And down went Fury.Įveryone thought it was over. That was a perfect right-left combination from the boxing gods. But the second time, in round 12, was different. Fury looked sheepish, almost embarrassed. The first, in round 9, was more of a grazing punch. His herky-jerky style giving Wilder fights and making the ‘Bronze Bomber’ repeatedly and wildly miss with his money punch. Fury playing stick and move for most of the fight. Which is almost exactly how the first fight played out. Many boxing observers also reckoned that while Fury could outbox Wilder for the best part of the fight, it was only a matter of time before Wilder dropped Thor’s Hammer on Fury’s chin.

His own father predicted doom, telling Fury he wasn’t near ready and that Wilder would “hurt him”. But the usual boxing horse**** purse split, date and venue got in the way. Indeed, both Wilder and Joshua camps had flirted with making the superfight in 2018. Who spent the next couple of years staring at his own personal abyss: drinking, depression and drugs before mounting an improbably and incredible comeback in 2018.įury, who had at one point ballooned to around 350 pounds at his nadir, took a couple of no-name tune-up fights and set his eyes on the prize: challenging the then undefeated Wilder and stealing a march on his countrymate Anthony Joshua (also undefeated at that moment). The man who, beyond all expectations from boxing pundits, befuddled heavyweight legend Wladimir Klitchko in 2015. A fighting man in every sense of the word. The reason that question is up for debate is because we already know exactly who Fury is.

That’s the question that will be answered when the ‘Bronze Bomber’ Wilder (41-1-1) takes on his nemesis Tyson 'Gypsy King' Fury (30-0-1) on Sunday in Las Vegas. The feared puncher with the highest knockout to win percentage in all of boxing history who was scything through the heavyweight division? Or a one-trick pony in love with his own power who was knocking down tomato cans while collecting large paydays and a world title.

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