Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder 3: A Modern Day Classic
Fury-Wilder 3
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
09th October 2021
WBC Heavyweight Title
Official Weight: 277 pounds/125.66 Kg (Fury) 238 pounds/107.95 Kg
(Wilder)
The challenger continued to jab and fire rights to the body. Just before
the bell Fury landed the best right to the chin of the fight so far, but it
wasn’t enough to take the round as Wilder returned to his stool raising his
arms in victory.
Round Two: Wilder began the round jabbing, this
time on the backfoot as Fury came forward, looking to capitalise on the right
hand he landed in the closing seconds of the opening round and using his
physicality to impose his will on the lighter opponent. The challenger was
throwing everything he had into every punch as the fluidity of the champion was
having better success. The challenger clipped the champion with a right, only
for Fury to land one of his own. Wilder was allowing the bigger man to lean on
him instead of using boxing skills to keep the champion at bay and set him up
for the big right.
Round Three: Between rounds referee Russell Mora
warned Wilder about keeping his punches in front then went over to Fury’s
corner and told him to keep it clean.
Fury feinted with his front foot and hand making Wilder unsure what was
coming. The champion had warmed to the task as the snap of the challenger
seemed to be leaving him. The champion was closing down the space and having
success with his left hand.
Wilder began to gamble with his right hand, driving the champion to the
ropes. It was only a glancing blow and Fury managed to get in close and rip an
uppercut through the middle. The referee broke them up and the champion landed
with a solid jab with Wilder responding with a chopping right.
He rose, looking shell shocked as Mora checked he was okay to continue.
There were 16 seconds remaining and Fury nailed him with another right. The
challenger looked a spent force as he clung on to hear the bell.
Round Four: The champion sensed victory and looked
to press his advantage, knowing for sure Wilder was still dangerous. The
challenger tried his right, only to take a straight left to the face and he was
looking unsteady on his legs.
Wilder backed to the corner and detonated a hurtful right. Fury took it
but his legs were unsteady as he tried to keep himself upright. The challenger
followed it up with a left hook and Fury hit the canvas in his own corner.
Mora began to count and, noticing Wilder wasn’t standing in a neutral
corner, stopped the count and directed him to where he should be, before
resuming the count at six. Fury was already up and confirmed he was okay to
continue, with the bell ending a dramatic 10-7 round for the challenger.
Round Five: Wilder started strong, landing a left
to the body and looking to take Fury out and regain his WBC heavyweight title.
The champion was lucid and began to get his lead left working, knocking
Wilder’s head back every time it landed. The challenger still looked to land
his fight finishing punch but it was Fury who got in a hard right of his own,
making the challenger cling on.
The pro American crowd were chanting “Wilder! Wilder” and he landed a
right that had Fury looking ragged. He danced back to the corner, acknowledged
he had been tagged and waved the challenger in. They came together and the
champion used his mass in the clinches to drain the strength from the
challenger’s muscles. As the round was coming to an end it was the Gypsy King
who looked the fresher of the two as the exertions of Wilder and the fact such
a big man was physically imposing himself on him were taking their toll on him.
Round Six: Wilder was forced onto the backfoot as
Fury’s size was starting to take over. The champion leaned on the challenger
and the force nearly put him on the canvas. Mora separated them and told Fury
not to lean on him.
Both men simultaneously landed big punches with the challenger coming
off second best. It was an untidy round but the cleaner punching was coming
from the champion, as opposed to Wilder’s swings. The strength of the champion
forced the challenger to take a knee with Mora rightfully ruling no knockdown.
Again Fury finished the stronger as Wilder looked a spent force at the bell.
Round Seven: The champion stalked his man, pushing him back with his sheer size. No one landed anything significant until the champion exploded one of his rights to the challenger’s head. Wilder took it well and just managed to take the sting out of the follow up shot by leaning his head back and clinching. His legs nearly gave way when the referee intervened and got the boxers to continue.
Wilder was still dangerous but it was the champion who clearly hurt the
big puncher with two straight rights and a right uppercut. The challenger took
it well though he was looking in a bad way. Wilder, his lip bleeding, managed
to survive the round and went back to his corner for a much needed respite.
Round Eight: The champion jabbed, as coloufully
told to do by his trainer Sugarhill Steward during the minute break. Wilder was
forced back and made to clinch, sapping more energy from the tiring challenger.
The Bronze Bomber tried one of his big right hands, but the snap and power that
was fully present in the earlier rounds had evaporated. Fury was able to walk
through anything Wilder had to offer.
The challenger was staggered back by a right flush on the chin. He took
it well and grabbed for survival until Mora separated them. The champion
couldn’t seem to miss and Wilder looked ready to go as he raised his arm at the
end of the round.
Round Nine: Again the champion dominated the round.
Wilder had a small flurry at the halfway point but landed with ineffective
shots. The champion continued to walk him down and was the aggressor
throughout. The challenger did get in a good right uppercut before the bell and
looked to punch, but it did little to take the WBC champion out of his stride.
Round Ten: Fury found his man easy to hit,
clubbing him with two rights. Wilder soaked it up and refused to go down, even
though he had little in the tank at this point. Still the champion pressed
forward, outworking the challenger on the inside.
Wilder sunk a hurtful right to the body then Fury ducked the follow up left hook and came over the top with a right of his own, putting the challenger on the canvas for the second time in the contest.
The champion battered him to the ropes with some hurtful punches
as he crashed against the ropes. A right hurt the challenger and the follow up
left grazed him but the right to the temple finished the contest and the trilogy
at the one minute and 10 seconds mark of the round.
Result: Fury won by knockout
Judges’ Scorecards after ten completed
rounds: Tim Cheatham 94-92 (Fury), Dave Moretti 95-91
(Fury), Steve Weisfeld 95-92 (Fury).
Comments
Post a Comment