WBC President: Deontay Wilder's Comments to Dominic Breazeale 'Against the Spirit of Our Sport'
Deontay Wilder's latest chilling comments toward mandatory challenger Dominic Breazeale has caught the WBC's attention.
Wilder, who makes his ninth title defense against Breazeale on Saturday at Barclays Center, threatened to possibly kill Breazeale after a workout for the media on Tuesday.
"Dominic Breazeale asked for this. I didn't seek him out. He [came for] me," Wilder said. "This isn't a gentleman's sport. We don't ask to hit each other in the face but we do anyway. If you ask any doctor around the world he'll tell you the head is not meant to be hit. This is the only sport where you can kill a man and get paid for it at the same time. It's legal. So why not use my right to do so?"
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman took to social media on Thursday to react, calling Wilder's comments "regrettable" and "completely against the spirit of our sport."
"I have known Wilder for a long time and he is not the person he portrays in such comments," Sulaiman said. "His metaphors are against the WBC code of ethics and will be addressed in a hearing."
Despite being called out by Sulaiman, Wilder continued with the violent talk during the final prefight news conference on Thursday.
"This has been a long time coming for me and Dominic. He asked for this, and he shall receive. Just like the Bible says—you ask, you shall receive," Wilder said. "Come May 18 at the Barclays Center, he's going to get everything he receives. I'm gonna fade him out, baby. I can't wait. It's gonna be an amazing night for me and sad time for him.
"I want to hurt Breazeale so bad. So bad, my blood is boiling right now," Wilder added. "I can barely keep my composure right now. But due to the fact we can't get paid outside of the ring—there's a lot of money on the line, baby, and my family got to eat. So with that being said I will keep my composure until that time comes. I can't wait. Come Saturday, I can do whatever I want to do. You better gather around your loved ones. You all better gather around him tonight because come Saturday night, he may not be able to talk to you. Trust me. You know I don't play no games."
Wilder (40-0-1, 39 KOs) has a history of animosity with Breazeale (20-1, 18 KOs). In Feb. 2017, Wilder and Breazeale were involved in an altercation in the lobby of a fight hotel in Birmingham, Alabama. Police were called to the scene, but no arrests were made. Breazeale later filed a lawsuit against Wilder, which was dismissed months later.
The two are set to clash on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime.
