Heavyweight contender Dominic Breazeale believes that he’ll potentially retire WBC world champion Deontay Wilder – if the undefeated puncher takes an unexpected loss next Saturday night.
On May 18th, Wilder will make a mandatory defense against Breazeale at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The contest will be the first for Wilder since fighting to a controversial twelve round split draw with Tyson Fury back in December at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
This is Breazeale’s second crack at a world title.
In 2016, he challenged Anthony Joshua for the IBF title and was stopped in seven rounds.
Since then Breazeale has bounced back with three knockout wins over respectable opponents.
He believes Wilder’s ego will be shattered if he loses – and that will make him mentally dwindle to retirement.
“I think he finds it humbling and I think it ends his career, it retires him,” Breazeale exclusively told Sky Sports.
“A guy like Wilder, the surrounding that he has, he’s not used to being down in the dumps and being a depressed individual. I think it cripples him, it sends him into some type of a depression and he never comes back to fight again.”
Wilder and Breazeale have had years of animosity, after a physical confrontation at a hotel in Alabama two years ago. The chance at revenge came a few months ago, when the WBC ordered them to fight each other.
Breazeale believes the boxing public is tired of Wilder’s talk and his antics, so the once-beaten boxer states that an upset victory would be celebrated by millions of boxing fans around the world.
“Hands down without a doubt. A win for myself is a win for the world. Nobody no longer wants to see Deontay Wilder as WBC heavyweight champion. He’s a disgrace for not only American boxing, for heavyweight boxing in general,” Breazeale said.
