- Wilder walked into the MGM Arena wearing a full leather suit of armor clad with rhinestones that weighed around 40 pounds.
- "Fury didn't hurt me at all, but the simple fact is that my uniform was way too heavy for me," he told Yahoo. "I knew I didn't have the legs because of my uniform.
- Wilder's trainer, Jay Deas, also suggested to Boxing Social the costume played a part in the defeat, as it was "very heavy."
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Deontay Wilder blamed his $40,000, 40lb ring-walk costume for his knockout defeat against Tyson Fury, and claimed the Brit didn't hurt him at all
Deontay Wilder says that Tyson Fury didn't hurt him "at all" during Saturday's WBC heavyweight title defeat, and that it was his extravagant ring-walk costume that instead cost him his belt.
Deontay Wilder
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Deontay Wilder says that Tyson Fury didn't hurt him "at all" during Saturday's WBC heavyweight title loss, and instead it was his 40 pound ring-walk costume that cost him his belt.
Wilder was beaten comprehensively by Fury in Las Vegas, with the "Gypsy King" knocking him to the ground in the third and fifth rounds, before the American's trainer decided enough was enough and threw in the towel in the seventh.
"Fury didn't hurt me at all, but the simple fact is that my uniform was way too heavy for me," Wilder told Yahoo Sports.
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The 34-year-old entered the MGM Arena wearing a full leather suit of armour, including a crown and face mask, which were bejeweled with rhinestones and LED lights. The costume, designed by Los Angeles-based designers Cosmo + Donato, weighed around 40 pounds, and cost $40,000, according to TMZ.
Wilder added to Yahoo: "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. It could easily be told that I didn't have legs or anything."
"I was only able to put it on [for the first time] the night before, but I didn't think it was going to be that heavy. It weighed 40, 40-some pounds with the helmet and all the batteries."
See below for pictures of Wilder's extravagant, apparently defeat-causing, entrance outfit:
Wilders costume on Saturday was his most outrageous to date, looking like a cross between a medieval knight, Sauron from Lord of the Rings, and the Predator.
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BusinessInsider USA Images
Getty/Bradley Collyer
The full suit weighed a massive 40 pounds in total.
BusinessInsider USA Images
Getty/Bradley Collyer
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The mask and crown were Wilders centerpieces.
BusinessInsider USA Images
Getty/Al Bello
Both of which were clad with numerous jewels and LED lights.
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Getty/Al Bello
Wilder's trainer, Jay Deas, also suggested the extravagant costume was to blame for the defeat, telling Boxing Social: "Until I see the video it's hard for me to say exactly what happened.
"I'm not sure his legs didn't look great to me early on. I didn't think his legs looked like they normally look.
"I know he came to the ring and the outfit was very heavy. I don't know if that had [anything] to do with it, Tyson's a lot of weight to be putting on you as well. I don't know all the answers yet but once I see the film I know more."
Fury, who was carried into the arena on a throne, sang Don McLean's "American Pie" after the victory, and described his display as "not bad for an old fat guy who can't punch."
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Wilder now has 30 days to invoke a rematch and set up a trilogy bout. The pair drew their first encounter in December 2018.
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