Deontay Wilder's coach has backed the heavyweight's claim his outfit was "too heavy" two years on from his rematch defeat by Tyson Fury.
Wilder and Fury shared one of the most epic heavyweight rivalries which saw the pair fight three times in as many years. In their 2020 sequel, the Briton won with a dominant KO display to snatch the title from Wilder following their previous draw.
The 'Bronze Bomber' made several excuses for his defeat, including the suggestion his outfit was to blame for the KO and Fury did not actually hurt him. He said after the fight: “He didn’t hurt me at all, but the simple fact is that my uniform was way too heavy for me. I didn’t have no legs from the beginning of the fight.”
Now Wilder's coach Malik Scott has suggested that Wilder's warrior attitude saw him ignore the issues that the costume caused to himself during the ring walk. He told iFL TV : “It was a heavy costume. Deontay had it on for a bit [longer] than he had any other attire on before a fight – in the dressing room, long walk.
"During that high level of a fight, you’re already dealing with nerves, you’re dealing with wanting to do well So, yeah, that time the costume probably did cause some kind of issues for him. At that time, is that something he addressed right then and there? No because he’s a warrior. He’s going to go and fight and do what he has to do.”
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Wilder wore a heavy chainmail costume dressed as a warrior, with a glow up mask which was seen as impressive at the time by those being entertained in the crowd. However the rematch spectacle was not an enjoyable watch for his fans, with Wilder victim of a one-sided beatdown in Las Vegas.
Deontay Wilder wore a suit for his ring walk against Tyson Fury (SIPA USA/PA Images)What do you make of Deontay Wilder's costume theory? Let us know in the comments section below
The American put up a much better display in October 2021 during their trilogy fight where he knocked down Fury twice but his rival recovered to pick up a late stoppage. Since Wilder elected to return to the ring, the pair have been linked with a fourth fight given Wilder's status as the leading contender with the WBC.
And despite previously suggesting he would only like it in the UK, Fury has now vowed to take it wherever necessary if the opportunity arises. “That [fourth fight] would be amazing over here in Wembley,” Fury initially told BT Sport. "I’ve been over there [the United States] three times now, if he wants the fourth fight he’s got to come to England.
'Do it at Wembley, break all records again." He later performed a U-turn and said: "Let me get through Oleksandr Usyk and then I'll be back to Las Vegas to do the fourth fight with Wilder."
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