Mike Tyson believes Deontay Wilder must first overcome a personal battle before he can have any hope of beating Tyson Fury.
The ‘Bronze Bomber’ suffered his first career defeat at the hands of Britain’s ‘Gypsy King’ on February 22.
Following the stoppage loss, Wilder made excuses including a unique claim that his ring walk outfit was too heavy for him and affected his performance.
Tyson recognises this reaction.
The former undisputed heavyweight champion told Yahoo Sports: “Wilder’s stuff’s a lot of energy that I once had.
“We have to be able to accept our mistakes, stand up and say, ‘Hey, I messed up, the best man won.’
“We can’t be consumed with our egos. Nobody was more consumed with their ego than me.
“We always look for excuses when we lose and say, ‘Well I couldn’t lose, there must’ve been a mistake, somebody had to cheat me.’
“So we have to look at the perspective that a loss is a form of education.”
Wilder has already activated his contractual clause for a trilogy fight with Fury.
When asked if he believes his fellow American can reverse the result, Tyson said: “I don’t know anything about beating Fury in the third fight.
“In order for him to do that, he’s gonna have to beat himself in life.
“He’s his biggest opponent at this moment in life. He is not gonna stand a chance with Fury if he doesn’t beat himself.”