Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder not expecting Chris Arreola’s third time to be charm
Chris Arreola’s twice-denied quest to become the first fighter of Mexican descent to become heavyweight champion is on its last stand of round three.
On Saturday, Arreola will meet World Boxing Council champion Deontay Wilder, whose tendency to knock out opponents portends the painful ending of a dream.
Westgate Super Book in Las Vegas has Riverside’s Arreola (36-4-1, 31 knockouts) posted as a 12/1 underdog in the Birmingham, Ala., fight.
The 35-year-old landed the surprise shot at Wilder (36-0, 35 KOs) when the champion’s planned fight in Russia against mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin was postponed by Povetkin’s positive test for the banned substance meldonium.
It’s a set-up for devastation. I don’t know why all these fighters have in their mind that all they need to do is pressure me.
— Deontay Wilder
The WBC ruled Wilder could schedule an interim title defense as it sorted out how to discipline Povetkin.
Arreola’s long connection to manager Al Haymon, the Premier Boxing Champions creator, along with his gift of gab, elevated him to this spot.
“I have to make it count,” Arreola admitted at a workout this week in Alabama. “The first time, I was too young. The second time, I got caught with a shot. But this time, I’ll be ready for anything. I want to leave a legacy behind. When they talk about Chris Arreola, they’re going to say, ‘He did it.’ I took the long road, but here we are now.”
Arreola’s heavy hands allowed him to move through the heavyweight ranks, but his stop sign has always been the title fight.
He’s long struggled with his weight and commitment to training. His Dec. 12 split-decision victory over Travis Kauffman in Texas was changed to a no-contest after Arreola tested positive for marijuana.
In 2009, Vitali Klitschko stopped Arreola on his stool at Staples Center after 10 rounds. In 2013, at USC’s Galen Center, he was knocked down in the third round by Bermane Stiverne and lost by unanimous decision.
The home-ring advantage is gone, inherited by the 30-year-old champion who envisions a run of compelling fights before him, from Povetkin to possible bouts with England’s unbeaten International Boxing Federation champion Anthony Joshua and the winner of the Tyson Fury-Wladimir Klitschko rematch.
“[Arreola’s] had low-class opposition,” with the exception of the title shots, “and he’s still looked vulnerable against them,” Wilder said. “I’m the champion of the world, and I’m going to let him know, and welcome him to Alabama.”
The Fox card begins at 6 p.m. Pacific.
While Arreola’s come-forward pressure is his signature style, Wilder said, “He’s going to learn quickly I’m different from anyone he’s ever fought….
“It’s a set-up for devastation. I don’t know why all these fighters have in their mind that all they need to do is pressure me. My whole career, people have been trying to get me to fight on my back feet. They pressure me, they give me more advantage that I need.”
Wilder hasn’t fought since successfully defending his belt with a ninth-round knockout of Artur Szpilka at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Jan. 16.
“This has been my longest period away from the ring, but … I’m always in shape. I wake up in shape,” Wilder said. “I get my adrenaline rush when that bell rings. That’s when everything turns on.”
Twitter: @latimespugmire
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
