Wilder keeps WBC heavyweight boxing title

American Deontay Wilder retained his WBC heavyweight boxing title with a technical knockout when Chris Arreola's corner stopped the fight after the eighth round.

An injured Wilder (37-0, 36 knockouts) knocked Arreola down in the fourth and peppered him with left jabs and hooks after landing hard rights early.

Arreola's left eye was swollen shut when his camp decided to stop the bout, but the fight wasn't all smooth sailing for the champion Wilder.

Promoter Lou DiBella said Wilder was taken to hospital after a doctor confirmed he had a broken right hand and a probable tear in that elbow.

Wilder showed reporters his injured bicep as he headed to the locker room and said he was already certain the hand was broken.

He threw the right, his biggest weapon, sparingly after the fourth round.

It was Wilder's fourth title defence and third in Birmingham, about an hour from his hometown of Tuscaloosa.

Arreola (36-5-1) took the fight on short notice after Wilder's mandatory defence against Alexander Povetkin was called off in May after the Russian failed a drug test.