Dominic Breazeale: ‘Revenge factor’ is a huge motivator in training camp

If you weren’t aware by now, WBC heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder (40-0-1, 39 KOs) and mandatory challenger Dominic Breazeale (20-1, 18 KOs) have a personal vendetta against one another. To be honest, it’s all kind of stale by now and I’m pretty tired of rehashing that particular story, but it’s the main backdrop to this weekend’s title fight so is obviously an ongoing storyline.

For anyone interested, you can catch up on Breazeale’s take on the genesis of his beef with Wilder here, with Wilder reciprocating by saying things like how he wants to looking into the eyes of Breazeale’s son after he cripples his daddy. Long story short: there’s no love lost here.

But it’s fight week, so Breazeale continues to drive home the revenge theme as the next best thing to Cleganebowl (which is my awesome and timely Game of Thrones reference to all you losers who don’t watch).

“The personal thing from the outside of the ring makes the revenge factor. (Wilder) approached myself and my wife and kids. It was a situation that was not boxing related,” explained Breazeale.

“The gratification and the fact that my personal revenge, knocking out Deontay Wilder is a lot bigger than just an actual win or KO on any other given night.

“It’s definitely been a huge motivator for camp. I think I’m going to close here pretty soon. It’s more or less going to be the mental idea that I’m going into a heavyweight title fight to perform my best, to fulfill my best.”

Breazeale would add that he doesn’t intend on taking any of that emotional baggage into the ring this weekend — believing it would hinder his performance — but with as much as he’s talked about hating Deontay Wilder, I don’t see how he keeps that all in check once the punches start flying. I suppose we’ll see how that all shakes out soon enough.

Until then, check out BLH’s full preview of this weekend’s heavyweight title fight between Wilder and Breazeale.