After the fight: Revisiting the greatness of Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder 3

The Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder trilogy is complete and ended classically. Here’s to putting the final bow on a battle between two warriors. 

Sitting in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, several fights before Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder 3, the big-fight energy typical for a highly anticipated contest was missing. It took all the strength two true warriors could muster to charge the atmosphere into a night that will last forever in boxing history.

Fury vs. Wilder 2 had that big-fight spirit, although it was one-sided. The second bout took place a little less than a month before the onset of the pandemic. The MGM Grand Garden Arena in February 2020 was filled to the brim with American and British boxing fans. No one wore a mask, and 15,816 people were crammed into the modestly sized arena.

Fury and Wilder led sensational ring walks. Wilder wore his now-infamous knight suite, which he blamed for fatiguing his legs, and Fury was carried on a throne dressed as a king. The fight lacked competitive drama, but the sound inside the stadium was deafening.

Less than an hour before Wilder and Fury’s walkouts on Saturday, Oct. 9, the crowd was sparsely populated. The fight card as a whole had talented fighters, but their contests fell well below expectations.

Robert Helenius boxed well against Adam Kownacki, but a disqualification ending let the air out of that match. Frank Sanchez defeated Efe Ajagba, but it was a forgettable performance. Then, Wilder and Fury made their way to the ring.

Both came with showmanship, but they lacked the specter of the second matchup. The crowd filled in, and cheers were loud, but something was missing.

When the first bell rang, Wilder stormed out of his corner hell-bent on settling his vendetta. He looked renewed and sharpened, but Fury took the wind out of his sails over the next two rounds.

The war between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder is over, but they helped each

Fury’s knockdown of Wilder in round 3 made fans shoot up out of their seats, but the possibility of a speedy ending nearly dashed the hopes of diehard boxing fans in attendance. Knockouts entertain, but they also disappoint when they spoil the prospect of a thrilling battle.

Many assumed Fury was on the verge of finishing Wilder, but Wilder proved his resilience and heart in round 4. He willed himself back into the fight, and his ever-dangerous right hand helped.

Wilder seduced fans into thinking that he was about to capture revenge over Fury during round 4. Fury couldn’t stay upright, and his legs looked shot. A reported 15,820 attendants screamed at the top of their lungs while stomping their feet and pumping their hands in the air out of excitement.

Wilder’s resurgence and monolithic soul made everyone in the T-Mobile Arena collectively overrun their brains with endorphins. The stadium was electric, and everyone knew that they weren’t witnessing an average fight.

People stood in awe as both men delivered moments of brutal success in the ring, but the momentum was quickly sliding Fury’s way. Wilder wore a dejected and desperate body language on his stool between rounds. It’s almost like he knew his night was going to end in disappointment, but Wilder fought on with courage in the hopes that he could somehow find one more right hand to flatten his foe for good.

https://twitter.com/ESPNRingside/status/1447221396719878147?s=20

It never came, but Wilder clung to the dwindling belief that it could solve his Fury problem in the ring. Instead, Fury elevated his boxing game to a new level. Overweight and not in his best shape, Fury’s internal resolve allowed him to fight beyond his physical abilities. Anybody who can do that can’t be defeated. It’s a talent that few have, but that Fury is quickly perfecting.

Fury didn’t know how he got to his feet at the count of nine in his first bout with Wilder. Something inside of him enabled Fury to defy reality and do something supernatural. He did it again by knocking Wilder out after hitting the canvas twice.

His right hand in round 11 cracked against Wilder’s temple rendering him unconscious, and ended the fight. The crowd’s excitement climaxed, and the war ended in the most dramatic way possible, making it a memorable fight in boxing history.

Fury was the better man, but Wilder also proved his greatness in defeat. Even his detractors can’t deny his effort or the merits of his willpower. They can try to slight the former champion with insults, but that would be false bravado and pure nonsense. Wilder is a champion. He just happened to lose to an even greater champion.

Fury and Wilder are forever linked after their trilogy. There may always be bad blood between them, but hopefully, time will add clarity and lessen Wilder’s prideful resentment of Fury’s victories. Both sacrificed more than anyone will ever know, and they made each other better. In that way, they owe each other a lot.