Deontay Wilder said an elaborate outfit he wore on his ring walk wore him down so much that he didn't have the legs to withstand Tyson Fury in their heavyweight title fight Saturday night.
Wilder also said he would execute a clause in his contract for a third fight with Fury, hopefully sometime this summer.
"This summer with no fights in between," Wilder told The Associated Press in a phone interview Monday. "I'm a warrior, and I'm ready to go again, but we're going to change a lot of things in camp."
Wilder said the outfit -- which he said was a tribute to Black History Month -- weighed him down and that his legs weren't right by the time the fight started. Wilder said the entire getup, including a mask, weighed 40 pounds, and he knew by the end of the second round that his legs were gone.
Wilder also said his assistant trainer, Mark Breland, was acting against previously agreed-upon instructions when he threw in the towel to end the fight at 1:39 of the seventh round and would not likely be in the corner in a third fight.
The former heavyweight champion was knocked down twice by Fury in the fight before his corner threw in the towel in the seventh round. It was his first loss in 44 fights and came after 10 successful title defenses.
Wilder, who has always worn elaborate outfits into the ring, said he tried on the one he used in the fight the night before in his hotel room to make sure he could get it on and off. He said it was weighed down by sequins and ornamentation and also included batteries for his mask to light up when he got in the ring.
Sports on 02/25/2020