BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder had a little bit more trouble than he expected, stopping 50-1 underdog Eric Molina in the ninth round of their showdown on Saturday night at Bartow Arena, a short drive from his hometown.

Wilder (34-0) delivered a right hand that turned Molina around and sent him falling on his back. The referee quickly signaled that the fight was over, probably several rounds later than many observers anticipated with Wilder a heavy favorite.

The 6-foot-7 Wilder was hurt early on, but knocked down Molina (23-3) in the fourth and twice again in the fifth, practically running across the ring after him before Molina went down the third time. The Texan withstood barrages to the head in the sixth from Wilder, and then came back strong two rounds later, landing some hard body shots. But the fight ended 1:57 into the ninth.

"I brought everything I've got and I tried my hardest," Molina said. "Not the result I wanted but what can I do? I'm just blessed that I got this opportunity to come out and fight for the heavyweight championship of the world. Deontay, to me, is a great fighter and I hope and want him to do great things as the heavyweight champ."