Tyson Fury Defeats Deontay Wilder By Technical Knockout in Round 7, Wins WBC Heavyweight Title
LAS VEGAS — The rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury was widely viewed as a toss up entering the fight. It proved to be anything but.
In a shocking performance, Fury battered Wilder over seven rounds before Wilder's corner threw in the towel. Before that, Fury scored two knockdowns, taking the fight directly to the hard-hitting Wilder. The lineal champion has added the WBC belt to his hardware collection.
Relive the fight between in real time, below:
ROUND 1: Fury comes out on his toes. Charges right at Wilder. He’s the aggressor early. Wilder paws at the body. Wilder lands the first big shot, a right hand over the top. Fury takes it well. Fury lands a thudding combination. Wilder looked shook for a moment. Good body shot from Wilder. Fury lunges and finds a home with that right hand. Good action in the first. 10-9, Fury
ROUND 2: Fury connects with the first jab. Follows with a right. Wilder counters with an over the top right. Fury a little sloppy in there. Has to be careful. Wilder land a good right to Fury’s temple. Good shot. Hard right by Fury! Wilder just misses with the right, Fury counters with one of his own. 10-9, Fury.
ROUND 3: Kenny Bayless warns both fighters to watch the head clashes. Big right hand from Fury buckles Wilder. He holds on. Fury lands an uppercut on the clinch. Good 1-2 by Fury. He is really offensive minded in this one. Wilder just misses with a right of his own. Fury comes back with the jab. Both just missing on shots now. Fury really leaning on Wilder, and a right hand puts him down! Wilder is in trouble ... and he is down again, this time it's a slip. Huge round for Fury. 10-8, Fury.
ROUND 4: Getting messy on the inside. Both guys holding, punching on breaks. Referee warns both again. Wilder stumbles and goes down—no knockdown though. Wilder looks tired. Fury lands a body shot. And another body shot. Fury is teeing off now. Wilder lands a short jab. Good right to the side of the head by Fury. He looks great. Wilder just misses with a right hand, but he looks really tired. Fury has been leaning on him all round. 10-9, Fury.
ROUND 5: Fury comes right at Wilder and lands a right hand. He won't give Wilder an inch of breathing room. Body shot and down goes Wilder again! Fury is punishing him. Wilder is stumbling backwards. He looks completely out of it. Referee warns Fury for holding. Fury lands a big left hand. Another dominant round. 10-8, Fury.
ROUND 6: Fury lands a good right hand to open the round. Fury pushes Wilder to the ropes again. Teeing off on him. Bullying him into the corner. Wilder tries to land a clubbing right. Hits Fury with a quick right. Wilder is literally holding himself up with the ropes. 10-9, Fury.
ROUND 7: Wilder showing bad body language in the corner. Fury lands a looping right hook. Wilder tries a chopping right hand that misses. Fury goes back to the body. And that's it! Jay Deas has thrown the towel in! Wilder looks irate but he was taking a beating! Fury wins by knockout!
PRE-FIGHT: So here we are.
After two months of promotion—unprecedented promotion that saw two powerful networks put all of its resources on the table—the rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury is here. The WBC heavyweight title, as well as a strong case to be called the top heavyweight in the world, is on the line.
Few things before we begin:
• There is no issue with the judges: While there is no British judge—unusual when there is a British fighter on the card—the Nevada State Athletic Commission made three strong choices, tabbing Dave Moretti, Glenn Feldman and Steve Weisfeld. Weisfeld is widely regarded as the best judge in boxing.
• The referee choice was solid, too: Kenny Bayless is a terrific referee. He has refereed countless big fights, perhaps most notably the 2015 super fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. He has some recent history with Fury, too, having worked Fury’s knockout win over Tom Schwartz last year.
• Weighty issues: Both fighters beefed up from what they weighed in before the last fight. Wilder tipped the scales at 231 pounds, a career-high. Fury packed on nearly 17 pounds—“pure British beef,” he said—to weigh in at 273 pounds. The 42-pound difference between them will be two pounds less than the difference in the first fight.
Will it matter? Wilder looked shredded on the scale, while Fury, who has returned to his Kronk Gym roots for this fight, teaming up with trainer Javon “Sugar Hill” Steward and Andy Lee, has claimed he added weight in an effort to add power. We’ll see.
• Make money: Regardless of what happens, both fighters will earn career-high paydays. Fury and Wilder are both guaranteed $30 million, a source familiar with the terms told SI.com, a number that could rise if the pay per view exceeds expectations. In a way—both have already won.
Follow along with the Wilder vs. Fury II live blog below:
