Wilder's Coach: Deontay is Learning on The Job and Improving

By Victor Salazar 

Brooklyn, New York - Mark Breland may very well train the hardest punching heavyweight in the division, undefeated WBC champion Deontay Wilder - who knocked out 35 of his 36 opponents.

Last Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Wilder retained his title for a third time with a brutal one-punch knockout of tough Polish contender Artur Spzilka. The aftermath was scary with an unconscious Szpilka laying on the mat for several minutes before he was placed on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital for observation. He was released from the hospital two days later.

After the fight was over, lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury stormed the ring and got in Wilder's face to issue a face to face challenge.

Breland says his pupil handled himself well, which prevented the confrontation with Fury from getting out of hand.

“Wrestling is staged, in boxing you got emotion going,” Breland told BoxingScene.com

“You have long training camps, and you see someone come up to you, some guys don’t know how to react and some guys do. I think Deontay handled himself well.

Though his power is immense, Breland feels his pupil is still learning on the job and doing it well. 

“He’s progressing well,” Breland said of Wilder. “He started late which is one thing. My thing is he’s got a whole lot to show. He has the potential to learn more and become better.”

Breland feels Wilder would have done much better against Szpilka had he utilized his jab more often in the contest.

“He's got a great jab and he just didn’t use it,” stated Breland. “He basically beat Berrmane Stiverne with a jab. [With Szpilka] I guess the southpaw stance threw him off a little, just the stance alone is different. We have to teach him different variations of the jab and he’s going to learn.”

But one thing is certain - the power is real

“I’m all messed up right now. My shoulders hurt taking his punches in camp. Both hands have power, its real,” Breland said.