Wilder defends WBC heavyweight belt with TKO of Arreola

Deontay Wilder has called out some of the biggest names in boxing since winning the WBC Heavyweight championship last year.

And he successfully defended his belt for the fourth time on Saturday with an eighth-round technical knockout of Chris Arreola at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

Wilder, an Alabama native, improved his record to 37-0 with 36 knockouts in front of an extremely friendly crowd.

The 30-year-old American was in command the entire fight, cutting Arreola (36-5-1) on the bridge of his nose in the second round.

He knocked Arreola down in the fourth and nearly finished him off before his countryman was saved by the bell.

Arreola was wobbling in the fifth, but stayed on his feet. By the eighth round, the blood was streaming down Arreola’s face and his corner stopped the fight after the round.

Wilder toyed with Arreola at times, letting the California fighter swing away before countering with devastating hooks to his opponent’s head.

Afterwards, Wilder said he was fighting with a broken hand and torn muscle in his arm, but still fought “because that’s what champions do.” He still apologized to the crowd for not delivering a knockout.

Wilder would like to fight IBF champion Anthony Joshua, former unified champion Wladimir Klitschko, British champion Tyson Fury or top contender Alexander Povetkin.

In order to unify the five heavyweight belts, Wilder could fight Joshua, who beat Charles Martin in January to win the vacant belt and defended his title last month against Dominic Breazeale.

The winner of the theoretic fight between Wilder and Joshua could then challenge the winner of October’s rematch between Fury and Klitschko for the WBO, WBA and IBO belts.

“My goal is to unify the division,” Wilder told Fox Sports. “I am one of the baddest, hardest-hitting guys in the business, right here from Alabama. Whoever got those belts, that’s who I want.

“But the question is do they want me.”