The heavyweight fight between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury at the Staples Center in Los Angeles was scored with a draw (115:111, 110:114, 113:113) (NOW in Re-LIVE on DAZN). Wilder, who twice sent his opponent from England into the ring dust, remains champion of the WBC.
Both boxers delivered a good fight. Fury tried from the beginning to provoke the bronze bomber from the USA with all sorts of tricks. The 30-year-old took down cover, grimaced and danced in front of his opponent.
But Fury had more to offer than just questionable gestures. The Gypsy King, who had defeated Vladimir Klitschko in 2015, delivered a tactically excellent performance, scoring goals again and again with his right hand and thus wasting Wilders strengths for a long time.
After eight laps, most of the experts saw the 2.06-metre Manchester giant, who became more and more confident from lap to lap and showed good combinations, slightly ahead. There was also nothing to be seen of the expected conditional deficits of Furys.
But in the ninth round Wilder hit his opponent out of nowhere with his right hand and Fury went to the ground. The Englishman, who after the fight against Klitschko had fallen into a deep hole of depression, alcohol problems and drug abuse, stood quickly again and demonstratively stuck out Wilder’s tongue.
In the 12th round, 33-year-old Wilder Fury turned around again. This time his right had hit Fury’s head much harder than the first time. However, Fury, who had been identified as an outsider by most experts before the fight, struggled again and managed the draw. Afterwards both boxers were in each other’s arms, the slogans and insults from the apron were forgotten.
Wilder (40-0-1, 39 KOs) remains WBC Champion after his eighth title defence and unbeaten like Fury (27-0-1, 19 Kos). The titles of the associations WBA, WBO and IBF are held by Furys compatriot Anthony Joshua.
But before it comes to a reunification fight between Wilder and Joshua, a rematch between Wilder and Fury could well take place. At least both protagonists still gave this promise in the ring.