After one of the greatest heavyweight fights in history, Tyson Fury was seen praying and crying in his corner following his 11th-round knockout of Deontay Wilder. The world champion bowed over the ropes, his hands still wrapped, as his brother Shane covered his head in a comforting gesture. Fury's close friend Tim Allcock also stood by as the champion offered a silent prayer of relief and gratitude.
The fight was a brutal contest that saw both men pushed to their limits. Wilder showed immense bravery, nearly stopping Fury in the fourth round when the champion went down twice. However, Fury recovered and dominated the later rounds, eventually overwhelming Wilder with his superior skill and ringcraft. The American was sent to hospital as a precaution after absorbing heavy punishment.
In the opposite corner, Wilder sat with blood on his lip and a swelling under his eye, while a doctor attended to him. His fiancée, Telli Swift, blinked back tears at ringside. The scene was a sombre reminder of the toll boxing takes on even its greatest champions.
Fury's victory confirmed him as the superior fighter in the trilogy, but the contest also served as a warning that boxing gets everyone in the end. Fury will likely defend his title again in spring, while Wilder faces a long recovery from the damage endured in the Nevada desert.
