Deontay Wilder: My Heavy Ring Walk Costume Caused My Defeat

Deontay Wilder blames huge ring walk costume for defeat by Tyson Fury

Deontay Wilder says 40-pound costume left his legs dead in a seventh-round TKO loss to Tyson Fury

LAS VEGAS — Deontay Wilder wanted to make his ring walk prior to his fight with Tyson Fury on Saturday special and wore a 40-pound costume as a tribute to Black History Month. But Wilder said the costume was too heavy and was the reason that he didn’t have his legs under him in his seventh-round TKO loss to Fury.

He said he will go to Africa at the end of March on vacation and plans to exercise his rematch clause for a third fight with Fury. He said he’ll get back to boxing once he returns from Africa.

Wilder also said he is upset with assistant trainer Mark Breland for throwing in the towel to stop the fight and suggested that Breland will no longer be part of the team on fight night. He said he was displeased with the work of referee Kenny Bayless, who took a point from Fury in the fifth round, and went out of his way to congratulate Fury on his performance.

Wilder was knocked down in the third round of the heavyweight title fight by a straight right hand and then again in the fifth with a left hook to the body. His balance seemed off for much of the fight, and he slipped several times and went down two times in addition to the official knockdowns.

He said he wasn’t hurt by the punches and wanted the chance to continue. As Yahoo Sports reported on Sunday, he did not suffer a concussion, a broken ear drum or a broken jaw. The only physical injury he had was a two-centimeter cut that was closed with seven stitches.