ISAAC CHAMBERLAIN may not have made his professional debut yet but heโs already experienced training at the top level, joining Deontay Wilderโs camp as a sparring partner. Wilder challenges Bermane Stiverne for the WBC heavyweight title on Saturday (January 17) in Las Vegas.
Chamberlain has little doubt that Wilder will be successful. โHe should win because of the way heโs been performing. He came into camp really fit. He came in really sharp, really fit. He came in ready. You know when someone just acts different, heโs not the same Deontay I saw earlier on last year. Heโs different. Heโs like an animal. Heโs a lot bigger as well. Itโs different when you step in the ring with him rather than just see him from outside. Heโs like a flipping animal, man. Youโve got to be sharp with him,โ Isaac told Boxing News. โYouโve got to have your game face on because you can see it in his eyes and his face when youโre sparring with him, this guyโs trying to take you out. It was great.
โHeโs the real deal. I saw him knockout so many guys in the gym.โ
Their routine was punishing. โFor two weeks we spar Monday, Tuesday, we rest on Wednesday, we spar on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, rest on Sunday. We just kept going like that,โ Chamberlain, a cruiserweight, continued. โHeโs smartโฆ He had a lot of trouble with my handspeed. They brought me in for the handspeed. I think he underestimated me the first time we sparred because I started catching him with a whole lot of shots.
โI could tell they studied me because the second day I couldnโt get near him at all. I couldnโt get near him. I tried and I tried. They definitely, definitely studied me the second time. I started getting frustrated so I started lunging in with my punches. He set me up, he blinded me with the jab โ he stuck his palm in my face and when I lunged in he got me with this uppercut. I was thinking, โOh s***.โ I didnโt drop or anything but I swear I felt it, man. It was like, โWoah.โ It was really good.
โDeontayโs manager told all of us Deontayโs going to go 90%, heโs going to go hard all the time. Youโve got to be on top of your game because heโs going to be on top of his game, heโs not going to hold back. Basically thatโs what happened. It was really good I learned a lot from it.
โI loved the experience. We used to train, we used to go out to eat together and stuff. There was a lot of jokes and stuff as well. But the camp was a serious, serious camp. You have to be on top of your game all the time. I was preparing for January 31 as well.โ
Chamberlain makes his professional debut on January 31 at the O2 in London. โWhen you get given an opportunity like this, you grab it with both hands,โ Isaac said. โI really want thisโฆ I donโt want anyone to ever outwork me. Iโm going to work as hard as I can to be the best that I can. No one wants it badder than me.โ
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