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    Categories: Boxing

Fast and Fury-ious, Gypsy King Pounds Wilder Into Submission In Seventh Round Before 15,816 Sellout At MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday

Credit for story photos: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

By Cassandra Cousineau for LVSportsBiz.com 

It was settled in Las Vegas Saturday night. Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21KOs), is the Baddest Man on the Planet. He pounced on Deontay Wilder (42-1-1,41 KOs) from the opening bell. And in the seventh round, Wilder’s corner protected its man and threw in the towel. Tyson Fury is now the WBC, Ring Magazine, and Lineal Heavyweight Champion of the World.
“A big shout out to Deontay Wilder. He came here tonight and he manned up and he really did show the heart of a champion,” the six-foot, nine-inch 273-pound jubilant champion said after the fight. “I hit him with a clean right that dropped him and he got back up. He is a warrior. He will be back. He will be champion again. But I will say, the king has returned to the top of the throne!”
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It’s a mighty lucrative throne too. The fight was a sellout with 15,816 packed in MGM Grand Garden Arena. As told to LVSportsBiz.com by Top Rank Promotions founder, Bob Arum, the live gate hauled in $16,916,440 — a new US heavyweight fight record. 
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Wilder was demonstrative when ref Kenny Bayless stepped between he and Fury to waive off the fight. In the immediate moment, he hadn’t seen the towel thrown into the ring by trainer Mark Brealand.

 

“I’m doing good. Things like this happen. The best man won tonight, but my corner threw in the towel and I was ready to go out on my shield. I had a lot of things going on heading into this fight.  It is what it is, but I make no excuses tonight. I just wish my corner would have let me go out on my shield. I’m a warrior. He had a great performance and we will be back stronger.”

The 34-year-old Alabama born Wilder went down in rounds three and five. Fury was subsequently docked a point in the fifth. 

“Even the greatest have lost and came back, that is just part of it. You just take it for what it is. I can make no excuses tonight. I had a lot of complications. But we’ll come back stronger next time around. This is what big-time boxing is all about, the best must fight the best.  I appreciate all the fans that came out and supported the show, and I hope that everyone gets home safely.”

Wilder wasn’t present at the post-fight press conference as he was transported to the hospital. He was bleeding from the ear fueling speculation that The Bronze Bomber has a busted ear drum.

Deontay Wilder arrived in costume but left beaten.Fury and Wilder could tangle for a trilogy fight if Wilder exercises his rematch clause within 30 days. If not, Fury is expected to keep himself busy if his countrymate Anthony Joshua doesn’t agree to fight him. 

The newly crowned champ came into the post-fight press conference praising his team. “Big shout to everyone who believed in me. We always had a dream of coming over to Las Vegas and taking over.”

Photos by Tom Donoghue:

 

 

 


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Alan Snel: Alan Snel brings decades of sports-business reporting experience to LVSportsBiz.com. Snel covered the business side of sports for the South Florida (Fort Lauderdale) Sun-Sentinel, the Tampa Tribune and Las Vegas Review-Journal. As a city hall beat reporter, Snel also covered stadium deals in Denver and Seattle. In 2000, Snel launched a sport-business website for FoxSports.com called FoxSportsBiz.com. After reporting sports-business for the RJ, Snel wrote hard-hitting stories on the Raiders stadium for the Desert Companion magazine in Las Vegas and The Nevada Independent. Snel is also one of the top bicycle advocates in the country.