WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder opens up about what caused a stress breakdown ahead of his latest fight.

Stress is a part of all our daily lives and jobs, but for mere mortals like us to even consider the stress levels of what a championship level professional fighter would be foolish.

It must be one of the most difficult jobs on the planet, all things considering.

Naturally it’s understandable how fighters can suffer from stress more than most. Particularly when making weight or opportunities are not coming their way.

Boxing and the fight game has always been a business governed by waiting on dates and opponents and when one falls out, it can be devastating for the other protagonist involved.

Deontay Wilder recently learned that Luis Ortiz would not be fighting him this weekend due to a failed drug test.

The news hit him hard.

Speaking to Showtime Boxing ahead of his latest title defence this weekend, Deontay Wilder opens up about hearing the news that Luis Ortiz failed a drug test that caused him to instead have to face Bermane Stiverne this weekend:

“I had a stress breakdown due to that situation. Because not once did it happen to me, not twice but the third time. Especially the opponent it was with. This man was considered the bogeyman of the division. And people did duck him. Champions didn’t want to fight him.”

He continued:

“It was crazy and I’m still dealing with it to this day. To the point where I still have rage in me. I find myself snapping easily. I find myself not participating in things that I might normally would have. This sport, this game is turning me into something that’s going to explode. I’m going to end up really going to hurt somebody in this sport. To the point I may catch a body, to the point of death.”

Deontay Wilder (38-0-37KO) will fight Stiverne this weekend at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.