Tyson Fury wanted a challenge. Deontay Wilder gave it to him. But the Englishman, sent to the mat twice, still won after a magnificent fight. Wilder dominated the first two rounds but, like in their second meeting in Las Vegas (in February 2020), he tasted the all-in on the third round. Another easy victory for the “Gypsy King” seemed to be taking shape.
Except that Wilder is not just an exceptional puncher. He got up and it was he who brought Fury to the ground in the fourth cover in an atmosphere not as crazy as in the other episodes of the trilogy. Blame it on the absence of British supporters stranded at home by the travel ban. As in their first fight, Tyson Fury got back to his feet. Deontay Wilder did not let go and sent him back to the mat. Shaken, his eyes lost, the champion found the resources to get up, once again and hold out until the end of the round.
Signs of fatigue for Wilder
A balanced fight therefore for the greatest pleasure of Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson, at the edge of the ring, and the 15,820 spectators of the T-Mobile Arena. It still took a little while for Fury to get his thoughts back on track, playing with experience by regularly pressing their 125 pounds on her opponent’s body to tire him out.
Deontay Wilder and his right arm, today’s boxing’s most lethal weapon, began to show some signs of fatigue, while still managing to land the punches needed to let the threat hover. But Tyson Fury, who lost the first two rounds and then the fourth, took control of the fight from the sixth round, hitting twice as much as the American. The doctor examined Wilder, looking exhausted, before the start of the ninth.
Almost logically, on the 10th round, Deontay Wilder fell on a new right in the ear, kneeling at the foot of his executioner. Courageous, the “Bronze Bomber” got up and threw great blows at the end of the round. Fury slapped his glove on the head, as if to show him that he didn’t feel a thing. The 11th round started with Wilder on the ropes, sweat spurting over two shots from Tyson Fury.
“Walking in Las Vegas”
Le Mancunien did not let go. The Alabama boxer miraculously managed to hold his own, grabbing a few seconds of hope, but a right sent him to the ground a third time, while he was stuck on the ropes. The referee didn’t even try to count. Wilder had said Fury could never knock him out, lacking in power. A statement to forget …
Fury, still undefeated in 32 fights, therefore retains his WBC belt with this first defense. After arriving in the ring disguised as a Roman centurion (and surrounded by what looked like Spartan soldiers …), he left singing (nicely) an adaptation of “Walking in Memphis” which became “Walking in Vegas”, his adopted city. Wilder (42 wins, two losses, one draw) had already returned to the locker room. The trilogy is over.