A Modern Day Rivalry: The Story of Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder

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Fury on Hold

In July 2013 a press conference was held at London’s Park Plaza hotel to announce David Haye against Tyson Fury for 28th September at the Manchester Arena. This proved to be Fury’s first taste of a pay-per-view blockbuster and the two charismatic heavyweights did not disappoint in their war of words. 

Fury was the first to arrive at the table, wearing sunglasses, a white linen shirt and trousers. He looked relaxed as he awaited the arrival of his opponent, decked in a tailored suit jacket, blue shirt and chinos. Fury stood up on Haye’s arrival and clapped, “A round of applause for Mr. Haye for turning up to the press conference people. Whoo, the chump is here.”

Adam Smith, head of boxing at Sky Sports, introduced the fighters to the media, “Our former two-weight world champion David Haye will meet the unbeaten, young, huge and hugely confident Tyson Fury…”

“...and sexy, you missed that one,” Fury interrupted.

“...and sexy… in a mouthwatering event,” continued Smith.

Smith then gave the floor to Haye, who said he was excited about facing Fury and wanted to give the fans what they wanted to see, saying a lot of people don't think that Fury deserves a shot at him, though Haye admitted facing Fury was a step in the right direction for him to regain the heavyweight championship of the world. “This is new territory for me. I have a nice young hungry lion who wants to come and take his place in boxing history.”

Haye went on to question Fury’s bold statement of being the best heavyweight we have ever seen and was happy to give the young boxer the opportunity to shut him up.

“First of all,” said Fury who was given his chance to speak, “I’d like to address the situation what David has just brung up where it's him giving me the opportunity for this big payday. Now let's not get things confused David, I’m chucking you a bone. You’re the dog and I’m chucking you a bone, because before the Tyson Fury fight where was you gonna go? Who did you have to fight? Nobody.

“I’m giving you a chance. I’m the young up-and-comer, the one on everyone’s tongue. You’re the one that stinks the place out and blames it on their toe.

"He has a lot to say, people like to hear what David Haye's got to say. After the fight with me he'll have a lot to say, and a lot of people can laugh at him."

Haye responded with a laugh. “That’s why he’s here, you’ve got to love it and respect it…it’s going to be fun. I walk down the street, people no longer say ‘when are you fighting Klitschko’s again’ they ask when you knocking out Tyson Fury?”

"I’m glad this little bitch has signed the contract, as there was a lot of messing around," Fury continued. "He is a big tart, David Haye. I’ve let him have everything that he wants. I’ve given it him all his own way. So, I’m glad he’s actually here. I want him to be the champion in this fight because this is the last time he’s ever gonna get claim to fame or glory, as ever gonna be a champion in history again.” Fury then listed and ridiculed Haye’s opponents and achievements in the ring and criticised his performance when he faced Wladimir Klitschko, saying: “The Hayemaker has got this explosive power, the movement and head speed, everything but he can’t hit a robot. Good work David! Good work sir.”

Haye retaliated but Fury kept going. “You’re a steppingstone sir. I’m stepping on you. I’ve got a fly swatter,” he made a swishing sound, “flattened. You’re nothing but a little girl who is interested in fame and fortune.”

Fury continued his monologue and said their fight would resemble when genuine heavyweight Riddick Bowe flattened the pumped-up cruiserweight Herbie Hide multiple times in March 1995. “There’s no difference between you and Hide. Big punchers, glass chins - spark out.”

The former two-weight world champion, unusually subdued in the war of words, replied with, “You’ve got to give that a round of applause ladies and gentlemen. How do you come back from something like that? I’ve just been told.”

Haye then went on to mention his accuracy and commented on Fury’s “lack of coordination. Sometimes he misses his opponents and punches himself in the face and that takes some doing. Rule one of boxing is hit your opponent and not yourself.”

Haye was also confident his experience, speed and power was the major factor in this contest and believed if a non-punching cruiserweight Steve Cunningham could put Fury down, then his punches would put him to sleep. Fury asked why he avoided Cunningham at cruiserweight and implied Jean Marc Mormeck was a rubbish old fighter and Haye made hard work of his world cruiserweight title win. "This fight is going to be very fast and the more he speaks, the quicker he’s gonna get destroyed," retaliated Haye. 

