Deontay Wilder got off to a solid start in the first round. But it was a different look Wilder offered, constantly working the jab to the body. A hard right toward the end of the round by Fury made it close. But many gave the round to Wilder. The second round saw more of the same.
Then in round three things really got started. A big Fury right sent Wilder tumbling to the canvas. The game slugger rose to his feet, surviving the follow-up until the bell rang moments later.
Wilder on unsteady legs to begin the fourth, became fodder for Fury looking to finish him off. But just when it appeared that the fight was about to end, the “Bronze Bomber” uncorked a perfect short right followed by another, dropping Fury to the mat. Fury made it to his feet but was down again moments later when another Wilder flurry floored him. The bell rang seconds after he got up.
Wilder started strong in the fifth, blasting Fury with more rights. The “Gypsy King” maintained his composure, digging to the body in close quarters. In rounds six to ten Wilder wore down with Fury looking the fresher of the two. Wilder was dropped again in the tenth, but just when you thought he was out, he roared back to end the round landing solid shots on Fury. Enough to think Fury may make his own visit to the canvas in round ten.
Both fighters made it out of the round and came out for the eleventh, but another Tyson Fury right dropped Wilder a third and final time, when referee Russell Mora mercifully rescued the brave warrior, ending the fight at 1:10 of the round.
“Like the great John Wayne said, iron and steel, baby,” Fury said. “I give God the glory for the victory. [Wilder] is a tough man. He took some big shots tonight. And I want to say that if it wasn’t for Sugar Hill, America and Detroit’s own, I wouldn’t have gotten through that fight tonight. He said, ‘get your jab working, big guy, and throw that right hand down the middle. That’s how the big dogs do it.’”
“I did my best, but it wasn’t good enough,” said Wilder afterwards. “I’m not sure what happened. I know that in training he did certain things, and I also knew that he didn’t come in at 277 to be a ballet dancer. He came to lean on me, try to rough me up and he succeeded.”
“It was a great fight tonight, as good as any trilogy in history,” said Fury. “October 9, 2021, will go down in history, I hope. I always said I was the best in the world, and he was the second-best. Don’t ever doubt me. When the chips are down, I will always deliver.”
Deliver you both did!