Fury delivers brutal end to classic trilogy

LAS VEGAS, Nevada－After three fights featuring nine combined knockdowns and a wealth of unforgettable moments, Tyson Fury finally ended his epic heavyweight rivalry with Deontay Wilder with one last valedictory punch.

Fury got up from the canvas twice in the fourth round and eventually stopped Wilder with a devastating right hand in the 11th round, retaining his WBC title Saturday night in the thrilling conclusion to a superlative boxing trilogy.

Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs) finished Wilder for the second straight time in their three bouts, but only after a back-and-forth event featuring five combined knockdowns and several apparent moments of imminent defeat for both men. Wilder ultimately ended up facedown on the canvas at 1:10 of the 11th round after a chopping right hook fired from high in the air by Fury.

"It was a great fight," said Fury, the sport's lineal heavyweight champion and a former unified world champ. "It was worthy of any trilogy in the history of the sport. He's a top fighter, and he gave me a real (test) tonight."

Wilder (42-2-1) was knocked down in the third round, but improbably rallied to knock down Fury twice in the fourth. The Briton was profoundly shaken, but he also gathered himself and fought on.

"He caught me twice in the fourth round, but I was never thinking, 'Oh, this is over,'" Fury said. "He shook me, put me down, but that's boxing, and that's life as well. It's not how many times you get knocked down. You've got to keep fighting and keep moving forward."

Fury knocked down Wilder again with a concussive right hand midway through the 10th, but Wilder recovered and even stunned Fury in the final seconds of the round.

Fury persevered, and after the referee waved it off in the 11th, the 'Gypsy King' climbed onto the ropes in weary celebration before a crowd of 15,820 at T-Mobile Arena.

Fury then broke into a rendition of Walking in Memphis, in keeping with his post-fight tradition of serenading his crowds.

"I haven't seen the actual knockout tonight, but I felt it," Fury said. "I hit him with a solid, crunching right hook to the temple, and shots like that, they end careers. He definitely took some punishment, so we'll see what he can do in the future."

Wilder absorbed enormous punishment and appeared to be physically drained for much of the bout, but the veteran American showed his toughness while still throwing power shots on weary legs. Fury landed 150 total punches to Wilder's 72, with Fury connecting 52 times in the final three rounds alone.

The fight likely concluded one of the most memorable rivalries in recent boxing history. Fury said the rivalry is "done now, done for good".

They met first in late 2018 in downtown Los Angeles, where Wilder knocked down Fury twice in the late rounds of an excellent fight otherwise controlled by Fury. The second knockdown in the 12th round left Fury flat on his back and motionless while Wilder celebrated, but Fury improbably rose and reached the bell in a bout judged a split draw.

The second fight was in Las Vegas in February 2020, and Fury's dominance was much clearer. The British champ battered Wilder until the seventh round, when Wilder's corner threw in the towel as Fury claimed Wilder's WBC belt.

In this climactic third meeting, Wilder was somehow even tougher－and he repeatedly came close to beating Fury, a superior technician.

Fury revealed afterward he had sought to pay his respects to Wilder, but had been rebuffed.

"I went over to shake his hand and say well done and he was like 'No, I don't respect you'," said Fury. "I was like 'How can you say I've cheated when you know in your heart, you've been beaten fair and square?'

"Is he a sore loser or what? But I've acted like a gentleman throughout my career and that's all I can do."

Agencies via Xinhua