BROOKLYN, NY — With one hammer of a right hand, Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (41-0-1, 39KO) successfully defended his WBC heavyweight title for the ninth time, scoring a dramatic first round knockout over rival Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale (20-2, 18KO) in the main event of a SHOWTIME Championship Boxing broadcast in front of 13,181 paid fans at the Barclays Center.
It took the Alabama-native Wilder just 2:17 to explode his missile of a right hand on Breazeale’s chin, who immediately crumbled to the mat where he was counted out by referee Harvey Dock despite trying to get back on his feet.
Wilder, 33, never gave Breazeale a chance to get into the fight, as he caught “Trouble” midway through the first with an equilibrium shot that momentarily wobbled the challenger. Cautious not to get caught with another counter right, the 33 year-old Breazeale was reluctant to let his right hand go. Instead, the former US Olympian opted to throw pawing jabs, trying to create openings that would never appear.
The end came suddenly and conclusively when, after a separation by Dock, the 6’7” Wilder uncorked a right from hell that provided a definitive and conclusive ending to a multi-year feud.
It was a particularly contentious lead-up to the fight, as both fighter’s displayed genuine animosity toward each other. On Tuesday Wilder, who is co-trained by Jay Deas and former Olympic Gold Medalist and welterweight world champion Mark Breland, made headlines by suggesting he wouldn’t lose any sleep if he killed Breazeale in the ring. Their dislike stems from a 2017 altercation in an Alabama hotel lobby in which Breazeale claims he was attacked by Wilder and his brother, Marsellus. Breazeale and his then-coach Manny Robles sued Wilder, but had their lawsuit dismissed by a judge a few months later.
Prior to tonight, Wilder’s last fight was in December when he battled lineal heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury (27-0-1, 19KO), to a dramatic draw in a Fight of the Year candidate that saw Wilder send Fury to the mat twice, including once in the final round. Many thought Wilder, who weighed in at 223.¼ lbs for tonight’s fight — 11.¼ more than the Fury fight, would immediately run it back against the big Englishman, but after Fury surprised the boxing world by signing a promotional contract with Top Rank (ESPN+), boxing politics interfered and Wilder moved forward with a fight against his mandatory challenger, Breazeale.
Coming into the contest, the 6’7” Breazeale was riding a three fight TKO win streak since his suffering his only other career defeat, a 2016 loss in London’s O2 Arena to unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (22-0, 21KO).
“Everything just came out of me tonight. I know it’s been a big build up,” Wilder said afterward. “There’s been a lot of animosity and a lot of words that were said and it just came out of me tonight. That’s what makes boxing so great.”
In reference to his pre-fight words, “I just told Breazeale I love him and of course I want to see him go home to his family. I know we say some things, but when you can fight a man and then you can hug him and kiss him, I wish the world was like that. We shake hands and we live to see another day and that’s what it’s all about.”
Breazeale also spoke after the fight, questioning the stoppage. “I think the ref stopped it a little early because I could hear him saying seven and eight, but that’s boxing,” he said. “He did his job and kept us safe for our next fight,” he then conceded.
“This was a situation where he landed the big right hand before I did,” he added. “I thought I was going to come on in the later rounds. I’ll be back and go for the heavyweight title again.”
Russell Stops Martinez In 5 To Retain Featherweight Title
In the co-main event, “Mr.” Gary Russell, Jr. (30-1, 18KO) successfully defended his WBC world featherweight title, scoring a 5th round TKO against former three-time world challenger Kiko Martinez (39-9-2, 28KO).
For a fighter who only fights once per year, Gary Russell Jr. surely doesn’t show any ring rust. The southpaw practitioner dissected the 33 year-old Martinez tonight from the opening bell, scoring at will while hardly tasting any leather himself.
It was clear from the early goings that Russell’s speed was going to be too much for Martinez to handle. Russell, 30, time and again got off first when he wanted to, and countered when he felt like.
In the third round Russell, who fights out of the Russell family-owned Enigma Boxing Gym in Capitol Heights, MD, landed a right that opened a cut of the Spaniard Martinez’s left eye that only worsen over the next round and a half. As the fourth round drew to a close, the gash split wider and blood began to stream down Martinez’s face, prompting referee Ricky Gonzalez to call time to have the ringside physician examine Martinez. After inspecting the cut, the doctor advised Gonzalez to stop the contest, at the 2:52 mark of round 5.
Tonight marked the fourth successful title defense for Russell since winning the belt against Jhonny Gonzalez (66-11, 54KO) in 2015. Russell is often criticized for the long layoffs he takes between fights. He’s defended his title once per year since 2015, but has stated his intention to fight more frequently. Russell’s lone career blemish remains majority decision against current WBA/WBO lightweight champion, Vasiliy Lomachenko (13-1, 10KO) in 2016.
