Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has said the elaborate outfit he wore on his ring walk weighed 40 pounds and was the main reason for his defeat to Tyson Fury in a one-sided rematch.
Wilder was overwhelmed by his British rival as he suffered defeat for the first time in his career in the Las Vegas heavyweight title fight on Saturday.
It was Wilder’s first loss in 44 fights.
Fury had dropped Wilder in the third and fifth rounds before Wilder’s corner threw in the towel in the seventh round.
Wilder said the outfit, worn to represent Black History Month, weighed him down so much that he didn’t have the legs to withstand Fury’s early assault.
“He didn’t hurt me at all, but the simple fact is my uniform was way too heavy for me,” Wilder told Yahoo Sports.
“I didn’t have no legs from the beginning of the fight. In the third round, my legs were just shot all the way through. But I’m a warrior and people know that I’m a warrior.”
He also said, “A lot of people were telling me: ‘it looked like something was wrong with you.’ Something was, but when you’re in the ring you have to bluff a lot of things. I tried my best to do so. I knew I didn’t have the legs because of my uniform.”
Wilder, 34, said he tried the costume on for the first time on the night before the rematch.
“It weighed 40 pounds with the helmet and all the batteries. I wanted my tribute to be great for Black History Month … and I guess I put that before anything,” he said.
