Multi-weight specialist Tony Bellew has declared his regret for the harmonious post-match fight shenanigans between himself and David Haye due to the remarks the latter had made before the fight.
The two men seemed to set aside their differences after the referee had called time on Haye's night, the build-up for which had been full of animosity including one brawl at a press conference.
At a hearing with the British Boxing Board of Control, David Haye was fined £25,000, and Tony Bellew was given a serious warning about his future conduct.
The fight drew unfavourable comparisons to another heavyweight fight just over a month later, as Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua were praised for the impeccable way they conducted themselves before and after their clash.
Bellew won by technical knockout after 'Hayemaker' Haye had ruptured his Achilles tendon halfway through the fight, but refused to throw in the towel.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Bellew admitted that after the fight, all he was thinking about was the money he had won and not the verbal sparring that had taken place prior.
"I’m still disgusted by his comments and I regret embracing him at the end," he said in a frank and honest interview.
"But I embraced him because, you have to remember, this man had just helped secure my children’s future and that’s the first thing that went through my mind after I beat him."
After a very personal and heated build up, it did come as quite a surprise to many that both Bellew and Haye showed appreciation towards one another, with both hugging and embracing in the ring following the bell.
None of the animosity would be going through Bellew's mind afterwards, however, as it was all about the future from thereon.
"I didn’t think about what he’d said or what he’d done. If I thought back to what he’d said, I’d have probably hit him again."