Return of the King: Fury claims heavyweight title
Tyson Fury is a heavyweight champion once again, dominating Deontay Wilder in their WBC heavyweight title rematch in Las Vegas yesterday before Wilder’s corner threw in the towel in the seventh round.
Fury went on the attack in the rematch and knocked down Wilder twice before a flurry of punches in the seventh prompted his corner to call an end to the highly anticipated rematch.
“The king has returned to his throne,” proclaimed Wilder, whose previous reign as champion was cut short by drugs and alcohol.
Fury dropped Wilder in the third round with a right hand that seemed to take the legs out of the champion. He put him down again in the fifth round, this time with a left hand to the body.
The end came at 1m 39s of the seventh round when referee Kenny Bayless stopped the fight after Wilder’s corner threw in the towel as he was getting pummeled in a neutral corner. Blood was pouring out of Wilder’s ear for several rounds and, in a bizarre scene, Fury appeared to lick drops of it from Wilder’s shoulder in the sixth round. It was the first loss for Wilder in 44 fights, and it came in the 11th defence of the title he won in 2015.
“Even the greatest have lost and come back,” Wilder said. “I make no excuses. This is what big-time boxing is all about.”
Wilder briefly protested the stoppage, as a pro-Fury crowd at the MGM Grand hotel roared in delight.
“I wish my corner would have let me go out on my shield,” Wilder said. “He did what he did. There’s no excuses.”
Wilder, who at 2.00m and was the smaller man in the ring next to the 2.05m British giant, was backpedalling the entire fight, trying to catch Fury coming in with a right hand. But he was never able to throw it effectively, and unable to deal with Fury’s jab either.
Two judges had Fury winning every round, while the third gave Wilder one round. Fury had a point deducted for grabbing and pushing in the fifth round.
“He manned up and he really did show the heart of a champion,” Fury said. “He’s a warrior, he will be back, he will be a champion again. But the king has returned.”
Fury had bulked up to 124kg for the rematch, vowing to change tactics and become the big puncher. He was true to his word, dominating early with a jab that stopped Wilder in his tracks and then landing combinations to the head and body.
Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) came into the ring carried aloft on a throne with a crown on his head.
Then he showed he was really the Gypsy King as he made it an easy night against a fighter who had gone 12 years without losing as a pro.
For Wilder, it was a stunning end to an unbeaten mark that had seen him knock out 41 of his previous 43 opponents. But his devastating right hand was never a factor, and Fury seemed to walk through it. That was unlike the first fight 14 months ago when Wilder knocked Fury down twice on his way to a draw.
The rematch drew a sellout crowd and both fighters were guaranteed US$5 million ($7.9m) but could make US$40m apiece depending on the pay-per-view sales.