Breland issues statement on rift with Wilder, hasn’t second-guessed stopping Fury fight
Breland had initially been quiet on his falling out with Wilder, but now has a lot more to say.
This isn’t quite what I would’ve expected after so long, but there’s a war of words being played out publicly between Deontay Wilder and his former trainer Mark Breland, all stemming from Wilder’s stoppage loss to Tyson Fury when Breland threw in the towel. Breland would eventually be fired by Wilder for making that decision, and while Wilder made a lot of nefarious allegations towards his former trainer, Breland for a long while didn’t dignify those accusations with a response.
But now it appears Breland’s had enough and has been sharing his perspective on his fall out with the former heavyweight champion — but says he’s got an autobiography in the works where more will be revealed. Make of that what you will.
So, in an Instagram post that demonstrates that Breland isn’t really hip to social media best practices, Breland posts a series of photos of his public statement discussing his spat with Wilder, which I’ll re-transcribe with minimal editing to make it easier to read:
“Now you can call this the ‘official’ Mark Breland speaks. I’ve had enough. I’m going to say some things that were reserved for my autobiography (still buy the book, there’s so much more). I’m going to add a couple pics, one a quote from a daily news reporter where he says ‘Mr. Breland is usually quiet unless it’s something he’s passionate about.’ So true and this is one subject that has me passionate, actually beyond passion!
“So I’m not giving nobody this interview, I’ll use my own platform since I’ve been ‘opened like a can of sardines.’ On the last podcast I was on, damn, they couldn’t even wait till the next show to talk about me. I went on that show following my request with them for NO DEONTAY TALK. But when you’ve been holding onto something for so long and you’re pissed off about it, obviously anyone can push your buttons and all kinds of shit may come out. But that’s not the enviornment that I would have chose to speak on.
“So here’s Mark’s take...anyone who thinks I meant I could beat AJ or Deontay’s opponents now at age 57 doesn’t require a response. At my age the only fight I’ll have is the one for my life! I ain’t getting hit no more, I’ve had my share of fights. As a fighter with a little experience, I’m speaking on what I see. I stand by my words that the skill set & boxing IQ I see on AJ and many other fighters that my former fighter fought would not get past a few rounds with me (if we were in the same era and weight class obviously).
“As far as Deontay is ‘done’ and ‘I’m done’, I meant with each other. I don’t have no idea of what/where that man’s career is going & I’m not interested in trying to predict his career. The facts are that my time in the coaching position with the Bronze Bomber changed drastically in the 12 years since I started with him. When he turned pro Jay Deas called me and humbly stated that he needed a trainer for a great prospect that he had at his gym.
“Boxing goes like this: you walk into my gym, I train you. I found you & sometimes I manage you too. So Jay was seen as the ‘head trainer’ in the media but I was the only one on the team with a boxing resume & I was the only trainer. That was okay with me because of my humility. I didn’t have to be the one in front of the camera, I’ve lived that life.
“After Deontay became a name in boxing new members did join the team and it got to the point where didn’t/don’t even have my fighter’s phone number. I haven’t spoken to Deontay alone in years. The things that I told Deontay to do had to be ran past Jay.
“Deontay had become untrainable because he was at the point of he know more about boxing than all of us. So teaching a correct jab was not a priority to learn once he continued on his knockout streak. So a coach can only teach someone if they’re willing to learn. We would wait for the champ for hours before he arrived at the gym and Jay would inform us of his mood. If he had a bad day we had to ‘be quiet’ to not be on the receiving end of ‘his wrath’ according to Jay, in an effort not to be ‘fired.’
“And yeah, hitting the bag, jumping rope, and running is not high on the list so if he don’t feel like it he and Jay didn’t seem to understand the importance of those things. So he would make it clear not to ask Deontay twice. If I tried to pull Deontay to the side to tell him what I see, Jay made it clear ‘don’t say nothing, you don’t want to make him mad’. I’ve watched this man (Deontay) speak to many people disrespectfully and although I’m extremely humble & calm, I’m a man first.
“I stayed on the team ‘cause I’ve been there from the beginning and I believed with his power and willingness to learn more, he could be a force in the sport. I never thought anything this insane would take place. I should not have addressed who had the water because the accusation is so asinine it doesn’t deserve a reply. Anyone who knows a tiny bit about boxing knows we’re tested before and after a fight so that’s the end of that ludicrous allegation!! And then there’s ‘the gloves.’ To that I say that’s the one time I’m glad Jay treated me like I didn’t matter. So he does all the head trainer aspects, the witness for the hand wrapping, the press interviews, everything where a camera is involved, except hand wraps, I’m the one responsible for that. I’m not sure if (Deas) knows, in all those years I can’t recall seeing him do it.
“Now this chapter of my life/book has come to an end and I won’t be talking about it anymore! To the ones who know me, I don’t need to say anything, and to the ones who don’t, I’m not trying to defend such ridiculous outlandish allegations. Lastly, at that fight just as many others we had NO cutman because Deontay won’t need it. So I’m not a doctor but I know blood coming out of your ears and dazed eyes could be a brain issue. And power comes from your legs and his legs were gone! So I MADE A DECISION TO STOP THE FIGHT and I’d do it ALL AGAIN! I have a son Deontay’s age, I’m not looking to see him go out on his shield. I hope we all stay safe. There are so many bigger issues in the world!”