When Tyson Fury dropped Deontay Wilder flat on his back with a short right uppercut in the third round of their trilogy Saturday, the end for both the fight and their rivalry appeared near.
Fury dropped Wilder during the third round of their second fight, too, and that ended in a seventh-round obliteration of "The Bronze Bomber" back in February 2020. So, the fact that Fury scored his first knockdown in the same round didn't bode well for Wilder's chances. If anything, it looked like the WBC and lineal heavyweight champion of the world was going to make good on his promise to destroy Wilder well short of the seven rounds it took him to get the job done in their rematch.
But Wilder gingerly made it back on his feet, gathered his bearings and survived the frame. And when the fourth round rolled around, the former WBC titleholder made sure to put his one-punch power, guts and most importantly, heart, on display simultaneously. After sluggishly depositing a left hand to Fury's midsection, Wilder came across the top with his vaunted right hand. The massive shot crashed against Fury's temple and the "Gypsy King" fell to the canvas after a delayed reaction.
A few moments later, Wilder dropped Fury again for an improbable, staggering 10-7 round scored in his favor.
Whatever was going to happen from there aside, Wilder's rally had turned the trilogy into an instant classic and perfect bookend to close out this heated heavyweight rivalry for the ages with pure magic. For Wilder had done what Fury had to do during their first clash back in December 2018 — get up.
He also, albeit for a moment, proved to himself that he could get up and turn the tide of a fight against his rival 180 degrees — something he couldn't muster during their second meeting.
That electric output during the fourth round put this fight and the entire trilogy into boxing's lore with a bout that will not be forgotten any time soon.
There's no doubt that Fury is the better boxer. He entered the trilogy fight that way and reinforced that Saturday night, overcoming two knockdowns himself for a stirring 11th-round TKO.
But Wilder's output in that fourth round, ability to absorb shots and somehow remain standing across several sequences turned their third meeting into a Rocky scene of high drama give-and-take.
Wilder had complained about former trainer Mark Breland throwing in the towel and preventing him from going out on his shield during his second fight with Fury.
Well, about 20 months later, a hard right from Fury during the 11th round triggered the ref into bringing the fight to a halt with Wilder more than going out on his shield the way he desired. The way his body careened to the canvas spelled nothing short of a warrior who had given it his all with an undeniable heart.
The near 33 minutes of action Saturday night and 30 rounds across three fights have garnered enough footage to someday be a several-part documentary series of its own.
It's the only way to tell the story of Fury overcoming having ballooned overweight, mental health struggles and substance abuse to battle the knockout artist Wilder to a split draw in December 2018 that had him rising off the apron in the 12th round like The Undertaker.
Then, he completed that comeback for the ages with a plowing destruction of Wilder in February 2020, paving the way for a trilogy that didn't lack plot twists fit for a soap opera, either.
No one will forget all the ways Wilder accused Fury of cheating following their second fight. There was the manipulated gloves assertion, tainted water and even Wilder blaming his own ring entrance attire on the one-sided loss. Fury contracting with Covid in July to postpone the trilogy, which was put into effect through an arbitration ruling, only heightened the drama.
Wilder showing up to the trilogy's first press conference with headphones had critics and fans alike pondering if he truly got over the mental hurdle of being beat down so savagely.
All that buildup hit a crescendo Saturday night in Las Vegas, with most critics and fans believing Fury would win with Wilder given his puncher's chance.
For nearly 33 minutes, Fury and Wilder showed why boxing is a Sport of Kings ... even if the "Gypsy King" would be the only man with his hand raised by the night's end.
Still, all in all, the Fury-Wilder trilogy fight and series was nothing short of pure boxing magic.