In a stunning turn around for a fighter who came back from an alcohol abuse, British boxer Tyson Fury dropped Deontay Wilder twice Saturday night, beating him in the seventh round. It was a boxing rematch befitting of the two unbeaten heavy weights after their epic encounter at the end of 2018 which ended in a draw.
In the third round The Gypsy King dropped Wilder with a devastating right hand that left the American staggering. Fury dropped him again this time with a left hand, in the third round.
In a weird scene, the British boxer appeared to lick blood off the shoulder of Wilder whose ear is bloodied.
Referee Kenny Bayless stopped the fight at 1:39 minutes of the seventh round as Fury was pummeling Wilder in a neutral corner.
The 6-foot-9, and 273 pound British heavy weight won every round on the scorecard of the Associated Press, backpedaling and using his jab to control the early rounds. While Wilder landed 34 punches and 18 power shots; Fury landed 58 power punches in less than seven rounds.
Fury had a point deducted for grabbing and pushing in the fifth round. At the end two judges had Fury winning every round, while the third judge gave Wilder one round.
The 6-foot-7 and 231 pounds American didn't like the call by his corner to end the fight, saying “I wish my corner would have let me go out on my shield. He did what he did. There’s no excuses.’’
It was a stunning end to an unbeaten mark for Wilder who had knocked out 41 of his previous 43 opponents.
The Gypsy King said of Wilder after the match, “He manned up and he really did show the heart of a champion. He’s a warrior, he will be back, he will be a champion again. But the king has returned.”
The British champ who apparently knows all the words led the crowd in a singalong of “American Pie” after the fight.
In his remarks, Wilder said “Even the greatest have lost and come back, I make no excuses. This is what big-time boxing is all about.″
The rematch drew a crowd of 15,816 to the MGM Grand hotel and a heavyweight record $16.9 million gate. Each fighter will get a guaranteed $5 million and could make as much as $40 million after.
Both fighters are under contract for a third fight, but as the loser, Wilder has 60 days to decide if he wants to opt out.