(Video above: WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder KOs Artur Szpilka)

NEW YORK — Alabama native and WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder retained his title over the weekend with a massive ninth-round knockout of Artur Szpilka.

His jab and footwork are still developing, and at times he lunges wildly, sending him off balance, but his powerful right hand is drawing comparisons to former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson, who was in attendance to witness Wilder’s latest victory firsthand from ringside.

“He dug himself out of a bind with a shuddering one-punch knockout,” said John Dennen of Boxing News. “He hits hard enough to finish anyone but increasingly it looks like he’s going to have to rely on his power.”

In spite of the impressive show of power, the team of Wilder’s next opponent, 36-year-old Alexander Povetkin (30-1-KO22) was unimpressed.

Povetkin’s promoter Andrei Ryabinski told BoxingScene.com, “In this contest, Wilder did not show anything interesting. At the beginning of the fight, Szpilka was doing quite well. Then he began to behave in a nonsensical manner and was punished for it. He showed off, had his left hand really low – and these are things you cannot do. This is not a situation where you show off. This is not a show. He needed to hold his hands up high.”

Ryabinski wasn’t the only one raining on Wilder’s parade. Lineal, WBA, WBO, IBO and The Ring magazine unified heavyweight champion Tyson Fury hopped in the ring after Wilder’s latest knockout, prompting a heated exchange between the two champions.

Fury defeated Wladimir Klitschko late last year to become the heavyweight division’s top-ranked fighter. With Wilder’s title in hand and his buzz growing, it appears to be only a matter of time before Wilder and Fury meet in the ring. Assuming the two fighters take care of their upcoming opponents, it will be one of the most buzzed-about Heavyweight fights in years.