Both trainers were given the chance to speak and both men believed it would be a tough, exciting contest and showed respect to each boxer. Haye later told the press conference he was sure that Fury “could pick up the pieces and go back to where he currently is at the moment.”

“Where’s that?” asked Fury.

“Nowhere.”

“Nowhere? I’m in front of you in the WBC rankings you mug.”

After the war of words it was time for the obligatory face-off. Haye stood up and waited for his rival to stand. “Tyson?”

“I’ll sit down, I’m the same size as him sat down,” Fury said in the frenzy of camera flashes. He finally stood and towered over his six-foot-three-inches (1.91 m) opponent. He then stood on his chair, making the media laugh from his lofty position. 

Fury played to the camera, moving around Haye and posed behind his adversary, before being asked by the press to stand face to face. “You’ll have to excuse me. I’m not willing to do a face-off,” he announced, lifting his sunglasses, “as David Haye scares me when he looks at me, so I’m not willing to do it.” The press roared with laughter as Fury replaced his eyewear. “Maybe later, on another time or date, but I really don’t want to do a face-off because I don’t want him to see the fear in my eyes. That's why I’ve got my sunglasses on.”

Fury placed both hands by his left eye, “I’m just going to do that so he can’t see me.” With the media in hysterics at Fury’s antics, Haye quietly walked off, leaving the young contender to bask in the blue wash of the camera flashes. 

The much-anticipated British heavyweight contest was unfortunately cancelled when Haye suffered a cut above his left eyebrow during sparring on 19th September - nine days before the big event. The severity of the injury required six stitches. “Gutted isn't even the word," said Haye. "Mentally, I'm on the floor at the moment."

Even though Haye posted a picture of the injury online, Fury still accused him of foul play. “Sorry for everyone who bought tickets and hotels. Haye’s excuses are boring. He doesn’t want to fight me,” he raged in a tweet, as Peter Fury alluded to move on to “better things” instead of rearranging the date.

However, a date of 8th February 2014 was set and Fury had little faith in Haye turning up for that fight. He told Kugan Cassius on I Film London (iFL TV) that he believed Haye’s cut wasn’t genuine and the former world champion was having a bad camp. He also questioned why his opponent was sparring a week before the fight. “George Groves left the camp so it must have been a shit camp. I heard he was getting done-in in sparring, just a few different things. You never can tell what goes through a man’s mind, a weak person's mind anyway.”

Fury stated he was having a great camp and admitted there weren't many people around to fight in heavyweight boxing. “I don’t see many other people as worthy challengers, they’re all shit. You’ve got the Klitschko’s but they don’t want to fight me because I'm too dangerous for them.

“So who else is there? There’s no big names left. You’ve got Deontay Wilder, who was offered to fight to step in instead of David Haye and he didn’t fancy that, but can’t expect somebody who is 30-0 to take a fight at a week's notice can we? Even though it was for a hell of a lot of money.”

Fury reiterated that fights with David Price, Derek Chisora and Kubrat Pulev were pointless. “I’d take the Wilder fight, but he needs to fight somebody and get HBO interested in him because at the minute he’s not an HBO fighter. He’s just some pumped-up fucking jack, seven-foot, skinny tosser. But I would fight him if he could get HBO interested. I’d go to America no problem.”

That November the mega-British clash was cancelled when Haye underwent surgery on his right subscapularis and biceps tendon attachments in Germany. The five-hour procedure to rebuild his shoulder prompted the surgeons to inform Haye that they did not deem him fit enough to carry on fighting. "It's a crushing blow," said the thirty-three-year-old. "I had big plans for next year and the ultimate goal was to win back the world heavyweight title. What I didn't anticipate was that this year would be the unluckiest of my career and that a number of injuries would disrupt my plans so much. Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be. The boxing gods keep hinting that maybe enough is enough and that it's time to finally hang up my gloves."

The cancellation meant Fury was out of pocket to the tune of £5 million – life-changing money for a man with a young family. Fury described it as: “Being so close to having a winning lottery ticket, then realising that you’ve lost the ticket. That’s how I felt.”

