Tyson Fury put in one of the best boxing performances from a Brit in the United States as he stopped Deontay Wilder in the seventh round to win the WBC belt and retain his status as the lineal heavyweight champion. Still undefeated, Fury came out all guns blazing and did what many people thought he couldn’t and floored the American twice before his corner threw in the towel. Those comments claiming that Fury was ‘feather-fisted’ from his opponent before the fight certainly came back to bite him.
We all saw what happened inside the ring, but what about those little things you may have missed during the fight. There are some gems in here.
Fury’s Pre-Fight Antics
How you feel on fight night plays a massive part in the performance in the ring and Fury was certainly relaxed as always heading into this one. The difference between the camps in the dressing rooms was noticeable as Fury began the antics early, trying on his crown and pretending to spank Wilder when he was stretching ahead of the fight.
Next, he began his workout looking spritely, wearing his leopard-print boxers. As James Brown’s ‘Get Up Offa That Thing’ blared across his changing room, Fury shadow boxed before working on his footwork to the rhythm of the tune. His team were impressed and why not. He can sing, he can dance and boy can he box.
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The Nigerian Gumshield
The singing may have taken centre stage but the confidence Fury showed ahead of his fight with Wilder was there for all to see. It is the subtle nuances that can often get in a boxer’s head and the fact that the Brit’s gumshield featured a Nigerian flag with the word ‘Nigeria’ emblazoned upon it was a nod to Anthony Joshua’s heritage.
It showed that Fury was already looking past his opponent in the ring on Saturday night and, instead, looking ahead to an all-British unification bout with AJ. Such a small thing on the surface, but this was yet another masterstroke from the Gypsy King, the master of the mind games.
Post Fight Words Of Respect
With Deontay Wilder left battered, bloodied and bruised after the fight and a potential third fight on the horizon, Fury showed what a true champion he was by heading over to him and offering words of encouragement. Wilder, who has never experienced the feeling of defeat before, was left visibly distraught that his corner had thrown in the towel, but Fury was on hand for him at the end of the show.
“What a fight. What a fighter you are. Anybody you land on, let me tell you something, in that first round, dynamite. God bless you and your family.”
The Judges’ Scorecards
Fury said he would not let the fight get as far as the judges after he felt, quite rightly, robbed in the first fight and although he backed up his words inside the ring it is interesting to take a look at how the judges viewed the fight this time around.
Unsurprisingly, Fury was well ahead on every card having dropped his opponent in rounds three and five before stopping him in the seventh. Only one judge gave Wilder a single round, as Glenn Feldman felt the American did enough to win a tight second round. The other rounds scored by the three judges were all scored in Fury’s favour.
Wilder Getting His Ear Stitched
Something that caused the American trouble all night was his left ear, which bled profusely after he was caught with a vicious shot by the bigger man Fury, who used his weight advantage perfectly throughout the fight.
The scenes in the dressing room afterwards were difficult to watch as Wilder had his ear stitched by a doctor while laying flat out on a table. Later on, his family join him to console the former champion as his partner massages his leg and his team sit in silence. With every winner, there is a loser and it is sad to see any champion taste defeat.
Fury Calling His Dad
Tyson Fury shares a close bond with his father and as his father cannot visit the United States due to previous convictions, he was forced to watch from the UK as his son aimed to win the WBC belt. Straight after the fight, Fury was caught talking to his father on the phone, the man who introduced him to the sport at a young age.
John Fury’s prediction came true as his son was too destructive for Wilder and stopped him inside the twelve rounds, something that many people doubted he could do. Tyson’s conversation with his father featured some great lines including: “Listen, I was too strong for him Dad… The sheer strength of me put him over with a body shot. Did it look good on the telly?"
