WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury 31-0-01 (22) has declared himself the best heavyweight on the planet following his 11th round knockout victory over Deontay Wilder 42-2-1 (41) in their trilogy fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Navada on Saturday night.
“100 percent. I’m now the greatest heavyweight in my era without a doubt,” Fury told BT Sport “Number one, numero uno.”
In a rock and roll affair, Fury had Wilder on the canvas in the third but the 35-year-old American repaid with interest when he dropped the self-proclaimed Gypsy King twice in the fourth.
The 33-year-old British champion survived the spill and took over control in the the mid-to-late rounds. In the 10th he had Wilder on the canvas again and finished him off at 1:10 of the following frame.
Fury had to settle for a controversial split draw in his first fight against Wilder in Los Angeles in December 2018. In that bout he found himself on the deck in the ninth and 12th rounds after appearing to control much of the fight.
The rematch in February last year saw Fury turn from matador to bull, swarming Wilder and dropping him twice before the towel came in during the seventh stanza.
“Look what I’ve done in my last [five] fights,” Fury continued. “I fought the most devastating puncher in the history of our sport. Not once, not twice but three times. Danger, danger man.”
Wilder fired his co-trainer Mark Breland after his first loss to Fury and replaced him with former opponent Malik Scott.
Wilder was taken for medical treatment after his second knockout loss to Fury.
“We saw the doctor afterward, everything was cool. He’s got a busted lip, he broke his hand, broke his finger or knuckle. But life goes on,” Scott told ESNews.
Scott went on to praise Fury.
“I’ve always said he’s not good, he’s very good and damn-near great,” he said. “After tonight I’m gonna consider him a great fighter. Much respect… [Wilder] was great, Fury was greater. The best man won.
“We almost beat him. This was a hell of an experience… I want Deontay to get some good rest after this. I’m going to make sure he gets it.”
Fury was expected to face Anthony Joshua 24-2 (22) in the northern summer before an independent arbitrator ruled he was contractually obliged to face former champ Wilder for a third time.
Joshua, 31, lost his WBA, WBO and IBF belts to Ukrainian southpaw Oleksandr Usyk 19-0 (13) by unanimious decision in late September, putting the long-overdue fight against Fury on ice.
Joshua has enacted the immediate rematch clause against former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk, with the return bout expected to take place in the first quarter of the new year.
Fury may now be forced to face mandatory contender Dillian Whyte 28-2 (19) while the Joshua-Usyk rematch happens.
But Scott wants Usyk to forgo the return bout and face Fury first-up in a rare four belt unification bout.
“Fury, I’m assuming, will get the Usyk shot now, which will be good,” Scott said. “With Deontay, I believe with his style, he’d do a whole lot better against Usyk than AJ’s style did. Ten times better.
“Tyson Fury and Usyk is a very good fight. I can say this: if Tyson Fury is fighting Deontay Wilder and Deontay is 238 [pounds] and the hardest puncher in the history of the sport and he’s willing to come and lean on Deontay to wear him down, what do you think he’s going to do to Usyk?
“He is going to go right to him and want to lean on him and maul.”
