Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury were both left stunned after their incredible split decision draw in Los Angeles
Wilder, who retains his WBC heavyweight world title, twice sent Fury to the canvas late into the fight only for the challenger to pick himself up and salvage the draw.
He had dominated the early rounds and looked set for another historic victory before Wilder grew in confidence and connected with extraordinary shots in the ninth and final round. Watch live coverage and follow our news updates below.
“I think Wilder is going to come and try to kill him and if Wilder walks into that one-two he's dead. This could be an early one.
“What I will say though is that anyone who underestimates Tyson Fury is a fool.
“And you know what? I've had two guys in Wilder's training camp giving me reports from there – and he's not ready for this fight.
“Have they underestimated Fury? Big time. They don't know what they're in for.”
Wowsers.
“Deontay Wilder, who? I believe Deontay’s thinking he needs to defeat me to give himself some gratification. And what better time to do it when he thinks I’m at my lowest?”
It never stops with Tyson.
Report
On his long and painful road back to the summit of the heavyweight division, Tyson Fury has survived sinking sixteen pints of Stella a day, a cocaine addiction, a doping scandal and an aborted attempt to kill himself. Add to that list, a pair of Deontay Wilder’s feared overhand rights, which twice relegated Fury to the canvas in a wild ninth round. But Fury picked himself up to draw this most chaotic of heavyweight fights, and in doing so climbed to impossible new heights.
This was a script so plainly implausible that even the well-heeled luvvies who had travelled down from Hollywood Hills turned for the exits scarcely able to comprehend what they had just witnessed. The end result: a split decision draw that sees Wilder retain his WBC heavyweight world title, after Fury dominated the early rounds only for Wilder to twice catch him late on — first in the ninth and then in the twelfth.
Neither man was happy with the outcome. A rematch is not just a formality — but a must. READ MORE.
