Deontay Wilder is undoubtedly the hardest-hitting boxer of his generation, maybe of any era.
In 2023, Wilder remains one of the most dangerous punchers on the planet, having amassed a record of 42 knockouts from 43 victories.
Boasting a 91% KO ratio, Wilder is still a fearsome challenge for any fighter despite his setbacks in Las Vegas against Tyson Fury.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ suffered a first defeat on February 22nd, 2020, and a second in October 2021. The American succumbed to the brute strength of Fury when outweighed by over 40 pounds the first time around.
Getting himself together for the trilogy, Wilder put on a much better performance in a Fight of the Year see-saw. However, he still came up short.
Fury went for the jugular from the get-go in both fights. Wilder was out of sorts in 2020 but looked far more like himself in the final installment.
As the 37-year-old gears up for a return to the sport, WBN looks at some of his most brutal finishes.
Below are eight of the best.
The Greatest Knockouts of Deontay Wilder
DOMINIQUE ALEXANDER (KO2) – Water Oaks Farm Arena, Tuscaloosa. August 2011.
Having dropped Alexander earlier, Wilder unleashed an almighty right hand to lay his opponent prone on the floor.
In an arena where you could hear every pop of Wilder’s punches, it was one of the most eery endings to a fight.
KELVIN PRICE (KO3) – Sports Arena, Los Angeles. December 2012.
Price was 13-0 coming into the contest, but that meant little to Deontay Wilder. A thundering overhand right-hand shot in the third round ended the argument early in spectacular fashion.
Bouncing off the ropes and onto the canvas, Price would never be the same again. He fought twice before retiring in 2013.
With the obliteration, Wilder claimed his first WBC ranking title and was on the path to one of the greatest WBC reigns ever.
SIARHEI LIAKHOVICH (KO1) – Fantasy Springs Casino, California. August 2013.
Taking just over 100 seconds to get the job done, Wilder clipped Liakhovic with a left before two shuddering rights. The second of which took away the Belarussian’s equilibrium.
Liakhovich is now part of knockout highlight reels everywhere, shaking his hands as he lies on the floor. He was utterly unable to control his body. Such was the force.
Amazingly, Liakhovich launched a protest after the fight regarding potential fouls. The truth was, he got completely wiped out.
NICOLAI FIRTHA (KO4) – Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City. October 2013.
Wilder softened Firtha up with some tamer blows but still managed to put the ‘Stone Man’ on the canvas more than once.
It seemed as though Firtha didn’t fancy the job from the off, which showed in the fight.
When the fourth came around, a bloodied Firtha was ripe for the pickings before a right hand to the top of the head ultimately laid him out.
Firth would never fight again, retiring at 34.
ARTUR SZPILKA (KO9) – Barclays Center, Brooklyn. January 2016.
By now, Wilder was two defenses into his WBC title run. Szpilka was not seen as much of a threat to his crown pre-fight.
Surprisingly, the Pole showed why Wilder’s boxing skills had been called into question by racking up the points using his boxing.
Guilty of getting complacent for a split-second when clearly up on the cards, Szpilka was taken out in one of the most shocking KOs of Wilder’s career.
Leaning into a full-force right hand, Szpilka could have stayed down for a week. In addition, Wilder thought he’d killed his opponent. Such was the connection.
BERMANE STIVERNE II (KO1) – Barclays Center, Brooklyn. November 2017.
In a rematch of the bout which saw Wilder become WBC champion and lose his record of having stopped every one of his foes, all in the arena knew there were terrible intentions that night.
Wilder was hell-bent on making sure Stiverne went down and stayed down, brutalizing the Haitian for almost every second of the first round.
At 2:59 of the opener, Stiverne had been down courtesy of a straight right hand. On the canvas again, thanks to a three-punch combo. Finally, Stiverne was wholly taken out by a sickening left-right double.
Stiverne was out cold, slumped on the bottom rope, and fell forward onto his face when attempting to move.
It was the first in a series of rematches Wilder asked for to punish those who took him too far in the first bout.
LUIS ORTIZ I (TKO10) – Barclays Center, Brooklyn. March 2018
Another contest where Wilder was up against it as a superior boxer dictated the pace. Luckily for Wilder, the older Ortiz predictably ran out of steam.
By the tenth, Ortiz struggled to keep his composure, and Wilder brutally saw blood to end the argument.
Despite getting the stoppage, Wilder couldn’t settle for the tenth-round win. Eighteen months later, he halted Ortiz even earlier in Las Vegas.
DOMINIC BREAZEALE (KO1) – Barclays Center, Brooklyn. May 2019.
A grudge match versus Breazeale would always bring a destructive Wilder. The pair didn’t like each other following an altercation in a hotel.
Wilder was supposed to be rematching Tyson Fury on that date, and the Alabama Slammer was undoubtedly for a knockout.
Fans in New York didn’t have to wait long. Wilder took just over two minutes to pummel Breazeale into submission.
The end punch, once again a massive right hand, echoed throughout the Barclays Center. Furthermore, there was simply no getting up from it.
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