More than a year later, Tyson Fury still can’t fully explain how he made it to the final bell in his first fight with Deontay Wilder, even if he unquestionably believes he deserved to win the fight.
The unbeaten British heavyweight continues to draw accolades over the manner in which he recovered from two knockdowns in last December’s 12-round draw with Wilder (42-0-1, 41KOs), two sequences which would’ve knocked out nearly any other fighter on the planet. Fury arose from a 9th round knockdown after outboxing Wilder to that point, but the dramatic fashion in which he beat the count following a right hand and clean-up left hook midway through the 12th round continues to serve as a conversation piece.
For as many times as Fury has been asked how he finished the fight on the feet, the answer remains a mystery.
“I really do not know,” Fury admitted during a recent appearance on ESPN’s college football-themed ‘College Gameday’ show, where he was on set to promote his recently announced rematch with Wilder which takes place February 22 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. “Wilder says he concussed me. Maybe he did.”
The fact that Fury finished the fight ultimately caused the great debate as to whose hand deserved to be raised that evening. Most viewers felt Fury (29-0-1, 20KOs) deserved the decision despite the two knockdowns, but both parties were forced to settle for a split decision draw atop their Showtime Pay-Per-View headliner.
Fury has since won two straight and is now 4-0-1 since returning to the ring last June following more than a 30-month break due to an assortment of personal issues. His two most recent wins have streamed live on ESPN+, with whom he signed a lucrative long-term deal at a time when he had the chance to run it back with Wilder.
It proved a wise move, as the rematch has become big enough to the point where ESPN and Fox Sports have agreed to join forces to present the PPV rematch. The fight was formally announced by all involved parties on Friday, with Fury already making the media rounds beginning with his appearance on the set of College Gameday, live on location from the greater Phoenix area which hosted the Playstation Fiesta Bowl where defending champion Clemson topped Ohio State to advance to the January 13th national college football championship versus #1 ranked LSU.
Meanwhile, Fury is heading to a championship event of his own. He remains confident of victory in his return go with Wilder, who has scored a pair of highlight reel knockouts over Dominic Breazeale and most recently in a rematch with Luis Ortiz in leading to this bout.
Both fights were a reminder of Wilder’s uncanny flair for one-punch knockouts, a fact of which Fury has never lost sight.
“It’s not that something went wrong,” Fury explained of his twice getting dropped. “It’s called heavyweight boxing. One punch changes everything and I paid the price. I backed up in a straight line, got clipped with a right hand it was good night, Vienna. That was all she wrote."
Ever the salesman, the unbeaten Brit played to his current environment in reliving the past.
"But then I rose from the canvas like a Phoenix from the ashes to get back into it, shake him up and finish the fight," noted Fury.
This time around, he doesn’t just plan to finish the fight but close the show.
"I’m looking forward to setting the record straight,” notes Fury, who will work with SugarHill Steward and former middleweight champion-turned-trainer Andy Lee for the rematch. “I beat him last time, 10 rounds to 2. Got the draw, very controversial decision.
“This time is going to be different. I’m gonna take him out… and get the victory.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox