Wilder-Fury trilogy comes to close

Last weekend saw to the end of one of the most exciting boxing trilogies in recent memory. The hard-hitting Bronze Bomber, Deontay Wilder, faced off against the Gypsy King, Tyson Fury, likely for the last time as the record between the two fighters has fallen on the side of Fury. The three-fight saga gave boxing fans a mix of technicality, knock outs and showmanship, the likes of which keep the sport of boxing alive. The Manchester born Tyson Fury, who has had one of the best career comebacks in the sport, has faced much turmoil on his way to regaining heavyweight glory. After successfully winning three heavyweight titles by defeating Vladimir Klitschko back in 2015, Fury would unfortunately fall to many depressive episodes, becoming unfit and turning to substance abuse before ultimately having to relinquish his belts after being unable to defend them for a period of over a year. After many issues over reinstating his boxing license due to issues with boxing commissions over in England, Fury was finally able to fight again in 2018 where he racked up two quick wins in under 2 months and set himself up for his first fight against Deontay Wilder. Alabama native, Deontay Wilder, has had a surging career up to his fights with Fury. Starting his boxing career at the later age of 20, Wilder used his gift of monstrously powerful hands to earn himself a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics, earning him the nickname the Bronze Bomber. From then, Wilder fought his way through the professional heavyweight ranks, handing out CTE like candy on Halloween, ending 41 out of 42 of his wins by way of knockout with 20 of those being the first round. After successfully defending his WBC title 7 times between 2015 and 2018, Deontay Wilder would face the resurging Tyson Fury on December 1st of 2018. The first fight between Fury and Wilder had been a long anticipated one with the two fighters promoting a possible match-up all the way back in 2014. Taking place in the Staples Center in front of a ~17,500-person crowd, the two giants would take the fight to its limits, using all 12 3-minute rounds, leaving the fight up to the judges. Fury came in weighing 256lbs and standing at 6 feet 9 inches and Wilder came in at a lighter 212lbs at 6 feet 7 inches. Wilder used his signature style of swinging at people’s heads until they drop dead against a more unorthodox and elusive Tyson Fury, who used his footwork and head movement to avoid most of Wilder’s strikes. Wilder managed to knock down Fury twice with Fury coming back from the dead on the second knockdown late in the fight, but Fury out struck Wilder in 9 out of the 12 rounds landing 26% of punches thrown versus Wilder’s 17%. The fight was called a draw and the audience was livid with booing all around. Both fighters thought they were robbed. Fury, rightfully, claimed he outboxed Wilder through most of the fight and Wilder claimed the two knockdowns were enough to earn him the edge, when realistically they were probably what kept him from losing. With Wilder retaining his belt in the controversial decision and both fighters and the boxing world keen for a rematch, a second fight would soon be scheduled. In February 2020, the anticipated second fight took place in Las Vegas. The two fighters began their walkout at 10-20 lbs heavier than their first bout. The fight was immediately one sided for Fury. Fury immediately established his range and was able to evade all of Wilder’s winging strikes which had not improved since their last fight. Fury out struck Wilder throughout all 7 rounds of the fight earning his first knockdown against Wilder in the 3rd round with a heavy shot to the temple. The Bronze Bomber would fall twice more in the way of slipping in the ring, looking very disoriented due to the ruptured eardrum he suffered from one of Fury’s strikes. In the 5th round, Wilder suffered his last knockdown and was bleeding from both ear and mouth while Fury looked unfazed, dancing around Wilder. The Gypsy King looked possessed as he dismantled Wilder for the next two rounds, even going so far as to lick the bloodied neck of Wilder while in the clinch like a vampiric frog. The fight was stopped as the ref and Wilder’s corner stopped the fight due to Wilder’s inability to respond to Fury’s onslaught. The fight was ruled a TKO for Fury, who earned himself the WBC heavyweight title. Wilder would go on to make excuses for his loss, even stating that the 40lb suit he wore in his walkout was the reason he lost, but it was his choice to go in his little cosplay costume right before the biggest fight of his career. A trilogy fight was pushed by Wilder’s team, but Fury was looking toward a fight with English champion Anthony Joshua as his next step toward more heavyweight glory, but the trilogy would find itself up next as contract stipulations granted Wilder his desired rematch. 

On October 8th, 2021, the final fight between the two giants took place in Las Vegas. Both fighters came in at their heaviest weights in their careers. The men came out with ferocity, and Wilder looked much improved from his last couple of fights, being more technical and switching up his strikes from usual heavy reliance on a hard winging rear hand. Fury looked the same but a bit sharper, knowing his opponent came with full intention of taking back his belt. The fight lasted 11 rounds, with both fighters having their fair share of knockdowns on the other. In the third round, Fury knocked down Wilder who was saved from the continued onslaught by the bell, but Wilder came back and knocked down Fury in the very next round. Fury showed dominance in the middle rounds with his technical boxing prowess, bloodying up and exhausting Wilder. In the tenth round the two would exchange knockdowns as the fight was in the championship rounds. Wilder, clearly being outboxed, but not out of the fight, was showing much heart throughout the fight by enduring the amount of punishment by Fury, but it was not enough to secure a victory. In the 11th round, Fury sent Wilder to the canvas with a devastating hook that knocked out the Bronze Bomber, bringing a close to one of the most exciting trilogies in modern boxing.