Deontay Wilder confirms he WILL activate Tyson Fury rematch clause after being ‘weakened’ by heavy ring walk outfit
DEONTAY WILDER has confirmed that he WILL exercise his rematch clause for a summer trilogy fight with Tyson Fury.
The Bronze Bomber was convincingly beaten by the Brit on Saturday night in Las Vegas, but has defiantly hit out at a number of factors in the wake of his loss.
The 34-year-old, who lost his WBC title to the Gypsy King, has claimed that his legs were "weakened" by his 45-pound walk on outfit worn to honour Black History Month.
And should the rematch clause be exercised, it will take place before the end of July, as per .
The American has also considering ditched trainer Mark Breland.
Wilder told the Athletic: "The rematch is definitely going to happen. We're going to get it on. I want to get right back to it."
"It is not an emotional thing, it’s a principal thing. We’ve talked about this situation many, many years before this even happened. I said as a warrior, as a champion, as a leader, as a ruler, I want to go out on my shield.
"If I’m talking about going in and killing a man, I respect the same way. I abide by the same principal of receiving.
“So I told my team to never, ever, no matter what it may look like, to never throw the towel in with me because I’m a special kind. I still had five rounds left. No matter what it looked like, I was still in the fight.”
Wilder also hit out at referee Kenny Bayless.
The referee told me specifically that if I hit him in the back of the head or hit him on the break, he’d disqualify me. But I guess that was only directed toward me.
Deontay Wilder
It's thought that he was unhappy with Bayless' failure to hit Fury with any sanctions for a series of punches that connected with the back of his head and ear.
These blows caused the two centimetre cut inside his ear that appeared to disorientate him for the rest of the fight.
Wilder even claimed that Bayless had threatened to DISQUALIFY him for the same thing in a pre-fight briefing.
He said: "The referee told me specifically that if I hit him in the back of the head or hit him on the break, he’d disqualify me.
"But I guess that was only directed toward me, because he allowed Fury to do those things. That’s the one thing that bothered me of everything.”
On Wilder's now infamous ring-walk outfit, trainer Jay Deas told Boxing Social: "His legs didn’t look great to me early on. I didn’t think his legs look like they normally look.
"I know he came to the ring in the outfit, which 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’ll know more."
The Bronze Bomber was knocked out in the seventh round of an incredibly one-sided fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena - having been floored by Fury in the third and fifth rounds - with blood pouring from his stricken ear.
He even skipped his post-fight press conference on account of the fact he was being taken to hospital to have his injuries seen to.
The trilogy fight could take place at the brand new 70,000 capacity Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Speaking to BT Sport after his victory, Fury said: "I expect he [Wilder] will want a rematch and I will have that. Great fights should have trilogies.
"And I want it here, just across the road, at the Raiders Stadium outdoors in front of 70,000."