Deontay Wilder plans to axe trainer Mark Breland for throwing in the towel against Tyson Fury on Saturday night – but will be sticking with the designers of his controversial ring-walk costume.
The Bronze Bomber suffered a brutal defeat against Fury in Las Vegas, dropping to the canvas twice before Breland pulled him out in the seventh round.
Despite being battered from pillar to post by the Brit, Wilder disputed his trainer’s decision after the defeat, insisting he would have preferred to “go out on my shield”.
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The former WBC heavyweight champion told Yahoo Sports: “I understand he was looking out for me and trying to do what he felt was right, but this is my life and my career and he has to accept my wishes.
“I’m upset with Mark for the simple fact that we’ve talked about this many times and it’s not emotional.
“It’s 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.
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“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.”
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Wilder has also sparked controversy for suggesting the 40lbs costume he wore to the ring, complete with a face mask and lit-up eyes, explained his sluggish performance against Fury.
“He didn’t hurt me at all, but the simple fact is … that my uniform was way too heavy for me,” the American said.
“I didn’t have no legs from the beginning of the fight.
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“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.”
Despite blaming the costume, which he wore as a tribute to Black History month in the US, Wilder will be working with the makers of it again when he locks horns with Fury for a third time.
Cosmo and Donato said in a statement: “Deontay Wilder called. We had an extensive, honest conversation that put the confusion and rumours to rest.
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“Reiterating that he considers us as ‘family’, Deontay was very clear that he looks forward to future collaborations.
“The subject of the call then turned to Wilder-Fury III.
“All of us consider it a privilege to contribute to the cultural and professional legacy of the iconic Deontay Wilder.”
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