Two of Russell’s younger brothers, Gary Antuanne (9-0, 9KO) and Gary Antonio (14-0, 12KO) also picked up wins on tonight’s undercard.
For Martinez, tonight marked the fourth time in his career that he was stopped inside the distance. His most impressive win remains his 2014 stoppage of former Japanese world champion, Hozumi Hasegawa (36-5, 16KO).
“I did pretty well. We stayed behind the jab and he couldn’t get past it,” Russell said. “We knew that intellect over athleticism would get it done.”
“We want (WBA Featherweight Champion) Leo Santa Cruz,” he added. “We want to make this fight happen.”
Juan Heraldez Argenis Mendez Fight To Draw
Mayweather Promotions prospect Juan Heraldez (16-0-1, 10KO) battled to a ten round majority draw against fellow super lightweight and former IBF world featherweight champion, Argenis Mendez (25-5-3, 12KO) to open the televised portion of the SHOWTIME broadcast.
The fight was slow to take form, but after four rounds of relative inaction, the pace picked up in the fifth when both fights started to let their hands go. Heraldez, a Las Vegas-native found success with combinations and landed a partially blocked right that grabbed the 32 year-old Mendez’s attention. Towards the end of the action-packed fifth and exchange between the fighter’s drew blood from Heraldez’s mouth.
In the seventh, a perfectly timed counter right over a Mendez jab halted the Dominicans momentum. And in the ensuing round, a check left hook from Mendez landed squarely on the chin of Heraldez. Later in the round, though, Heraldez stormed back, knocking Mendez off balance with a strong jab that followed a straight right hand.
For most of the fight Heraldez, who fights out of the Mayweather Boxing Gym under the tutelage of Otis Pimpleton, tried to employ slick defense and counter and pop-shot his way past Mendez. But his best work came when he was the aggressor, popping jabs to set up right hands. Similarly, Mendez’s most successful work came via old fashioned one-twos, which when thrown, did so with conviction.
At the end of ten, judge Julie Lederman turned a scorecard of 97-93 for Mendez, but was overruled by judges John Basile and Kevin Morgan who saw it even, 95-95. 15rounds.com also scored the fight a even.
The result makes it back to back draws for Mendez, who drew against Anthony Peterson (37-1-1, 24KO) in March.
Heavyweights Alfonso and Kiladze Fight To An 8 Round Draw
In tonight’s lesser anticipated battle between two big men, Cuban-born Robert Alfonso (18-0-1, 8KO) battled to an eight round draw against Sachkere, Georgia’s Iago Kiladze (26-4-1, 18KO).
It was a decent bounceback performance from the 33 year-old Kiladze who was coming off three consecutive losses inside the distance to contenders Adam Kownacki (19-0, 15KO), Michael Hunter (16-1, 11KO) and Joe Joyce (8-0, 8KO). Kiladze’s best work came in the fight’s early goings, has he was able to successfully counter Alfonso.
As the fight wore on, however, the larger Alfonso (250lb.) began to impose himself on Kiladze (219lb.) and in the seventh round began to batter his counterpart.
At the end of eight, however, judges scored it 77-75 both ways and 76-76 resulting in a draw. A just result.
Gary Antuanne Russell Stops Marcos Mojica In 4
In tonight’s lesser anticipated battle between two big men, Cuban-born Robert Alfonso (18-0-1, 8KO) battled to an eight round draw against Sachkere, Georgia’s Iago Kiladze (26-4-1, 18KO).
It was a decent bounceback performance from the 33 year-old Kiladze who was coming off three consecutive losses inside the distance to contenders Adam Kownacki (19-0, 15KO), Michael Hunter (16-1, 11KO) and Joe Joyce (8-0, 8KO). Kiladze’s best work came in the fight’s early goings, has he was able to successfully counter Alfonso.
As the fight wore on, however, the larger Alfonso (250lb.) began to impose himself on Kiladze (219lb.) and in the seventh round began to batter his counterpart.
At the end of eight, however, judges scored it 77-75 both ways and 76-76 resulting in a draw. A just result.
Gary Antuanne Russell Stops Marcos Mojica In 4
The second of three Gary Russell’s to step through the PBC-marked ropes tonight, Gary Antuanne Russell (9-0, 9KO), made easy work of fellow lightweight Marcos “Bombardero” Mojica (16-4-2, 12KO), knocking him out in the 4th of their scheduled 8 round clash.
