Deontay Wilder broke down in tears during a post-fight press conference when talking about his first-round knockout of Robert Helenius.
The former WBC heavyweight champion caught Helenius with a crisp right-hand, toppling the Finn.
The fight was Wilder's first win since his consecutive losses to Tyson Fury. To many it reaffirmed his claim to being the hardest hitter in the division.
Wilder and Helenius had previously been sparring partners and are friends - this clearly had an effect on Wilder post-fight.
When talking about the knockout, Wilder emphasised his belief that every fighter deserves respect because of how dangerous the sport is.
"I'm a big advocate for fighters because we get done wrong.
"This is not a sport, a sport is something you play, you don't play this. And we risk our lives for your entertainment," Wilder said.
He started to get emotional when talking about Prichard Colon, a boxer who suffered a serious brain injury in 2015 after repeatedly being punched in the head. He went into a coma for 221 days and is far from a full recovery. He used the example of Colon to show how seriously knockouts should be taken.
"Look at Colon. Prichard Colon. This man's gonna have no kids.
"They don't understand, they don't f****** understand what we go through man. And I don't even know him like that. But I'll always be an advocate for us because I think it's a great honour.
"This man will never know what it feels like to be somebody's father. But he may never be somebody's father, man. This man will never have a natural child. Or the ability to live again because he got in the ring to support his family," Wilder said.
After the press conference, Wilder paid a visit to Helenius where he embraced his opponent saying: "I'm sorry, I love you man.
"I know you feel great right now but in weeks, months or even years, that is what I am concerned about because this is a tough business that we are in and we need people to love us," Wilder said.
The two shared praise for each other before talking to Helenius' team.
The fight gave Wilder his first 41st knockout in 45 fights.
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