Deontay Wilder faced his first former world champion when he took on the thirty-seven-year-old ex-WBO heavyweight champion Siarhei Liakhovich, a Belarussian, born in Vitebsk on 29th May 1976, residing in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

Liakhovich represented Belarus at the 1996 Olympics, losing a points decision to eventual silver medallist Paea Wolfgramm from Tonga in the first round of the competition. He picked up bronze at the 1997 World Championships and at the 1998 European Championships in Minsk, Belarus he defeated the eventual 2000 Olympic champion Audley Harrison. He finished his amateur career with a 145-15 record before turning professional in December 1998.

Liakhovich compiled a 22-1 (14 KOs) when he challenged defending WBO champion Lamon Brewster on 1st April 2006. The champion was making his fourth defence of the belt and in round seven the challenger took a knee, later claiming it was a tactical decision. After twelve rounds all three judges voted in favour of the Belarussian.

Seven months later the new champion put his belt on the line against Shannon Briggs. Liakhovic was ahead on the scorecards going into the final round and Briggs, needing a knockout to win, put the champion down. Liakhovich regained his feet only to be knocked through the ropes and stopped with just 1 second remaining in the contest. 

The Belarussian then faced Nikolai Valuev in a WBA elimination contest in February 2008. The giant Russian won every round of the contest to win by shutout scores. Liakhovic returned with two wins, before Robert Helenius stopped him in the ninth round in August 2011 and suffered a ninth-round retirement to Bryant Jennings seven months later. 

After a seventeen-month absence from the ring Liakhovich returned to face Deontay Wilder at California’s Fantasy Springs Casino on 9th August 2013. It was Wilder’s first outing since his 4th May arrest in Las Vegas. 

Liakhovic came to the ring weighing 232 pounds (105.23 Kg) with Wilder weighing 224 pounds (101.61 Kg). The American proved the oddsmakers who installed him as favourite correct, when midway through round one he nailed Liakhovic with a big right hand on the ropes. The former WBO champion fell heavily and began to twitch uncontrollably. Referee Thomas Taylor neglected to count and called a halt immediately at the one minute and 43 second point. He was kept down for some time before being helped onto a stool, as Wilder made it twenty-nine knockouts in as many contests.

On 5th October unified heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko faced WBA belt holder Alexander Povetkin in front of his Russian fans at Moscow’s Olimpiyskiy Stadium. 

Russian promoter Vladimir Hryunov won the promotional rights to stage the Klitschko-Povetkin contest, bidding over $23 million with Russian businessman Andrey Ryabinsky stumping up the cash. K2 Promotions and Povetkin’s promoter Sauerland Event both had failed bids of $7,130,000 and $6,014,444 respectively. Ryabinsky dictated the location of the fight and guaranteed both boxers their highest purses of their careers. It was also reported that Vladimir Putin would also attend the contest. 

Klitschko, facing his third consecutive undefeated opponent and making his fifteenth defence of his championship, quickly established his dominance and put the home crowd favourite on the canvas for the first time in his career with a short left late in the second round.

Povetkin was trying to rough up Klitschko in the early rounds and made things uncomfortable at times. The Russian’s tactics of rushing in and looking to land an overhand right were put to bed in the middle rounds after tasting the power of the Ukrainian. Klitschko’s jab was a dominant factor and the WBA champion struggled to build momentum. 

Klitschko rubber stamped the contest in round seven, flooring Povetkin three times, though two of the knockdowns looked more like pushes, as he continued to use his size to tie up the smaller man and sap his energy by leaning on him.

Referee Luis Pabon, who allowed Klitschko to drape himself over Povetkin after almost every punch, finally deducted a point from the Ukrainian in round eleven after throwing the Russian to the canvas.

Povetkin finished the fight with a bruised right eye and a cut left eye, dropping a unanimous decision in an ugly, unwatchable contest, by scores of 119-104 on all three judges’ cards. "Things didn't quite go as well as I wanted, but I never give up," said Povetkin. "Of course, he was the better fighter, he's the best in the world, that's clear."

After the fight Klitschko told the interviewer he had little desire to go for the knockout as the Russian crowd would be disappointed, leading to allegations of an agreement between the Ukrainian and the organisers to allow the contest to go the distance. This was denied by the victor, who made it his twentieth opponent he has defeated for the heavyweight title, tying him with Larry Holmes in third place behind Muhammad Ali, who defeated twenty-one opponents and Joe Louis with twenty-two. 

