DEONTAY WILDER does respect Tyson Fury after all – but snubbed the post-fight handshake as his ‘mind wasn’t really there’.
The heavyweight rivals have now shared 30 thrilling rounds together, which came to a climax in Las Vegas last weekend.
Fury scored three knockdowns, getting up from the canvas twice himself, before his brutal knockout in round 11.
After closing out the trilogy series in style, he tried to embrace Wilder by offering his hand.
Although his efforts were snubbed, leaving Fury to later hit out at the fallen American for being a ‘sore loser’.
But Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel reassures the ex-champion in fact DOES respect Fury, and would be open to accepting the peace offering now.
Finkel told SunSport: “Him and I have spoke about that and he does (respect Fury).
“I think his mind wasn’t really there, I think if Deontay saw Fury now he would give him a big embrace.”
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Wilder, 35, initially drew with Fury, 33, in 2018 and was then beaten in the rematch last year, losing the WBC title.
But he refused to accept the loss, blaming it on everything bar a boxing masterclass from the Gypsy King.
Despite defeat on his night of promised retribution, Wilder’s performance and refusal to quit resorted his reputation.
And Finkel is in agreement the best man won on the night, as he hailed Britain’s unbeaten, two-time champ.
He said: “It was a fair result, Fury fought the right fight.
“The count was a little long on Fury getting up, but it doesn’t matter, the fight was what it is and Fury deserves all the credit.
“The man is a very powerful, very versatile, big man. And with me he’s always been a gentleman.”
Wilder has now returned home to Alabama, where he will take an extended period of rest, with a six-month medical suspension.
He will also need to undergo surgery next week for a broken right hand sustained in the fight.
Finkel said: “He’s doing well, he gives all credit to Fury to perform the way he did.
“But early in the fight Deontay, probably around the third round, when he got hit, he got hit by the ear and it threw his equilibrium off.
“And I was watching and I said, ‘What happened to his legs?’ Because he trained so hard.
“He also, somewhere in the middle rounds, broke his right hand behind the third knuckle and he has to have that fixed next week.
“He has to have surgery, the knuckle is OK, it’s the bone behind the knuckle that broke.”
