The resume reads 42 victories. 41 by way of knockout. Ten of those were in defense of his WBC Heavyweight Championship. Standing at 6-foot-7 and an estimated 220 pounds in each fight, the svelte physique disguised one of the most potent weapons, a devastating right hand, ever seen in the history of boxing. Yet despite those impressive credentials, Deontay Wilder was still a decided, albeit a LIVE, underdog in the third chapter of his competition with his fistic rival Tyson Fury. Originally scheduled for July 24, Fury-Wilder 3 took place Saturday, Oct. 9, at the T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The nonstop action, commenced from the opening bell, featured five knockdowns between the two combatants before one of the most exciting slugfests in the history of the Heavyweight division came to a dramatic, emphatic halt with Tyson Fury once more besting Wilder via an 11th round knockout to retain his WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Championship.
Said the boisterous Fury of what transpired in the ring, “This was a great fight and October 9, 2021, will go down in history, I hope. He’s a tough man. He took some big shots tonight. It was a great fight, as good as any trilogy in history.” He concluded, “I always said I was the best in the world, and he was the second best. Don’t ever doubt me. When the chips are down, I will always deliver.”
While not in attendance for the post fight press conference, Wilder issued a statement that said, “I did my best, but it wasn’t good enough tonight. I’m not sure what happened. I know that in training he did certain things, and I also knew that he didn’t come in at 277 pounds to be a ballet dancer. He came to lean on me, try to rough me up and he succeeded.”
As a precaution, Deontay Wilder was taken to University Medical Center for evaluation where it was revealed that Wilder will be having right-hand surgery next week to repair a broken bone he suffered during the contest.
While all the spoils go to the victor, Wilder going out on his shield earned him a level of respect he hadn’t seen during his reign as champion. Celebrity fans offered:
“Sometimes when you lose you win. Respect to Deontay Wilder. Lionheart.”—LOVE aka Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs
“Even more respect for Wilder!”—Donovan Mitchell
“Wilder showed major heart…the better man won. Fought six rounds with his legs gone…”—Damian Lillard
Mike Tyson, former Baddest Man on the Planet, surmised it best, “Fury vs. Wilder fight will go down as one of the greatest. Not for skill but for action and excitement. That fight was all guts, heart, and determination. Everybody won Saturday night. The fight was bigger than the hype. Both of them reached all-time great status.”
While not in an athletic endeavor, another matchup of All Time Great Heavyweights will take place this week as Triller will unveil a weekend extravaganza, two-day event: TrillerVerz III on Saturday, Oct. 16 and Sunday, Oct. 17 at Barclays Center featuring world class professional boxing and extraordinary iconic musical acts, an unforgettable weekend of incredible entertainment presented by Triller Fight Club and Verzuz. Saturday night will premiere the new concert series Iconz presented by Verzuz, after a live boxing event, and will feature the legendary superstar reggae artist Super Cat. Sunday night’s Verzuz battle features hip hop legends, Big Daddy Kane vz. KRS-One. The boxing card will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday followed by Super Cat and 7 p.m. on Sunday with Big Daddy Kane vz. KRS-One.
TrillerVerz was created to bridge the worlds of boxing and music produced by Triller Fight Club, the company known for pairing world class boxing with iconic music legends. The entire weekend will be produced by Nigel Lythgoe, the Triller Fight Club visionary.
“This is a really exciting moment in the TrillerVerz history where we have the first back-to- back Verzuz events in the same venue. Having Super Cat and his surprise guests Saturday night followed by Big Daddy Kane vz. KRS-One Sunday night, truly it will be a Brooklyn takeover and a moment in musical history not to be missed,” said acclaimed producer Lythgoe, creator and executive producer of “American Idol” and “So, You Think You Can Dance.” “Super Cat is an icon and a legend, and the surprise guests are sure to be the talk of the music world.”
Promoted in association with DiBella Entertainment, separate tickets for each event starting at $27.50 are available through SeatGeek.com and TrillerFightClub.com. However, the entire TrillerVerz two-day weekend event will be broadcast exclusively on TrillerFightClub.com and Fite Only, through the TrillerVerz subscription package priced at $2.99 per month with a minimum of one TrillerVerz staged each month.
Over and Out, Holla next week. Til then, enjoy the nightlife.