Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder 1: A Modern Day Classic
Fury-Wilder 1
Staples Center, Los Angeles
01st December 2018
WBC Heavyweight Title
Official Weight: 256 pounds/116.12 Kg (Fury) 213 pounds/96.62 Kg
(Wilder)
Fury backed to the corner and tied up the champion as he looked to
unleash his knockout blow. The challenger threw a three jab combination and
lowered his hands behind his back again as Wilder continued to stalk forward.
The bigger man used his elusiveness to stay out of harm’s way as he worked
behind his jab, before swapping blows with Wilder in the dying seconds of the opener.
At the bell Fury raised his arms and bounced on his toes before going back to
his corner as Wilder complained to the referee about being hit on the back of
his head.
Round Two: Both men exchanged jabs, with Fury
happy to make Wilder miss. The crowd reacted when Fury raised his arms aloft
after evading Wilder’s bombs. The challenger’s jab was sneaking the round until
the champion exploded with a right of his own just before the bell. Again Fury
bounced on his toes and raised his hands in front of the champion as he made
his way back to receive instructions from Mark Breland.
Round Three: The challenger started the round jabbing and boxed on the outside, goading the champion to come and attack him. Fury continued with his flicking jab as Wilder whipped in a hurtful left hook to the body. The Gypsy King responded with a double left, before dropping his hands again and making the champion miss and countered with the old fashioned one-two. Before the round was out he dropped his hands behind his back and continued to have success with his jabs.
Round Five: Both men threatened to fire out their
jabs and all of Wilder’s attempts to land a big right hand or left hook were
either blocked, parried or evaded by Fury. The action was sparse until Fury
opened up with a flashy combination only to be countered with a big right from
Wilder. The champion tried a right and left hook that was easily evaded by the
challenger.
Round Six: Fury’s flicking jab was picking up
points, then the challenger switched southpaw and drove the champion to the
ropes with a fast three punch combination, taking the blows on his gloves.
Wilder tried a wild right hand that was nowhere near the target before the
referee stopped the action to attend to Fury’s trunks.
The action resumed with Fury looking the busier fighter behind his jab
as the champion loaded up with the occasional right hand. The challenger’s jab,
though not looking like a powerful weapon, was beginning to cause a swelling on
Wilder’s left eye.
Round Seven: The bigger man bounced on his toes,
working everything off the jab as he looked comfortable and gaining confidence
by the second. He landed a good right hand and moments later caught Wilder with
a jab and another good right, his best punch of the fight so far.
The crowd reacted and the champion came forward swinging with his bombs,
forcing Fury to the ropes, who evaded the knockout power of the Bronze Bomber,
before tying him up to get his back off the ropes. Still Wilder pressed with
his right but it was the challenger who was the more accurate, catching his man
with another good right of his own. Though Wilder appeared to be missing he
managed to draw blood from the challenger's nose before the bell.
Round Eight: Like a matador, Fury was content to
stay in the firing line, making the champion miss as he stuck out his left jab.
The action was sparse until the challenger landed two hard rights with around
35 seconds of the round remaining. WIlder took them well and responded with a
right of his own just before the bell. Fury acknowledged the shot and hit his
forehead with both gloves in an act of bravado before heading back to his
corner.
He put his gloved thumb on his forehead and looked up, as if trying to
focus on something imaginary in the distance, showing the world - and more
importantly Wilder - that he wasn’t hurt.
The challenger got to his knees and didn’t rise until referee Jack Reiss
had reached the count of eight. Fury put his gloves on Reiss’s shoulders to
acknowledge he was okay and the referee, after checking all was fine, let the
action continue.
Wilder came out bombing, sensing the Gypsy King was ready to go and
backed him to the ropes, where Fury tied him up. The challenger ducked under
another right and got one in of his own before they clinched and had to be
separated.
Again Wilder looked for his right, only for the challenger to evade it
as he started an attack of his own, backing the champion to the ropes before he
let loose with some more leather. The challenger dropped his hands and invited
the big puncher after him. The champion needed no invitations, swinging a
clumsy looking right.
Fury reasserted himself as the exertions of Wilder trying to end the
fight were taking their toll. The challenger even raised his hands, before
placing his hands behind his trunks and sticking out his tongue alla Bad
Manners frontman Buster Blood Vessel. The crowd were going wild at the bell to
end an eventful ninth.
Round Ten: Fury started the round strong,
following up his flicking jabs with a hard right. Wilder retreated and blocked
the follow up attack. Again the challenger landed with a one-two and the
champion had little answer to the Gypsy King’s silky skills.
Fury was warming to the task again as he let his boxing flow, landing
yet again with another one-two. Wilder looked a spent force as the challenger
dictated the action, before the champion fired in some warning shots to remind
the challenger he was still there. Fury was undeterred and continued to
dominate the round. Wilder finally fired a spurt of punches which was nowhere
near enough to catch the judges’ eyes.
Round Eleven: Tyson controlled the action from
behind his left hand. Wilder did nothing for the first one minute 40 until he
finally let his hands go. The challenger evaded the advancing champion and tied
him up on the ropes until the referee separated them. Again the challenger
looked the busier fighter and a solid left hook from the champion wasn’t enough
to take away the Gypsy King’s momentum, who raised his glove before heading
back to his corner to receive his last instructions from his trainer.
Fury crumpled and fell heavily onto his back. He looked out as Wilder
danced in celebration towards a neutral corner as Reiss started to count above
him. Suddenly, Fury rose like a phoenix out of the ashes of unconsciousness and
scrambled to his feet at nine. “Can you continue?”
Fury answered him as if nothing had happened. ”Walk over there and come
back to me.” The Gypsy King responded and Reiss allowed the action to continue.
Wilder came looking for him. A right was blocked, but he got through the
defences with two mighty left hooks. Fury took them well and covered up on the
ropes as Reiss watched closely.
The champion missed wildly and the challenger tied him up, waiting for
the referee to prise them apart. It was all Wilder, but his exertions came at a
cost. He took in a deep breath and Fury rolled on the ropes, even putting his
guard down again, showing utter contempt for the concussive power of the
champion.
Then Fury connected with a right and Wilder was clinging on. The
challenger came forward again only to be tied up by the champion. Reiss got
between them and Fury stalked forward until the final bell. Both men embraced
and shared a few words between them as they both bared their souls in a
compelling twelve round contest.
Result: Split Decision Draw
Judges’ Scorecards: Alejandro Rochin 115-111 (Wilder),
Robert Tapper 114-110 (Fury) Phil Edwards 113-113.
All the best fight fans
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