American boxer Deontay Wilder has blamed his ring-walk custome for his shock defeat to Tyson Fury in the WBC heavyweight title fight.
He said his costume was too heavy and as a result he “didn’t have the legs” for the fight.
Wilder lost his title after suffering a seventh-round knockout in Las Vegas on Sunday.
“Fury didn’t hurt me at all, but the simple fact is that my uniform was way too heavy for me,” Wilder told Yahoo.
Wilder said the costume, which featured armour, a mask and a crown, weighed at least 40 pounds (18.1kg) and was a tribute to Black History Month.
Fury was carried to the ring on a throne, while also wearing a crown.
“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,” added Wilder.
“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.
“I wanted it to be good and I guess I put that before anything.”