All questions, concerns and fears about whether Tyson Fury’s three brutal clashes with Deontay Wilder eroded his abilities have finally been confirmed: the damage Fury took in those fights has not left him.
Fury may have won two of the three heavyweight showdowns against Wilder (and received a draw when many thought he won their first fight), but he also visited the canvas four times. Two of those occasions were the result of flush right hands from Wilder, who is considered by most to be the hardest hitter in the heavyweight division in recent generations.
For Fury to eat those punches was no small feat. But the toll has come due.
Wilder and Fury gave the boxing world three memorable events between 2018 and 2021, yet each has walked away from those fights badly bruised – and forever changed. Wilder, for instance, has managed just one win (against Robert Helenius) in three fights since losing consecutively to Fury. Against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, it was clear he was a different fighter.
Deontay Wilder’s troubles
Wilder’s issues began after his clashes with Fury. He remained at the peak of his powers through their first fight in 2018, which ended in a debated draw, despite Wilder recording knockdowns in Rounds 9 and 12, with the latter appearing to knock Fury cold momentarily and keeping him down until the count of nine.
Two years later, Fury inflicted on Wilder the first defeat of his career, stopping him in seven rounds. In their third slugfest, an even more attritional battle, Fury repeated the stoppage win over Wilder, this time in the 11th round.
Since then, Wilder hasn’t been the same fearsome opponent who seemed to be avoided by so many potential foes years earlier. Wilder attempted to bounce back, recording a first-round stoppage win over Helenius, but that proved to be the last gasp of his prime. He would go on to suffer defeats to Parker and Zhang in his next two outings, putting an end to his years of heavyweight dominance.
“It’s mixed feelings,” Wilder said on the Laugh Out Loud Network. “Because ultimately I have accomplished all my goals in this sport. I told my daughter when she was 1 that I’d be a champion and I’d be able to support her beyond her belief. I’ve done that. There’s a lot of things that I’ve accomplished that I [don’t] feel I have to prove to anyone because I’ve already proven.”
Now 39, Wilder may have seen enough after a career that saw him render fighters such as Bermane Stiverne, Luis Ortiz, Dominic Breazeale, Eric Molina and Chris Arreola unconscious, defenseless or otherwise overmatched.
Tyson Fury’s triumphs and demons
Fury, who became unified heavyweight champion back in 2015 by toppling longtime champ Wladimir Klitschko, returned from an extended hiatus during which he dealt with his mental health and other issues. He returned and eventually earned back one of the heavyweight straps, in a win over Wilder in their second meeting. But even as Fury became the face of the heavyweight division, the lows were as deep as his highs were soaring.
Fury recorded wins over Dillian Whyte, Derek Chisora and Francis Ngannou after triumphing over Wilder in their trilogy, but his performances in those victories were unconvincing. The win over Ngannou – an MMA fighter with no pro boxing experience who nonetheless dropped Fury and finished the fight ahead on one scorecard – is even regarded as something of an embarrassment by most.
Then Fury lost consecutive bouts to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024. While he was extremely competitive in the first fight, Fury’s performance in last weekend’s rematch suggests that he has deteriorated over the years.
Fury’s punching power, ring generalship and hand speed appeared diminished during his rematch with Usyk, which some might argue had begun as recently as the Ngannou clash.
The unanimous decision loss to Usyk may not have been surprising, but the scores in defeat were even wider for Fury the second time around. At this point, the only place it seems Fury has to go is down. Only time will tell if he wants to fight on or call it quits.
Wilder is currently at a crossroads and still determining what to do with whatever may remain of his career. He has fallen down the pecking order in the heavyweight division after previously being the fighter to beat.
Retirement seems his best option. It would not only offer Wilder the opportunity to enjoy the millions he has earned but also allow him to avoid burying his greatest moments in the ring under further lackluster performances.
Meanwhile, Fury may want to give the ring another try – this time against countryman Anthony Joshua – who himself struggled and lost twice against Usyk. In his most recent fight, Joshua was thrashed in five rounds against Daniel Dubois in September, making the clash with Fury at least a somewhat compelling losers-bracket matchup.
The duo’s several attempts at facing one another during their primes failed to materialize, but they have an opportunity to give their British fans a memorable event that could offer both fitting ends to their careers.
Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and through email at [email protected].
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