On February 23, one of the most anticipated matches of 2020 took place in Las Vegas. At the 17,000-seat MGM Grand Garden arena in the fight for the World Boxing Council (WBC) champion title in heavyweight, two boxers still undefeated - Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury - clashed. The victory in seven rounds by technical knockout won the British.
The rivals first met in December 2018, but the judges could not identify the winner after 12 rounds and Wilder managed to defend his belt for the eighth time. In this regard, the question of who is the best representative of the division remained open and all boxing fans were eagerly awaiting a rematch.
At the weigh-in ceremony, Fury was 19.4 kg heavier than his opponent. It is worth noting that many experts gave preference to him, especially noting the physical form in which he approached the fight.
And their forecasts began to come true already in the first round. The Briton confidently controlled the course of the fight, kept a comfortable distance for himself, trying to strike the opponent in the head. The high pace and frequency of his attacks almost did not leave any chance for Wilder's intelligible answer.
By the third round, the current title holder could not figure out the opponent’s tactics and cope with his speed. His position only worsened, and the judges were forced to fix the first knockdown. The American was able to get to his feet, but already at this point in doubt that Fury was gradually approaching triumph, practically no one had any left.
In this scenario, the battle lasted until the seventh round. During the next attack, the British drove the opponent into a corner, continuing to shower him with powerful blows. It is not known how this episode would end if it were not for the intervention of the main referee Kenny Baileys. Despite protests from Wilder, he stopped the meeting and awarded Fury a victory. It turned out that representatives of the WBC champion team began to fear for his condition and threw a towel into the ring.
The Briton extended his winning streak to 30 victories. After the fight, he performed Don Macklin's famous song American Pie. Together with the newly minted world heavyweight champion, the whole arena sang.
Despite the difficult relationship outside the ring (rivals were even forbidden to conduct a traditional duel of views), after the meeting, Fury paid tribute to the opponent.
“My respect for Wilder. He went to this battle and showed his will! He demonstrated that he really has the heart of a champion. I knocked him out with a clean right-handed shot, but he got up and continued the fight. He is a warrior. He will be back and become the champion again. But now I say: the king is on the throne again! ” - said Fury.
The American also did not dispute his defeat and praised Fury for his actions in the ring. At the same time, he expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that his seconds decided to prematurely end the match.
"Everything is fine with me. That happens. Today the best won, but my corner threw a towel. I was ready to leave the ring on the shield. Before the fight, a lot of things happened in my life. I'm not looking for excuses, what happened happened. But I would like my team to let me leave the ring on the shield. I am a warrior. Fury did a great job. We will be back even stronger, ”said Wilder.
Now the title of the best heavyweight according to the WBC will be defended by Fury. Among potential rivals is his compatriot, the current champion in versions of WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO, Anthony Joshua. According to his promoter Eddie Hearn, their meeting may take place in the near future.
“Fury showed something incredible. There is no need to arrange a third fight with Wilder, let's make a duel this summer. Joshua really wants this. And it can and should take place this year! ”, Hearn wrote on his Twitter page.
However, Fury received an unusual offer. Francis Ngannu, a former contender for the UFC heavyweight world title, suggested the briton meet with him, without specifying what kind of sport this fight should take place according to the rules.
“Let's do it,” wrote an MMA fighter on social networks, attaching an impromptu poster for a potential fight to the post.