CLUTCHING AT STRAWS
Deontay Wilder slated for ‘worst excuse of all time’ as he blames ‘heavy’ £31k ring-walk outfit for Tyson Fury KO loss
BOXING fans have laughed off Deontay Wilder's bizarre excuse after he blamed his crushing defeat against Tyson Fury on his heavy costume.
The American strolled into the ring in Las Vegas wearing an extravagant 45-pound costume that covered him from head to toe in honour of Black History Month.
6
6
Wilder, 34, was then given a boxing lesson by Fury before his team were forced to throw in the towel during the seventh round.
He then defiantly claimed that he will exercise the clause to have a trilogy of fights with Fury after suggesting his £31,000 walk-in costume caused him to go weak at the knees.
The costume was made by designers Cosmo and Donato from their Los Angeles studio.
: "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. In the third round, my legs were just shot all the way through.
"It could easily be told that I didn’t have legs or anything. A lot of people were telling me, ‘It looked like something was wrong with you.’ Something was, but when you’re in the ring, you have to bluff a lot of things.
"I tried my best to do so. I knew I didn’t have the legs because of my uniform.
“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.
"I wanted my tribute to be great for Black History Month. I wanted it to be good and I guess I put that before anything.”
6
6
But those who tuned in to watch the schooling unfold weren't buying his excuses.
One said: "His legs were weakened by Tyson's right hand more like."
Another said: "He is sure making a lot of excuses for a guy that said he would not make excuses."
A third joked: "Maybe he should come out in a Borat mankini next time... very light."
And one person added: "Nearly as bad as the time David Haye said he hurt his toe."
In 2011, Haye was pillored after blaming his high profile defeat against Wladimir Klitschko on a broken little toe.
6
most read in boxing
6
The Bermondsey fighter suggested he couldn't push off on his right leg due to the injury.
Another excuse right out the top draw come in 2010 when Carl Froch suffered a shock defeat to Denmark's Mikkel Kessler.
He claimed that a volcanic eruption that formed a massive ash cloud hampered his preparation that resulted in a first career defeat.
Topics