Throwback: When Deontay Wilder spent a whopping £31K on Black History Month inspired costume and mask
Before his second fight with Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder made headlines when he dropped a whopping £31K on the infamous costume that he wore in his walkout to the ring.
Wilder's decision to do so was inspired by a desire to give fans another reason to "remember" him. While his fearsome knockouts are sure to be etched in the annals of boxing history, Wilder took things one step further with the costume.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, he outlined his reasoning for doing so, saying:
"Not only just the knockouts, but me expressing myself before coming out and entering into the ring...Along with the music it's going to be a big tribute to a lot of the men and women that paved the way for us, this is Black History Month, and I am just going to be paying tribute to that." [h/t TMZ Sports]
Despite its cost, Wilder also believed that the costume was an investment, and went on to add:
"Spending money on these costumes and stuff, whether it's [$10K to $40K], I know they're going to turn to millions."
Ironically, Wilder would later say that the weight of the costume played a crucial role in the outcome of the fight. Wilder lost to Fury via corner stoppage in the seventh round.
In the aftermath of the fight, he would come out and say that the costume weighed too much and that his legs were "shot" from the very first round.
Deontay Wilder to face Joseph Parker on December 23, may face Anthony Joshua after that
Deontay Wilder is all set to make his return to the squared circle, as he is scheduled to face Joseph Parker on December 23 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The card will feature a lot of big names, including a fierce rival of Deontay Wilder in Anthony Joshua, as well as other notable fighters like Dmitry Bivol and Daniel Dubois, among others.
Deontay Wilder recently stated that he believes the fight with Anthony Joshua will come to fruition if both of them are victorious on December 23.
He told 78SPORTSTV:
“It was cool. We have our differences. I know him and Anthony Joshua's manager have held this fight up… But Eddie was saying he talked to His Excellency - Hearn told me if we both win, the fight's gonna be on. So I'm looking forward to finally getting Joshua in the ring. Win, lose or draw, this is what it's all about." [h/t Michael Benson on X]
Check out his interview below:
It has since been reported that the pair have reached a deal to throw down next March in Saudi Arabia, should they both emerge victorious this weekend.