Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is training to make a huge statement when he faces fellow ex-beltholder Joseph Parker.
The two fighters will collide in a high-stakes fight on December 23 in Saudi Arabia.
Wilder is fighting for the first time since October of 2022, when he blasted out Robert Helenius in a single round. That was the only round of action for Wilder since the 2021 trilogy fight with Tyson Fury.
Parker has been far more active, with Wilder being his fourth ring appearance of the year.
Should Wilder win, he may move forward with a targeted showdown with Anthony Joshua in 2024.
In order to make that happen, Wilder is training at his maximum.
“It’s a crazy feeling when you change from regular you to a fighter. You go through all this training, all the sparring, and all you’re talking about is hitting, and you’re causing damage to your sparring partners – overtime it accumulates in your mind – I’m training to be a killer. It changes the mindset. It’s a feeling that I enjoy having. It’s a crazy feeling to have knowing you’re a dangerous man, you’re a walking weapon, and in any given moment of time you can bring harm and damage and danger to anyone,” Wilder said to Instant Casino.
“My mindset at this moment and time in camp when I’m like this is: I get more aggressive, I get more of an aggressive attitude, I’m easily aggravated, I’m real serious when I’m deep in camp and my mind has changed, knowing I’ve got a mission to accomplish. I like the adrenaline rush from it. And I’m looking forward to releasing that feeling on the night of the fight. It’s not trapped inside and thank God, I don’t want to walk around every day of my life like this. Ready to just whoop someone.”