The former 2016 US Olympian, Russell, had his way with from the onset, showcasing a level of power and hand-speed that Mojica couldn’t deal with. Russell, a southpaw, connected at will throughout, but started landing potential fight-ending shots in the latter stages of the third. In the fourth, Russell, who fights out of the Russell family-owned Enigma Boxing Gym in Capitol Heights, MD, sent Mojica crashing hard to the mat courtesy if a vicious right hook. That was the beginning of the end, as the 22 year-old Russell kept the pressure on and ultimately delivered a definitive left hook to the ribs that sent Mojica back to the mat where he was counted out by referee Raul Caiz. The official stoppage came at the 2:13 mark of round 4.
All of Russell’s 9 professional wins have come before the final bell.
For Mojica, the result spoils his US debut. He had only fought outside of Nicaragua on one other occasion, suffering a TKO loss to Daniyar Yeleussinov (6-0, 3KO) in Monaco.
Richardson Hitchins Batters Alejandro Munera En Route To TKO4
Brooklyn’s own Richardson Hitchins (9-0, 5KO) made it three for three on the night for Mayweather Promotions prospects, as he put a beatdown on fellow super lightweight Alejandro Munera (4-2-3, 4KO) scoring a TKO4 in a contest initially scheduled for 8.
Hitchins, a former 2016 Haitian Olympian, dominated from the opening bell, landing at will against his wild-swinging Colombian counterpart. Hitchins, 21, almost ended the fight in the first when he landed a slick left uppercut that clearly hurt the 29 year-old Munera. The fight would last just two more rounds anyway, as Hitchins continued to batter Munera, who was fighting outside of Colombia for the first time, eventually dropping him with a left to the liver toward the end of the third. Before the bell sounded to signal round four, the ringside physician advised the referee to stop the contest to prevent further punishment.
Mayweather Promotions bantamweight prospect Dylan “The Real Dyl” Price (8-0, 6KO) slugged his way to a 5th round TKO against Manuel Salvador Monzo (4-7-2, 2KO) in a bout originally slated for six.
Manzo, 29, took an all or nothing approach from the opening bell, as the Mexican came out of his corner wailing away at a somewhat unsuspecting Price. Price didn’t get rattled or allow himself to be overwhelmed, however. Rather, the patient and calculating 20 year-old, fought fire with fire, trading blows in the early goings, but was conscious to not waste his punches, always throwing with purpose. Conversely, Manzo threw too often, too wide, and too recklessly and by the fourth round was out of gas.
As Manzo tired, his punches lost steam, and his defense opened up. The southpaw Price took full advantage and began to dominate the fight with combination punching, landing at will toward the end the fourth.
In the fifth, a right uppercut wobbled Manzo, and the ensuing punches that landed were enough to prompt the ringside physician to signal to referee Raul Caiz to stop the contest at the 1:34 mark.
The fight snaps a 5-fight unbeaten streak for Manzo who started his career 0-6-1 and hadn’t lost since October 2017.
It was Price’s fifth fight at the Barclays Center and first win inside the distance since January 2018.
Antonio Russell Earns Technical Decision Over Saul Eduardo Hernandez
In the first of three fights to feature a Gary Russell, 26 year-old bantamweight Gary Antonio Russell (14-0, 12KO) earned a six round technical decision (60-54×2, 59-55) in a bout originally scheduled for eight against rugged Mexican Saul Eduardo Hernandez (13-13-1, 8KO). A clash of heads late in 6th sent Hernandez sprawling to the mat in pain, where he remained until the ringside physician examined him and advised the referee to stop the contest.
It was a match fought mostly at close range and saw both boxers willing to eat a punch to land one of their own. Save for two memorable Hernandez rights, however, Russell eluded most of his counterparts’ offense. Russell, who fights out of his family’s Enigma Boxing Gym in Capitol Heights, MD scored with blitzing combinations that eventually wore Hernandez down. If it wasn’t for three initial rounds of headhunting, Russell likely could have put an end to the contest earlier if he’d invested in the body opening rounds
It was Russell’s second consecutive fight at the Barclays Center. He last fought here in March on the undercard of Brian Castano and Erislandy Lara’s junior middleweight title fight.
Kenny Robles Overwhelms Roy McGill, Stops Him In 5
In a contest slated for six, Staten Island’s Kenny Robles upped his record to 6-1, 3KO, scoring 5th round stoppage over fellow super lightweight Roy McGill (6-3, 3KO) to kick off a nine fight card from the Barclays Center which will culminate when Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (40-0-1, 39) makes his tenth defense of his WBC world heavyweight title against mandatory challenger Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale (20-1, 18KO) live on SHOWTIME.
Robles, 28, consistently got off first and took the fight to his 30 year-old counterpart. McGill, a Harrisburg, PA native had no answers for Robles’ volume punching and pressure. After Robles, a former New York Golden Gloves Champion, fired off a lengthy unobstructed combination, referee Shada Murdaugh stepped in to stop the punishment at the 1:43 mark of the fifth round.