Deontay Wilder reveals taking psychedelic drugs helped him get back into boxing
19/12/2023 23:58
Deontay Wilder has admitted that taking psychedelic drugs has helped him rediscover his love of boxing.
The Bronze Bomber will return to the ring for the first time in over a year when he faces Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia on December 23.
Wilder was conquered by Tyson Fury over three fights that ranged from 2018 to 2021 before going on a bit of soul-searching to rediscover himself.
That included a visit to a luxury ayahuasca treatment centre in the Costa Rican jungle to reach enlightenment – something he has said he managed.
"I found happiness while doing ayahuasca. It's a beautiful thing," Wilder told The Times.
"A lot of people are a little nervous of what they're going to see, but you'll leave with everything you need.
"I could feel the energy of the moon smiling at me, but most of my experiences came from strangers.
“One woman saw me in their dream and said I was on a white horse carrying her in.
“Another said: 'I don't know you, but my mother told me I need to find the strongest man in the land, and it was you'.
“All the stuff those people said to me confirmed what I already knew: that I'm a true leader of men. I'm looking to go back there every year."
The resort at Rythmia includes a seven-night stay, costing at least £3,800.
That includes four ceremonies under the guidance of a shaman where guests drink the potent psychedelic brew on mattresses.
Ayahuasca is banned in the United Kingdom as it contains the banned substance DMT, which is classified as a Class A drug.
Wilder returned from his psychedelic trip last year as he knocked out Robert Helenius in the third round last October.
The Alabama-born boxer will face Parker in Saudi Arabia, as the co-main event alongside Anthony Joshua, who takes on Otto Wallin.
"I envision knocking Parker out," Wilder added. "I'm the 'Bronze Bomber'. Men and women lie, but numbers don't.
“Parker said he's very confident, but I find that hard to believe because he didn't have this confidence as a champion, so I see it being an early knockout.
“A lot of these guys are scared of what I'm going to do. It's not just words, it's actions.
“You can see it [on my record] and it puts fear into my opponents because they know they could be next."