"That was a tough bit of work, he's a real fighter," said Klitschko. "I kept landing the punches, but he stayed in there.

"I believe it was a deserved win, but I think I can improve still."

 

After his defeat to Tyson Fury in September 2011 America's Nicolai Firtha lost a unanimous decision in an attempt to win the NABF title from Johnathon Banks in February 2012. Firtha returned to winning ways in July 2013, outsourcing Robert Hawkins over six rounds.

Firtha next stepped into the ring against Deontay Wilder on 26th October at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. Firtha’s 252 pounds (114.31 Kg) baulk did little to suppress Wilder’s 224 pounds (101.60 Kg) of power, as he was dropped twice in the opening round.

The thirty-four-year-old American did well to survive and took Wilder into the fourth round, taking heavy lefts and rights before the knockout artist put his tired opponent out for the count at the one minute and 26 seconds point of the round.

 

After the disappointment of having two fights with David Haye fall through, Tyson Fury finally stepped through the ropes on 15th February 2014 after an eight-month hiatus. He faced America’s Joey Abell at the Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. 

Abell, the silver medallist at the 1998 United States Junior Championships where he lost to Malik Scott in the final, started his pro career in August 2005. His opponent, Ritchie Goosehead, fell through the ropes in the opening round and landed on the concrete. The bout was called a No Contest when Goosehead was unable to continue. They had a rematch the following month and Abell got his first win on his record, stopping Goosehead in round two.

The American had a record of 29-7 (28 KOs) by the time he faced Fury, losing to former cruiserweight champion Alfred Cole by a six round split decision (Cole was forty-four-years old). Chris Arreola knocked him out in the opening round in January 2011 and Fres Oquendo stopped him in the ninth round in May 2012. In December 2013 Abell fought Kubrat Pulev, the IBF mandatory contender on a week’s notice filling in for Sherman Williams. Abell was floored four times in the contest and was even credited with a knockdown himself when he caught the off-balance top contender with a hook to the head, before retiring on his stool after four rounds.

Fury weighed 274 pounds (124.28 Kg) with the thirty-two-year-old American scaling in at 241 pounds (109.32 Kg). Abell was obviously overmatched, he had no answer to Fury’s jab and couldn’t get close without getting nailed with heavy blows, doing well to hear the bell for round two. 

After a lacklustre second round Fury stamped his authority on the fight in round three. A low blow by him after the referee called break went unpunished and shortly afterwards Abell was put to the canvas by a right to the head. The southpaw was down again just before the end of the round and it was only a matter of time before Fury would get him out of there.

Fury floored the American again in the fourth and after the second knockdown of the round referee Jeff Hinds signalled the end after 96 seconds. Fury extended his unbeaten record to 22-0 (16 KOs) and although he was a clear winner, the performance did little to boost his world title aspirations. This did nothing to stop him from claiming he was the best heavyweight on the planet. He then fixed his attention on his July rematch with Derek Chisora, saying: “I beat Chisora comfortably three years ago. He is a bum compared to me - I want Wladimir Klitschko.

“Chisora is one-paced - left hook then right-hand swing. He’s useless. I bring the action, every time I come to fight.

“I’m the best heavyweight on the planet. Bring them all on, I don’t care.”

 

On 15th March at Puerto Rico’s Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez Deontay Wilder squared off against his close friend and sparring partner Malik Scott, who started boxing aged eleven. Scott had a 70-3 amateur record and won the 1997 Junior Olympics and the following year picked up the American Boxing Classic title. In 1999 he became the National AAU heavyweight champion, but in the year 2000 he failed to qualify for the Sydney Olympics, turning pro that November.

Scott racked up a 35-0 (12 KOs) resume before drawing with fellow undefeated Vyacheslav Glaskov in February 2013. Five months later he boxed out of his native U.S.A for the first time and travelled to Great Britain, losing by a sixth round stoppage to Derek Chisora.

In January 2014 he stopped Grover Young in the second round before travelling to Puerto Rico to face Wilder in a WBC semi-final eliminator. Wilder, rated number three contender by the WBC, was also ranked four by the WBO, five by the WBA and twelve by the IBF. Scott, weighing 11 pounds (4.99 Kg) more than his opponent at 238 pounds. (107.95 Kg), came to the ring with a WBC ranking of twenty-three.

