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Tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX, Premier Boxing Champions presents a WBC world heavyweight title fight between Deontay Wilder and Chris Arreola, live from Birmingham, Alabama. We’ll be here with live coverage.
Wilder (36-0, 35 KO) last fought in January, stopping Artur Szpilka, and was set to go to Russia to face mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin in May. But Povetkin failed a drug test prior, scrapping the fight, and Wilder moved forward with a new date against Arreola (36-4-1, 31 KO). Arreola has not been a serious contender in years, but he is known to come out and fight, so there is that.
In the co-feature, unbeaten welterweight Sammy Vasquez (21-0, 15 KO) will face former Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz (17-1, 8 KO) in a 10-round bout. It’s a big fight for both. Vasquez wants to get a title shot, while Diaz is looking to bounce back from a very close loss to Lamont Peterson.
Between those two fights, Erickson Lubin (15-0, 11 KO) will face Ivan Montero (20-1, 8 KO) in a 10-round junior middleweight bout.
The action will continue live on FS1 after the FOX broadcast ends. On FS1, you’ll see Jamal James (19-0, 9 KO) face Wale Omotoso (26-2, 21 KO) in a 10-round welterweight fight.
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RESULTS
Deontay Wilder def. Chris Arreola by TKO (after round 8)
Erickson Lubin def. Ivan Montero by unanimous decision (80-72, 80-72, 80-72)
Felix Diaz def. Sammy Vasquez by unanimous decision (96-93, 95-94, 95-94)
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ROUND BY ROUND
DEONTAY WILDER vs CHRIS ARREOLA
Round 1: MAYBE SOMEONE ON THE COMMENTARY TEAM SHOULD ADDRESS THE OBVIOUS ISSUE OF DEONTAY WILDER’S GROTESQUE ARM WOUND? Wilder's right elbow is a mess, like he's got brutal road rash or something. Wilder jabbing. Arreola doing nothing. Absolutely nothing. Wilder 10-9
Round 2: Well. This is not what I was hoping to see from Arreola. He is throwing a couple and is walking forward, but Wilder is keeping him at bay and Arreola is landing nothing. Wilder throws some long shots late in the round, and Arreola is cut on the bridge of the nose. Wilder 10-9, 20-18
Round 3: Arreola with a couple body shots with Wilder against the ropes. Arreola is starting to throw heavy shots now. Wilder with a couple shots, Arreola still hammering away at the body. Not very effectively, but he's doing it. Wilder 10-9, 30-27
Round 4: Wilder fighting very relaxed and confidently now. He's landing some clean shots. Arreola hanging in, but it feels like it's a matter of time. This is a very controlled performance from Wilder. Clean right hand from Arreola, and he's working to the body OK. DOWN GOES ARREOLA! 23 seconds left in the round. Back to action and Wilder nails him again, staggering him! Arreola manages to survive, but he's in a bad way. Wilder 10-8, 40-35
Round 5: Wilder with two hard jabs to start the round. He's looking for the finish. Arreola's legs are still not quite there, he's a sitting duck. Wilder just hammering him with that jab. Arreola coming forward again, lands a chopping right hand in close. Arreola pushing Wilder to the ropes, trying to work in close on him. Arreola battling here, landing his right hand a little. Wilder might just be making Arreola waste more energy. Arreola trying to invest to the body. Arreola whacking the hip in the clinch. I don't know, I liked Arreola this round. Arreola 10-9, Wilder 49-45
Round 6: Arreola continuing to press. Wilder's right hand has disappeared, reason for concern that he might have hurt it again. He's had problems in the past. Wilder popping the jab a little, but Arreola might be working his way back a bit. Arreola 10-9, Wilder 58-55
Round 7: 7th round, BK tells us Wilder scraped his arm doing yard work. Mystery solved. Wilder's left hand is still all he's throwing. Right hand from Arreola, and Wilder "woos" like Ric Flair and swivels his hips like Rick Rude. Arreola gets CRACKED with a left hand on the way in, but round ends. Wilder 10-9, 68-64
Round 8: Arreola is functionally finished and just taking shots at this point. Deontay's not really pressing, but this is a beating. Wilder 10-9, 78-73 -- FIGHT STOPPED by Arreola's corner. Wilder RTD-8
ERICKSON LUBIN vs IVAN MONTERO
Round 1: Lubin doing his thing, not pressing, but boxing, taking his time, waiting for openings. Montero is at least here to fight, so there's that. But this probably isn't going to last too long. Lubin 10-9
Round 2: Lubin picking it up a bit later in this round. Montero's a big junior middleweight and he's at least giving Lubin a little to think about. Not forfeiting. Lubin 10-9, 20-18
