Ten Takes From Last Night

1) Fury is Comeback Fighter of the Year- I don't even know if there is even anyone remotely close. If he isn't all the way back, he is 90 to 95 percent there. And that is good enough to beat most and compete with all. 2) Wilder is a Fighter of the Year candidate. Doubt he wins it, (yeah you may not like his skill level) but the truth is he took on arguably two of the top 5 heavys in the world this year and got thru both without a loss. 3) The draw was the right call. I am not sure if I agree with any of the scorecards round for round, but the draw as an outcome feels right. There were plenty of very close rounds and those two KD rounds have to loom large in any scoring given how close the rest of the fight was. 114-112 either way is about right. 4) Folks who think this was a robbery either way are just flat out wrong. If coming forward is enough to give your favorite fighter the benefit of the doubt, it's enough to give Wilder the same respect. If moving, thinking defense first, and landing a counter here and there is enough to give your favorite fighter the benefit of the doubt, then it's enough to give Fury the same respect. Stop acting like it was one-sided because it wasn't. It was high stakes cat and mouse, and unlike Wlad v Fury, we actually had plenty of action. 5) The draw may turn out to be the best thing that could happen to both fighters. If the fight sold even moderately well, it turns any negotiation with AJ by either man on it's head. Even without good numbers, it's now clear that it is far from certain that AJ is the best in the division. Both men can now argue with some validity that they are better than AJ and that will no doubt translate into better leverage in any negotiations. 6) Speaking of negotiations, it must be clear to Hearn by now that he has a huge problem on his hands. How can he continue to lowball Fury or Wilder when they can rematch each other and make millions? Word is going to get out how epic this fight was, even to the casuals. A rematch is among the biggest fights that can be made in the sport, no question. 7) I do have a problem with the 115-111 card. No way did 4 points separate the fighters in either direction. I disagree with the 114-112 Fury yet find it viable. I find the British judge's card the most accurate (113-113) tho I don't necessarily agree with it round by round. Folks claiming this happened because the fight was in America need to shake themselves. It's a draw or close fight anywhere and no place has a monopoly on dubious scorecards. 8) No, Fury did not benefit from a long count in round 12 or favorable refereeing. Jack Reiss did a creditable job all night and picked up his count exactly where he should have. Fury made it to his feet before 10, not easily but he did it. He then weathered the storm Wilder came at him with and even came back some. Helluva finish and props to Fury for his heart and courage. 9) Lost in all of this is any talk of Wilder's heart and courage. After all, it was just 3 years ago that we saw one of the longest reigning champions in the sport's history completely undressed and befuddled by the same tactics Fury used last night. But, instead of being frustrated and mailing some of it in as Wlad did, Deontay persisted. Wilder never lost faith in himself and was rewarded by finally catching Tyson not once but twice. In a rematch, both men will be better but I like Wilder's chances even more now that he is familiarized with Fury's unorthodoxy. 10) I think a lot of things got put to rest last night. Laugh all you want about Wilder's skill, there is little doubt left that he is either the best in the division or damned close to it. I think Fury proved he is back and also levels above most of the division. And does anyone doubt he is still THE LINEAL CHAMPION now? I think not. We had a great fight last night, one that might become a classic. It was a very good thing for the sport.