This page is dedicated to the breakdown of the three fights – Fury vs Wilder. One of the most interesting trilogy’s in boxing history. The hardest puncher of all time vs the slickest heavyweight since Muhammad Ali.
Origins
When Tyson Fury had beaten Klitchscho he went off the rails as many people know he ballooned up to over 400lbs and was clinically depressed. Wilders team was trying to develop there fighters brand within boxing and reached out to Fury’s team with the aim of an easy win. Out of shape and out of his mind the lineal champion was setup to fail. Two warmup fights later (against poor opponents) and nearly three years out of the ring. The pair met firs the first time in the ring December 2018. Little did they knew they wouldn’t see the back of each other until October 2021.
Fury vs Wilder I – Dead and buried?
The first fight was as dramatic as they get, Wilder the heavy favorite. Fury just heavy. A new trainer, ring rust and in foreign lands it wasn’t expected to last long. Wilder had KO’d all 39 opponents he had faced, he is known to be one of the biggest punchers of all time. Fury moved like a middleweight, he didn’t let Wilder get a clean shot for most of the fight but Wilders eraser still loomed. It took 9 rounds for the bronze bomber to land a knockdown blow. Fury was down but not out – he beat the count. Wilder threw the kitchen sink at Fury but wasn’t able to finish him.
As the fight went on the scales were tipped back into Fury’s favor he had won every round expect for the 9th where he was knocked down, in the championship round he just had to avoid Wilder for 3 minutes to claim back his crown. It was do or die for Wilder he HAD TO knock him out to keep his belt. The Alabama slammer came in the 12th and final round it was like a movie.
It’s over!
Fury’s dreams were over or just beginning.. his eyes were in the back of his head, the referee started counting where most wouldn’t. Wilder celebrated, the crowd cheered but then in undertakeresque fashion Fury rose like a phoenix from the ashes. It was one of the most if not the most iconic moments in boxing history, not that he got up but he got up and took it to Wilder. If there was a 13th round you could make a strong case that Fury would have stopped him.
In this event these two fighters carved out a moment in boxing history which will never be forgotten. The draw was controversial which adds to the drama. I’m glad it was ruled a draw we might not have had the next set of events without it.
Fury vs Wilder II – The rise of a king
This second fight felt like a continuation of the first. You would have to nail Fury to the canvas to stop him getting up. He had taken Wilders best shots and still managed to outland and outclass the bronze bomber. Fury’s father said his son was as weak as a kitten in the first fight and you would see a different man this time around. He was not wrong. Tyson put on a boxing display.
This was one of the most one sided fights in heavyweight championship history. Fury delivered two clear knockdowns and Deontay had “slipped” a couple times too. He was like bambi on ice or a fish out of water. He looked like he didn’t belong in the same room as Fury never mind the same ring. The questions had been answered and it was time to move on to bigger and better things. At least that’s what we thought would happen.
Fury vs Wilder III – Nobody but Wilder wants this!
Following Wilders loss many excuses followed. “Ring walk outfit was too heavy” “my water was spiked” “Tyson’s gloves were tampered” “my trainer betrayed me” and many more. Fury tried to move on to setup a mega fight with Anthony Joshua a unification fight that would end with having one champion in the heavyweight division. The planned event was almost complete.. but then.. out of nowhere a judge had ruled in favor of Wilder for a rematch. The negotiation date has passed for the rematch clause to be invoked. The fight everyone wanted had crashed and burned. Now we would see Wilder and Fury meet again for a third time.
Joshua beats Usyk, Fury beats wilder then the megafight can go ahead right? Wrong. Joshua was stunned by Usyk (in his own backyard) no less than two weeks before Fury’s fight with Wilder. Another spanner in the works.
Many people expected the third fight to go just as the second one did, annihilation from Fury. Wilder had other ideas coming in at 240lbs – a career heaviest. He planned on nailing Fury to the mat.
Who would have thought it?
A fight nobody wanted turned out to be one of the most dramatic fights in heavyweight history. 5 knockdowns, both fighters showing true grit. Fury kicked things off with a knockdown. Wilder was not down and out like many expected though – knocking fury down twice in the 4th it looked like it was over. As mentioned before though Fury has been down but never out. He rose from the canvas as wilder threw everything but the kitchen sink at Fury.
Surviving the round (barely) Fury looked the stronger man, Wilder was gassed out and the tide had shifted again into Fury’s favor. This was by no means over; Wilder has the eraser after all. Alas it never came. In the 10th round the bronze bomber shown his true grit by beating the count once again but Wilder was drowning. As the fight went on Fury’s weight and intensity was too much for him to handle and in the 11th round after a massive right hook it was all she wrote for Wilder.
Despite Wilder loosing all three of these his stock rose dramatically. In this third and final fight he earned the right to be called a champion. I hope these two can reflect together on what they did to the boxing world as men and hopefully one day as friends.
Fury vs Wilder III highlights
Read more about Tyson Fury in our page dedicated to how he became the Gypsy king here
How many times did Fury and Wilder fight?
Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder fought 3 times – 1 draw which many had Fury winning, the other 2 fights ended by knockout in favour of Tyson Fury