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Shelly Finkel, co-manager of heavyweight contender Deontay Wilder, is not surprised that his boxer said next to nothing at the kick-off press conference to announce the upcoming trilogy fight with WBC world champion Tyson Fury. (photo by Ryan Hafey)
“He didn’t want to get into it with Fury at the press conference,” Finkel told Sports Illustrated “What’s on his mind right now is just fighting Fury. He said, ‘If Fury wants to talk, let him talk.’ He just wants to fight.”
Fury and Wilder will collide for a third time on July 24th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
When they fought back in February of 2020, at the MGM Grand, Fury dominated the action and stopped Wilder in the seventh round.
Wilder exercised an immediate rematch clause, but after a few delays Fury and his handlers claimed the contractual clause had expired.
A legal action would erupt, with an arbitrator eventually handing down an order which directed Fury to fight Wilder before the month of September.
Wilder, now trained by former opponent Malik Scott, is preparing himself for a career-defining opportunity.
According to Finkel, Wilder is training like never before – with a tremendous motivation to regain his world title and avenge the first loss of his pro career.
“I see someone who is really focused on this fight,” Finkel said. “He’s training like I wish he had earlier. He is training like he has never trained before for a fight. We thought we were going to get the fight months ago. We had to win [arbitration] to get it. All along he has been training.”