Self-proclaimed "Gypsy King" Tyson Fury defeated reigning WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder via a seventh round stoppage in their rematch in Las Vegas.
The British boxer Tyson Fury was able to force a technical knockout (TKO) in the seventh round to take the WBC heavyweight title from American Deontay Wilder. Fury made sure to showcase a dominant performance 14 months after the two boxers' split-decision draw.
Fury knocked down Wilder in the third and fifth rounds before the American's corner decided to throw in the towel in the seventh round. The British heavyweight now remains undefeated after 31 fights.
Meanwhile, Wilder suffered his first loss in 44 fights on his 11th WBC title defense, falling to a record of 41 wins, one loss and one draw.
Fury, who predicted a second round knock out, said: "The king has returned to the top of the throne." He praised Wilder's courage for being able to extend the match to the seventh despite the early knockouts.
"I just want to say a big shout out Deontay Wilder," he said. "He manned up, he really did show heart of a champion. I hit him with a clean right hand and dropped him, and he got back up and battled on into round seven. He is a warrior, he will be back, he will be champion again," Fury said.
After the match, Wilder protested his corner's decision to stop the match. He said: "I just wish that my corner would have let me went out on my shield. I'm a warrior."
In their previous fight, the American boxer was able to knock Fury down twice despite being outboxed. They have a rematch clause.
Fury is expected to challenge fellow British heavyweight Anthony Joshua in a unification bout as Joshua currently holds the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles. Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn tweeted about the prospective match following Fury's win.
