Tyson Fury made short work of the reigning WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder in their highly anticipated rematch at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday. Fury was absolutely commanding in the rematch and landed punch after punch on the reigning champion.
Fury was so dominant that Wilder’s corner had to throw in the towel to save their fighter from further damage. Deontay (41 KOs in 44 fights) is known as the knockout king in the heavyweight division but it was Fury who knocked down Wilder numerous times due to his superior movement and precision.
“I must say the king has returned to the top of the throne,” Fury told reporters in a post-fight interview.
Fury used his reach advantage to continually beat Wilder to the punch. He took total control in the third where he landed a right hand to Wilder’s left ear to drop him to the canvas.
Wilder never regained his legs or footing after that, wobbling through the rest of the match.
Fury again dropped Wilder in the fifth with a body punch and then caught him in the corner with a flurry of punches in the seventh where it ended.
“I want to say (Wilder) came in and he manned up and really did show the heart of the champion,” Fury said. “He is a warrior, he will be back, and he will be the champion again.”
Fury (30-0-1) retained his lineal crown and now takes the WBC crown from Wilder (42-1-1) and settles the score between the two. The first fight between the boxers in December of 2018 was called a draw.
Wilder, known for his violent right-hand knockouts, never got the chance to truly unleash his power.
He landed a few overhand right hands early in the fight but was constantly under attack.
“Things like this happen, the best man won tonight,” Wilder said. “My side threw the towel – I would rather go out on my shield.
“Even the greatest have lost and came back, you take it for what it is. This is what big time boxing is all about. The best must fight the best.”
One of the most anticipated heavyweight fights in years, the event started with plenty of pageantry.
Former champions Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson were all introduced in the ring.
Fury made his way to the ring while sitting on a throne. Wilder was dressed in full dark armor and helmet.
Fury punctuated his win with another vocal performance, singing Don McLean’s “American Pie” to the crowd.
Reuters
