With his Premier Boxing Champions matchup against heavyweight veteran Chris Arreola (36-4-1, 31KOs) set to be televised live on FOX 8pm ET/ 5pm PT on July 16, 2016 from Legacy Arena in his hometown of Birmingham Alabama, undefeated WBC World Champion Heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder (36-0, 35KOs) still finds himself defending the merits of the battle.
Through no fault of his own, Wilder’s more highly anticipated battle between himself and Russian fighter Alexander Povetkin (30-1, 22KOs) was cancelled when the former Olympic gold medalist from the Soviet Union tested positive for the banned drug meldonium.
Eager to stay busy and get paid this time around, Wilder’s team quickly secured a way back into the ring via a WBC title defense versus heavyweight veteran Chris Arreola, of Los Angeles, California.
Due to Arreola’s veteran status, as well as his less than consistent history when it comes to coming into fights optimally conditioned and trained for battle, many – including Arreola himself – have openly questioned whether Arreola actually deserves a fight of this caliber in a division that is full of A-list competitors like the recently vanquished Wladimir Klitschko (64-4, 53KOs), WBA Super World Heavyweight title holder Tyson Fury (25-0, 18KOs), and the undefeated Anthony Joshua (17-0, 17KOs).
Nevertheless, Deontay Wilder feels confident that given Arreola’s fighting spirit combined with his own, Saturday’s bout will not disappoint.
“People look for the knockouts and I deliver. What separates me from other heavyweights is the fashion in which I knock guys out. I don’t just knock you out, I really put you out,” stated Wilder. “Arreola definitely has a style prone to a knockout. He’s a pressure fighter who will come forward all night. That plays to my style.”
See our interviews below with Deontay Wilder on exactly how he plans to deliver on fight night, as well as the mental hardship he suffered over the aftermath of the failed Povetkin drug test:
