Ignorance, apparently, is not a fireable offense in the Deontay Wilder camp. 

The former heavyweight champion from Tuscaloosa, Alabama has long been adamant that Tyson Fury’s gloves had been manipulated going into their rematch in February 2020, citing that the Brit’s gloves were way too malleable and that it also must have contained some kind of “egg weight” because it left a dent in the side of his head. (Wilder also accused Fury of “scratching” the inside of his ear, causing it to bleed; he also accused referee Kenny Bayless of being corrupt and that Mark Breland, his former co-trainer, had spiked his water.)

Of course, as many had pointed out, there were several gaping holes in Wilder’s glove theory, one of which was that the gloves for both fighters had been under the tight surveillance of the Las Vegas Athletic Commission at all times. Moreover, both teams had a representative inspect the gloves of the rival fighter in the dressing room prior the fight, so if there was anybody that Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) should have been pointing the finger at it should have been his co-manager and trainer Jay Deas, who was tasked with that responsibility. However, unlike co-trainer Breland, whom Wilder fired for throwing in the towel in seventh round of his fight against Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs), Deas has avoided suffering the same fate. 

In an Instagram Live interview with ring announcer Ray Flores, Wilder repeated the same “Glove Gate” conspiracy claims.

“Many people in boxing, they did this, Ray [covers eyes, then ears, and mouth]. They heard it, but they didn’t speak it,” Wilder said, referring to Fury’s tampered gloves. “When you ask them about the gloves, they go, ‘Well, I didn’t, uh, uh.’ You can’t not see that. Gloves do not bend unless you're double jointed or something. How the hell does it bend at a 90 degree angle. Nor does it have loose space in it. It’s impossible for that to happen. On top of all the other things.”

Wilder also explained why Deas was still a part of his team, saying Deas' so-called mistake was made in “ignorance” not malice, which Wilder contends was not the case with Breland. Wilder is now trained by former opponent Malik Scott. 

“Jay is still here,” Wilder told Flores, after Flores assumed that Deas had also been fired. “Jay is definitely with me. I understand the situation in the back [the dressing room], sometimes you can be just inexperienced, to know what to look for. I had guys on my team, like Russ [Anber]. He’s a glove guy, he makes gloves, so he knows what to look for.

“But Jay is mostly inexperienced with gloves and he’s on the friendly side, but there’ s a point in time when you want it back in blood. Ain’t nobody friendly on this squad no more. They stole that. And the way the world and a lot of people in boxing did this in boxing right here [covers ears, eyes, then mouth]. I’m doing like that [sticks up middle finger] to everybody. Because I gave you the good side of me and y’all villainized me.” 

All in all, Wilder maintains unequivocally that Fury bamboozled his way to victory in the last fight, saying he “flat out cheated.” 

“He gotta keep up now,” said Wilder. “He gotta do the same sh!t he did a second time. We know he’s going to be under the microscope. He got a rap sheet of cheating and abusing drugs. But you’re talking about a guy like me that don’t have rap sheet who just has pure power and I’m lying? And you got a guy who’s lying but he’s telling the truth?”

Fury-Wilder III is set for July 24 in Las Vegas.