Mexican-American Gerald Washington joins the list of fighters who tried to stop Deontay Wilder
On Saturday night, he was defeated by knockout in an attempt to dethrone the reigning heavyweight champion of the World Boxing Council.
At 1:45 minutes of the fifth round, 'Bronze Bomber' woke up from a slumber that caused him to lose all the rounds until that straight right followed by a left hook that landed Washington on the canvas. Although he got up to continue, a series of unanswered punches forced the referee to stop the fight.
"I told you that I would stay here and here I am. I have already done my part and now it is the turn of the others if they want those unifications," declared the American champion, who retained the crown for the fifth time.
Wilder, who returned after a seven-month absence due to a series of hand surgeries for a fracture, showed a lot of caution throughout the five rounds of the fight and rarely used his right hand. He even completely yielded control to the Californian who was seeking a piece of glory by becoming the first Mexican to conquer the division.
Wilder took advantage of the low guard and overconfidence of the son of a Mexican mother to land the punches that preserved his undefeated record (38-0 with 37 KOs) and the crown he won in 2015 against Bermane Stiverne.