Scott circled Wilder until a left hook followed by a cracking right that Scott partially blocked, sent him to the canvas. He tried to get to his feet but failed to beat Roberto Ramirez Jnr’s count of ten, with the fight ending at the one minute and 36 seconds mark.

"I've got power,” said Wilder afterwards. “I've got natural power. This is something that you can't buy. This is something that you can't enhance and put in your body. This is all natural pure Alabama power. The left hand was right to the temple, to the head, and that is a soft spot. My power is crazy. I go through the gloves. Even though he had his gloves, there is nothing stopping that. Even though it went through his glove it still hurts."

"All the testing is done in the gym,” he continued when asked about stepping up for the heavyweight title, despite not facing the top contenders. “I bust my butt off in the gym to come here and perform for all the people and I make it look easy. I don't care if I don't go past four rounds or solve all the questions that people have about me. I have one mission and it is to unify all the heavyweight belts."

"I got caught,” said a disappointed Scott. “I don't really remember what happened because I never saw the shot coming. I know he caught me with the left hook. I am so disappointed. I trained really hard. It is just awful.”

However, with Scott supposedly being a step up in class for Wilder - despite not being in the top twenty - the crowd were unhappy by the way the fight ended, with some suggesting Scott had taken a dive. 

Scott obviously denied the claims, saying the left hook to the temple was the punch that scrambled his senses. Wilder also refuted the claims, saying: "Malik Scott is not going to fake no shot. He ain't getting that much money in the world to just fake and go down and put an L on his record. He is seeking the same goal that I'm seeking, to be heavyweight champion of the world. I've known Malik for a long time and he's not the type of guy to take a fall. He had to have been seriously hurt and he can tell you himself. It's boxing and things happen like that. Sometimes you do the unexplained in the ring and you can't explain it really. I can sit here and talk about how much power I have in both hands and getting hit to the temple and stuff like that, but the average fan don't want to hear that or grasp on to that, unless they get in the ring and I strap on ten ounce gloves and punch them in the face." 

 

Australia's Alex Leapai was the next challenger to face Wladimir Klitschko at Germany’s Koenig Pilsener Arena on 26th April. Klitschko told German newspaper Die Welt that he intended to remain champion for the next ten years.

Leapai started his paid career with a draw over the 5-0 Mark De Mori in July 2004. The Samoan-born Australian hardly left his country to fight and by the time he faced Kevin Johnson in April 2012 he had compiled a resume of 25-3-3-(20 KOs). Johnson was in the process of rebuilding his career after suffering his first loss to WBC champion Vitali Klitschko and stopped Leapai in the ninth round.

The Australian won his next four bouts and was rewarded by facing the undefeated WBO mandatory contender Denis Boystov in Germany in November 2013. Russia’s Boystov was a decorated amateur winning the Cadet World Championship in 2001 at light-middleweight and the following year jumped up to heavyweight capturing the same title. In 2004 he became Junior World super-heavyweight champion, turning pro that year and compiled a record of 33-0 (26 KOs) by the time he faced Leapai. 

Leapai, rated number eight by the WBO, floored and outpointed Boystov, with the organisation elevating him to number one contender. The new mandatory contender became the first Australian to fight for the heavyweight championship since Bill Squires was stopped in the thirteenth round on 24th August 1908. Squires had previously lost to Burns for the title in July 1907 - a first-round stoppage - and June 1908 - an eighth-round knockout.

Shannon Briggs, the former WBO heavyweight champion, got more media attention than the Australian in the build-up to the contest with his antics of disturbing Klitschko’s training session, one of the press conference’s and at the official weigh-in. On each occasion, he would rip off his shirt and demand a title shot. Klitschko and his manager Bernd Bönte showed little interest in the American.

Leapai actually scaled a pound heavier than Klitschko, weighing in at 248 pounds (112.49 Kg), though this slight advantage didn’t stop the dominant champion flooring the Australian in the opening round. 

Klitschko was in control of the bout, using his jabs to great effect and scoring with his right. Leapai offered little resistance and was floored twice more in the fifth, with referee Eddie Cotton calling time at the two minutes and 5 seconds mark of the round.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this chapter then you can get the rest of the book, along with my other boxing titles, here: https://linktr.ee/leroy_fight_writer