Deontay Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel claimed that Tyson Fury’s team made little effort to get WIlder to walk away to make the Anthony Joshua fight.
Fury and his representatives appeared to have little concern that the 35-year-old American would be able to enforce his claims on a trilogy bout for the WBC championship, but he ultimately won his arbitration case, and a fight is now set for October after a delay arising from Tyson Fury’s coronavirus infection.
This has delayed a proposed undisputed match-up with Joshua indefinitely, and Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has wondered how much Fury’s team really wanted to avoid the Wilder clash.
Finkel made a similar observation, noting there was only a brief attempt at negotiations from Frank Warren, Fury’s co-manager.
Speaking to The Sun, Finkel said: "We were shocked and our lawyers said they were shocked from their side that they made no effort before we won the case.
"They first tried to vacate the lawsuit and they lost.
"But there was nothing from their side, which I thought was short sighted. But that's their choice."
He then explained the negotiations with Warren, saying: “There was never a discussion. Frank [Warren], at one point said to me, 'Would you guys take a seven-figure walk away?’
"And I said, 'No'. And that was it. That was the only discussion and effort."