Tyson Fury proved he’s the best heavyweight in the world following an inspiring win over Deontay Wilder. After three fights, nine total knockdowns, and a vast number of memorable moments, Tyson Fury finally ended the epic saga between him and Wilder with one final punch.
Fury was victorious for the second straight time in their three brawls, but this was after five combined knockdowns and obvious moments of defeat from both men. One minute and ten seconds into the 11th round, Wilder faced a right hook leaving him on the mat.
As early as the third round, Wilder was knocked down and appeared to be slacking, but he somehow rallied to knock Fury down twice in the next round. “He shook me, put me down, but that’s boxing, and that’s life as well,” Fury said in his post-match interview.
With a right hand from close range halfway through the 10th round, Fury knocked Wilder down once again. Wilder recovered, clearly surprising to Fury, but Fury was able to maintain his dominance. The referee finally waved the match after Fury went down twice and Wilder three times. Fury became the champion in the 11th round in front of 15,820 people in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
Both men seemed drained for much of the match while exhibiting their physical and mental toughness. Throughout the 11 rounds, Fury landed 150 punches compared to Wilder’s 72. After a long trilogy, this fight concluded one of the biggest rivalries in modern boxing history. “It’s done now, done for good,” Fury stated regarding their rivalry.
Frank Warren, Fury’s co-promoter declared the fight an immediate classic. “It is the best heavyweight fight I have ever seen. Two warriors in there who gave everything,” said Warren. Warren was joined by other observers like Bob Arum who added, “I’ve been in this business 57 years promoting fights and I truly have to say I have never seen a heavyweight fight as magnificent as this.”
As for what or who comes next for the two men is still a mystery. There’s a very strong likelihood that Wilder will never be the same with the punishment he took on Saturday night. There’s still plenty Wilder can still do, but he’s 35 years old and will never be at the top again like he once was. When it comes to Fury, the WBC (the World Boxing Council) did order that the winner of this fight is going to have a matchup against either Usyk or Whyte-Wallin. However, Fury said in his post-match press conference, “Before I start thinking about fighting other men, I’m going to bask in this victory. Because tonight was one of my greatest wins. I got off the floor to do it. And I’m the big dog in the division.”
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