Saturday’s mega-fight, a rematch of a lopsided first bout where judges wrestled with themselves on the importance of winning rounds versus knockdowns which led to an eventual controversial draw, accomplished several different significant events for the sport of boxing. Official numbers have yet to be released for the amount of pay-per-view buys, but it is gauranteed to surpass the all time heavyweight record as the gate admission record held by Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis set in 1999 was broken at over $17 million in tickets sold. 

 

Box office sales were right about where the drama ended for the night, hours before either fighter even sat to have their hands wrapped for the big WBC and Lineal championship fight. Tyson Fury as he has done over and over in his career ended another undefeated fighter’s streak and in the most impressive of fashions.  

 

 

 

Following his only two mistakes of the first fight which saw him on his back looking up at the Lakers Championship banners in the rafters at Staples Center, Fury changed everything. New trainer in Sugar Hill Steward, new nutritionist, new cornermen, new outlook. Fury was laughed at when he spoke of his strategy of going for a knockout of Deontay Wilder after being robbed on first set of cards and having three American judges named for second fight, but his team’s plan was executed flawlessly.  

 

 

 

Only a fool would dive in the ring attempting to knock out someone who has not touched canvas in some time and has no losses in his career. Evander Holyfield described Deontay Wilder as a cobra. Well when you play with snakes you better be damn well sure you don’t get bit. That’s exactly what Tyson changed between fight one and two with Wilder. He learned how not to get bit when playing with the cobra. 

 

Nothing changed about Deontay Wilder’s right hand Saturday. It was there just as it was against Breazeale and Ortiz. Tyson Fury not only avoided the right hand he avoided Wilder all together outlanding his opponent 82 to a mere 34 total punches in seven rounds. Fury as he did in the first bout used his strong foot work and the upper body movement of a middleweight to avoid Deontay at every chance. 

 

In rounds one and two the styles of both men were visibly on display as Deontay Wilder hit Tyson Fury with two hard right hands both which could have hurt a different opponent or even Fury in their first meeting, but Tyson ate the rights like a Las Vegas buffet plate. Entering round 3 already down on the scoredcards the fight took a turn in an unchangeable direction after an over-hand right from Fury shook Wilder to his core dropping him to the ground and busting his right ear drum. 

 

Exhibiting pure will and courage Deontay Wilder rose from a vicious knockdown and must be commended for his warrior mentality and perseverance to fight for three and a half more rounds. Tyson Fury who landed 38 power punches in 12 rounds of the first fight had racked up 58 significant blows to the now former WBC champion in only the first six, and Wilder could not recover from the damage. 

 

In boxing, the worst reputation anyone can have is a quitter and it’s why Deontay Wilder screamed at his corner when they threw in the towel ending his nightmare of a evening. Wilder’s pride and will wanted to continue but is the responsibility of his corner to save him from himself and keep in mind there are plenty of nights left to be on the big stage and not worth risking in an unwinnable fight in which he was being shut out.   

 

Looking to the future Deontay Wilder has a contractual option to activate a third fight against Tyson Fury. It has a 30 day expiration date and is up to him and his team if they want a third chance to try and end Fury’s undefeated record. Tyson Fury, now the Lineal, WBC, and Ring Magazine champ has a chance to unifying the heavyweight division in what could be the biggest fight in his country’s history should him and Anthony Joshua the WBA IBF and WBO champ meet in summer of 2020. Wembley Stadium would likely be the venue of choice and with it’s ability to sell upward of 100,000 tickets would break every record in existence for a heavyweight fight and chance to be the first unified British champion since Lennox Lewis.