‘Sore loser’: Champ furious over snub

In a gladiatorial battle, the British boxer toppled the Bronze Bomber to retain the WBC heavyweight world championship belt.

Watch Boxing Live & On-Demand on Kayo. Selected international fights, classic bouts and more. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial >

Fury dropped Wilder in the 11th round at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena to secure a thrilling TKO win, the 32nd consecutive undefeated bout of his professional career.

The victory means the Fury-Wilder rivalry is over with Fury now cementing his legacy as an icon of the sport.

Wilder earned immense respect from the boxing world as he showed incredible heart to hang on despite Fury landing savage blows in almost all of the later rounds.

After being thoroughly outclassed in their second fight, Wilder came out swinging in the first round and landed a few blows before Fury gradually took control of the fight.

At one stage it even looked as if Wilder could claim an unlikely victory when he knocked Fury down twice in the fourth round, but the “Gypsy King” miraculously got back to his feet and took control of the fight from the middle rounds.

As the fight wore on, Wilder’s legs got increasingly wobbly and it looked like he could fall down at any moment.

But he showed tremendous spirit to fight hard and take the fight to the 11th round, when he was felled by Fury with a decisive blow that ended the fight.

The Brit celebrated his victory as Wilder lay concussed on the canvas before he eventually got up and made his way over to his corner of the ring to be patched up and consoled by his team.

The American was in a bad way with blood coming out of his mouth and ear and he left the ring as Fury was announced the winner, neglecting to raise his opponent’s arm to congratulate the victory as is customary.

In the immediate aftermath of the fight, Fury approached Wilder in his corner to thank him for the epic fight and offer his commiserations.

But according to the 33-year-old, Wilder was having none of it and refused to put the pair’s trash talk and infamous dislike for each other behind them.

“He’s got no love for me, Deontay Wilder,” Fury said.

“Do you know why? Because I beat him three times.

“I’m a sportsman and I went over to him to show some love and respect and he didn’t want to give it back.

“That’s his problem. I’ll pray for him so God will soften his heart.

“All the allegations that were made towards me … we fought like two warriors in there and I went over to shake his hand and say, ‘Well done’ and he was like ‘no, I don’t respect you’,” Fury said, referencing Wilder’s accusations he cheated in their previous fight.

“I was like ‘how can you say I cheated when you know in your heart, and your full team knows, that you just got beaten fair and square’.

“He’s just a sore loser in boxing. I’m sure he’s not the first one and he won’t be the last one.

“But I’ve acted like a gentleman throughout my career. That’s all I can do.”

When asked later about Wilder’s refusal to accept his olive branch, Fury said he was “very surprised” and called him “an idiot”.

“I just said well done and he said, ‘I don’t want to show any sportsmanship or respect’. I said no problem.

“You’ve got to show guts and respect and he couldn’t do it tonight.”

Fury acknowledged he had to be at his absolute best to get the better of Wilder.

“It was a great fight tonight, it was worth of any trilogy in the history of the sport,” he said.

“I’m not going to make any excuses, Wilder is a top fighter.

“He gave me a real run for my money tonight. I’ve always said, I’m the best in the world and he’s the second best.

“Don’t ever doubt me. When the chips are down, I can always deliver.”

He showed his class after the fight, wishing the battered and bruised Wilder, who has reportedly been taken to hospital as a precaution, all the best in his recovery.

“I just hope that he’s OK, he took a lot of punishment tonight,” Fury said.

“Just thankful that we all get out and fight in one piece, we go home to our lovely families and that’s it.”