Tyson Fury's won a slugfest with Deontay Wilder with an 11th round knockout to retain his WBC heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday (NZ time).
After a cagey start, 'The Gypsy King' knocked Wilder to the canvas late in the third round and appeared on track for a comfortable defence in the trilogy bout.
But Wilder floored the champion twice in the fifth round with his trademark right hand only the bell saved Fury, denying the American a chance for a fight ending third knockdown of the round.
But from that point, Fury dominated every round, as an exhausted Wilder fell to the canvas again in the eighth round, before Fury ended the fight in the 11th with a crunching left hand to retain his title in one of the best heavyweight title fights in history.
With the win, Fury (31-0-1) has now taken two of the three meetings between the rivals, and will likely defend against Dillian Whyte in his next bout.
The result leaves Wilder in career-limbo, having failed to beat Fury in his last three fights, after reigning as WBC champion for five years.
"It was a great fight tonight, it was worthy of any trilogy in the history of the sport," Fury says.
"Deontay Wilder's a top fighter, he gave me a real run for my money. I always said I'm the best in the world and he's second best."
A unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk will have to wait, as Britain's Anthony Joshua earlier in the day triggered his clause for a rematch against Usyk, who defeated him last month to take the WBA, WBO, IBF.
