Like the rest of us, promoter Eddie Hearn has an opinion on the whole bizarre Deontay Wilder/Mark Breland situation. Fans have heard what Breland has said about Wilder, how, according to Breland, the former WBC heavyweight champ was “untrainable.”
And fans have heard what Wilder has said in responding to what Breland said about him; Wilder stating how Breland is “jealous” of him and saying again how he believes Breland spiked his water.
It’s a sad and ugly episode in the careers of both men, and Hearn fears Breland’s legacy is destined to suffer as a result of all that has been said; as people will now forever remember him not for his welterweight title reign or for his brilliant amateur career, but for being the man a former heavyweight champion fired for “spiking his water.”
Hearn says he feels Wilder has “completely lost his mind” and that he simply could not believe what he was hearing when he heard Wilder come out with some of the things he said.
“I listened to Deontay Wilder’s interview last night. It was so bizarre,” Hearn said to IFL TV. “I don’t like it really, because Mark Breland – for a lot of people who are a little bit younger than me, you probably never got the chance to watch Mark Breland fight.
What a fighter. And a good boxing man, he’s dedicated his whole life to the sport. I kind of feel a bit bad that it’s kind of ruined his legacy.
In the future, when you talk about Mark Breland, you won’t be saying this guy was WBA world champion and what a great fighter and he was a good trainer; you’ll be saying this is the guy Wilder accused of spiking his drink.
“Go and listen to that interview by Deontay Wilder. He’s completely lost his mind. Completely lost his mind. When you start talking about yourself in the third person – ‘Let me tell you what kings do’ – what are you talking about! Kings?
‘Yeah, because I’m a king.’ You’re not king, mate. You got beat. You could become king, but you’re not at the moment.”
So can Wilder possibly come back and regain at least some portion of what he once had? After all, that’s gone on – Breland even suggesting Wilder might have suffered brain damage in the second Fury fight – it would be one amazing comeback.
Wilder, though, is “done,” according to Breland. He may well be. Hearn, upon hearing that “Prince” Charles Martin has been mentioned as a possible comeback foe for Wilder, said that Martin could beat Wilder.
As for Breland’s legacy, this should remain intact, at least as far as all sensible, logical thinking people are concerned. We all know there is nothing to Wilder’s crazy claims about Breland – a man who, in all honesty, may have saved Wilder’s life by throwing in the towel when he did and stopping that savage beating Wilder was taking from Fury.