By: Hans Themistode
Heavyweight contender Dominic Breazeale (20-1, 18 KOs) will be looking too pick up the biggest win of his career when he takes on WBC champion Deontay Wilder (40-0-1, 39 KOs) at the Barclay Center this Saturday night.
Wilder, will be looking to defend his title for the ninth straight time. Breazeale faces a monumental task, but one that isn’t impossible. For as dominant as Wilder has been, he has shown a few weakness over the years. The odds are not in his favor but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a chance. To the contrary he has the skillset in order to get the job done. So how exactly will Breazeale get the job done? Keep reading to find out.
Use The Jab
Although Breazeale is coming into this contest with a slight two inch reach disadvantage, he still needs to employ the jab. Outside of his last contest against Tyson Fury, Wilder has always had a height advantage coming into his fights. Even with his freakish height and reach he still has issues using a steady jab. He also has a problem of getting repeatedly tagged with it as well. Throughout the career of Breazeale he has shown that he has one of the best jabs in the entire division. If Breazeale can find a home for his jab throughout the contest, it could mean bad news for Wilder.
Box Don’t Brawl
Breazeale has won his last three contests via stoppage. Even more impressive, he has stopped 18 of his 21 opponents in his career. Conventional thinking would lead you to believe that Breazeale should go for he knockout in this contest. Although he has been successful before, it would lead to an early night for the title contender. Wilder has been outboxed on numerous occasions. Tyson Fury, Luis Ortiz and Artur Szpilka to name a few have given the WBC champion issues. Breazeale doesn’t exactly have the skill that those men have but he can certainly hold his own. Breazeale shouldn’t be so quick to fight the sort of fight that his opponent wants him too. Instead he should employ a new tactic and box from the outside. It could very well lead him to victory.
Attack The Body
Too many times in boxing do we see fighters spend the duration of the contest head hunting. This is particularly true in the Heavyweight division. Wilder has shown that he can take a good shot on the chin. Going downstairs to the body could lead to a different result. For as good as Wilder is, he isn’t a big Heavyweight, attacking his midsection could slow him down. Head shots are always what the fans want to see but going down to the body, seems like the best strategy to take.