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Deontay Wilder speaks to reporters ahead of his WBC heavyweight title fight against Dominic Breazeale in New York. Photo: Fight Hub/YouTube

‘You can kill a man and get paid for it’ – Deontay Wilder shocks fans ahead of heavyweight clash against Dominic Breazeale

  • The Bronze Bomber says he was trying to ‘get me a body on my record’
  • Fans think the unbeaten champion should be banned from the sport
Boxing

WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has angered and shocked fans after doubling down on his threat to kill Dominic Breazeale in the ring in New York on Saturday.

Wilder made his intentions clear when he spoke to reporters ahead of his WBC title defence against his bitter rival, saying he was “trying to get me a body on my record” and that boxing was “a brutal sport”.

“His life is on the line for this fight … and I do mean his life,” Wilder said after working out. “I’m still trying to get me a body on my record. Dominic Breazeale asked for this. I didn’t go seek him, he seeked [sic] me. So if it comes, it comes.

“This is a brutal sport, this is not a gentleman’s sport. I keep saying this is not a gentleman’s sport, we don’t ask to hit each other in the face, but we do anyway.

“And you can ask any doctor around the world, he’ll tell you the head is not meant to be hit. Anybody can go and, on this particular time, we have bad blood against each other.”

Tyson Fury punches Deontay Wilder during their WBC heavyweight title fight that ended in a controversial draw in Los Angeles. Photo: AFP

He continued: “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?”

Wilder (40-0-1, 39 KOs) is one of the hardest punchers ever seen in boxing, knocking out all but one of his opponents (Tyson Fury) and he could do a lot of damage against Breazeale (20-1-0, 18 KOs), who will be challenging for his WBC crown in Barclays Centre in Brooklyn.

It is Wilder’s first fight since his title defence against Fury in December ended in a controversial draw.

Fans ripped into the 33-year-old Wilder on Twitter with many calling the “Bronze Bomber” a disgrace to the sport and that he should be banned.

“If this quote is true he is an utter scumbag! Has said similar [things] in the past and later played it down but in a sport where people have lost their lives these words should carry consequences,” tweeted Angus Brodie.

Wilder’s outrageous remarks are one of the reasons why he is not as popular as Britain’s Anthony Joshua and Fury. And it’s not the first time he has threatened to kill a man. He made similar threats in the past with British heavyweight Tony Bellew calling him a “disgrace and senseless idiot” last year.

“I don’t get why this absurdity is being promoted or allowed. Extremely distasteful. I guarantee IF he does get a “body” on his record and sees what it does to his opponent and everyone around him, he would change his tune. Actually used to root for him,” commented Ser Arthur Dayne.

“Seriously I hope someone stiffs this beanpole cold,” said Kazak Thunder.

“He should be stripped of his title and banned for this,” tweeted Michael Cunningham.

Breazeale has called Wilder a disgrace and promised to end the American’s reign. “Nobody no longer wants to see Deontay Wilder as WBC heavyweight champion,” the 33-year-old American told Sky Sports.

“He’s a disgrace for not only American boxing, for heavyweight boxing in general.”

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