Round 3: Virgil Hunter is calling this a "workmanlike" performance from Lubin. That's about right. He's winning, but he's not going all out. Lubin 10-9, 30-27
Round 4: This is a stay-busy fight, and it feels like one. Montero gets clipped perhaps a bit low. Lubin firmly in control, but strays low again, or at least Montero says it is. Referee tells Lubin he'll take a point next time. Lubin 10-9, 40-36
Round 5: Lubin being made to work at least a little. That's valuable. Lubin 10-9, 50-45
Round 6: More of the same. I can't commit a lot of thought to this fight, honestly, but this is a useful fight for Lubin. Montero isn't just going way. Lubin 10-9, 60-54
Round 7: Montero continues to hang tough, but Lubin is outboxing him and is a clear superior talent. Lubin 10-9, 70-63
Round 8: Lubin tells his corner he wants to close the show between rounds, and he's coming out quite aggressively. Montero not folding, though, wrestling Lubin when he has to. Lubin 10-9, 80-72
SAMMY VASQUEZ vs FELIX DIAZ
Round 1: Vasquez with a nice body shot quickly, poking his jab out and staying at range, Diaz working his way around the ropes. Left to the body from Vasquez. Diaz feeling him out this round, it appears. Good body shot again from Vasquez, but Diaz counters and nearly timed him. Diaz throwing a bit more, looking for the overhand left. Vasquez staying busy the whole round, takes the opener. Vasquez 10-9
Round 2: Kind of an awkward fight so far, two southpaws trying to find a rhythm but not quite finding it yet. They're both understandably cautious. Diaz with a nice jab that catches Vasquez, hard jab there. Diaz pressing a lot more this round than he did in the first. Diaz getting closer inside and landing some shots. Diaz 10-9, 19-19
Round 3: Diaz starting to get some real work done, getting in the pocket and throwing once he's there. Vasquez getting caught a bit. Diaz just flinging both hands, this is wild. Man, that was fun at the end there, and I think Diaz has the momentum, clearly. Diaz 10-9, 29-28
Round 4: Diaz bursts off the ropes with another combination. Both looking to the body, Diaz just outhustling him right now, taking advantage of some defensive flaws. Diaz's aggression is overwhelming Vasquez a bit, and then he lands a hard uppercut. Diaz really in control right now. Diaz 10-9, 39-37
Round 5: Virgil Hunter feels the difference tonight is Diaz's speed, speed at a level that Vasquez hasn't faced so far as a pro. Diaz is roughing Vasquez up again this round. He's really taking over. Vasquez just looks a little lost at this point. Hard shots landing and Vasquez may be lucky the round ended. Diaz 10-9, 49-46
Round 6: Vasquez trips on his own feet, but he's moving forward now, landing shots. Diaz rushes him again, and Vasquez's body language when that happens is really not good. Diaz now muscling him on the ropes and throwing shots. Vasquez trying to rally here in the final minute, and he lands some shots. Better round for him but he's still getting hit, and Diaz may have hurt him to the body. Vasquez with his back to the ropes again, Diaz bullying him. Diaz lands a good uppercut just before the bell. Diaz 10-9, 59-55
Round 7: Diaz coming forward still. He's landing occasional shots, and Vasquez is staying away as much as he can. Good hard jab from Diaz. Vasquez's nose bloodied now. Diaz using double jabs, then bursting inside and smothering Vasquez. Diaz 10-9, 69-64
Round 8: Diaz just fighting recklessly at this point, and Vasquez can't do a lot about it. Vasquez's mouth wide open, Virgil and Garcia both wondering if he's injured. HARD shots from Diaz in the corner, Vasquez's mouthpiece flies out, and Diaz keeps firing. Vasquez landed a good counter hook, and Diaz just ate it. There is definitely a lot of blood in Vasquez's mouth. Diaz with an uppercut, then another hard shot from Diaz, and a left lands, too. Diaz 10-9, 79-73
Round 9: Vasquez’s lip is grotesquely cut. VICIOUS shots from Diaz in the corner. Vasquez firing back and eating the shots but he's getting creamed. Diaz caught a good one, and backs down, perhaps luring Vasquez in on the other side of the ring, and he does so. But Vasquez is landing shots now, Diaz walking back and then hops in with a power jab. Left hand from Diaz. Diaz 10-9, 89-82
Round 10: Diaz fighting on the back foot now, again still trying to bait Vasquez a lot of the time. It gives Vasquez room to maneuver, too. He's trying still. Vasquez cut near the eye, looks like it was a clash of heads to me. Referee stops action to take Vasquez to doctor with 55 seconds left. Fight will resume. Big action with 30 seconds left, Vasquez landing some hard shots and Diaz trying to fire back. After that, a jab from Diaz knocks Vasquez's mouthpiece out. And Vasquez loses a point. Vasquez 10-9, -1 for Vasquez, Diaz 98-91