart and composure at the brink of defeat. It only makes me want to see Wilder and Joshua that much more.. but AJ has his own business to take care of. #wilderortiz
— Lennox Lewis (@LennoxLewis) March 4, 2018
Wilder claims promoter Eddie Hearn fears a Joshua loss to Wilder would end the stadium-filling slugger's big money spectacles.
"Most definitely, he (Eddie Hearn) is so terrified of me, he's nervous," Wilder told AFP. "He don't want that fight to happen. He wants to milk the cow.
"Joshua is Annabelle and he is pumping that milk out of there, as much as he can, trying to make that money from his man until the time comes.
"He's going to continue to do his tactics of getting lower opposition in there because if the British fans buy it, he's making money."
Joshua, the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association heavyweight champion, faces New Zealand's Joseph Parker, the World Boxing Organisation champion who is 24-0 with 18 knockouts, on March 31 at Cardiff, Wales.
"The British fans allow him to do this but once they stop entertaining this little cycle they got going on then we're going to find out.
"Let them keep doing it... all that will come crashing down soon."
That's because Wilder is counting on having his chance to fight Joshua and the time might be right if a unification showdown for an undisputed crown is the prize awaiting the winner.
"I must prove to myself and the people who is the best in the world," Wilder said.
"He's young so we can have a double fight, or we can have a trilogy."
Deontay Wilder (@BronzeBomber) was ahead 85-84 on all 3 scorecards at the time of stoppage #WilderOrtiz pic.twitter.com/pOfTIv1Img
— Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia) March 4, 2018
Wilder definitely showed the heart of a champion tonight cause 8th looked scary for him and that shot in the 10th looked like the killer but it woke him up!!! Great fight!! @ShowtimeBoxing #WilderOrtiz
— Charlamagne Tha God (@cthagod) March 4, 2018
Wilder and Ortiz was one hell of a fight..🥊🥊
— Robert Alford (@rockorocky) March 4, 2018
with AFP