Tyson Fury: First Wilder, then Anthony Joshua?

Saturday, 22 February 2020: the legendary MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Evander Holyfield had already made heavyweight history here when he surprisingly dethroned the seemingly invincible Mike Tyson in 1996. The feared KO king - he had no chance against the surprisingly aggressive Holyfield. Deontay Wilder had also built up an aura of invincibility and cemented his reputation as a brutal knockouter. Deontay Wilder was the favourite on that 22 February in Las Vegas.

However, Tyson Fury, the smart Briton who overcame depression and weight fluctuations after he once snatched the world titles from Wladimir Klitschko, was not intimidated by Wilder's reputation - just like Holyfield at the time. Even the two knockdowns he suffered in the pair's first clash in December 2018 had not left a mark. No, Tyson Fury was determined to put Wilder in his place. "I'm going to knock him out. I'm going to put him under pressure from the start," the "Gypsy King" announced repeatedly and was ridiculed for it. The salvation in the escape to the front against one of the hardest punchers in heavyweight history - a suicide mission, said many experts. A bluff, said the others.

Wilder and his team evidently believed the same - because when Tyson Fury resolutely stepped forward after the first bell on this Saturday evening, the American was visibly surprised and drawn. Wilder was able to keep up for two rounds, but was knocked down for the first time in the third. The second knockdown then followed in round five. The 34-year-old fought valiantly into the seventh round, but after further volleys of punches from Fury, the towel flew out of Wilder's corner. Tyson Fury had shocked the (boxing) world. Tyson Fury, the new WBC world heavyweight champion.

But after the fight is also before the fight. Fury is due to return to the ring in July, for a third and probably final time against Wilder. He had activated a contractually guaranteed rematch clause just a few days after the Las Vegas collapse: "The war has only just begun," he said. "I will rise again!" While most fans - and also Fury's co-promoter Frank Warren - could do without a third part after the clear course of the fight, Fury takes the task much more seriously: "I want to say one thing about Deontay Wilder: He is a terrific fighter and extremely dangerous. He can wipe out anything with his punch, he has 43 KOs and only this one defeat. Against Deontay, you're always just one punch away from disaster."

Just under a month before the scheduled date for Fury-Wilder 3, triple world champion Anthony Joshua's next fight is due to take place in London in June, a mandatory defence against Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev. Boxing fans all over the world are already longing for a unification duel between the two Brits Fury and Joshua - and the two boxers also claim that they absolutely want to organise the fight.

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn is very enthusiastic about the idea: "I'm convinced that AJ and Fury will be in the ring together next year - and it will be the biggest heavyweight fight of all time!" First Wilder and then Anthony Joshua - according to Fury, he would then also hang up his gloves: "I have two fights left in the tank, after that we have to make a clear decision about my future. I'm undefeated in 31 fights, I've been a professional for twelve years.

Two more fights and that's it!" It is unclear whether Tyson Fury will ultimately put this announcement into practice - but one thing is certain: the "Gypsy King" will no longer enter the ring as an underdog in these two, possibly his last, fights. And should he actually end his career after victories over Wilder and Joshua and retire as undefeated heavyweight champion, he will go down in the history books as one of the greats of his profession.