The bell rings, signifying the start of the boxing match. Both boxers throw punches, gloves thud against the skin, and one man emerges victorious. In one corner, there is Tyson Fury, a man seeking the status of undisputed, and in the other, there is Deontay Wilder, a man seeking revenge after a defeat in their second fight.

This is the third time Fury and Wilder have clashed in the ring. The first bout ended in a draw, Tyson Fury claimed victory in the second bout, and finally, on Oct. 10,  the third bout ended decisively with a Technical Knockout(TKO) from Fury in round 11. 

“I was cheering for Wilder before the fight, as I believed that he was training harder after his defeat during the second fight,” Brandon Choi(10), an avid boxing fan, said. “I do believe that he improved a lot since his last fight because he was able to last until the later rounds before being knocked out. I just could not  believe Fury, a man with a large and overweight body type, could move as fast as he did and beat such an athletic man like Wilder.”

Wilder’s motivations for this fight were clear. After his first defeat against Fury last year, he had nothing to lose and felt pressured to redeem his reputation. However, for Fury who is considered by many to be the most technically skilled man in the current era of heavyweights, his goals were to defeat Wilder “Once and for All”, just like the title of this third fight.

“Before the fight, I knew that Tyson Fury would win, although both boxers likely gave it their all during training sessions,” Francisco Choi(12), a former boxer, said. “He did not want this trilogy fight, could not let this fight end in another draw like the first fight. He needed to solidify his position over Wilder, so had the same amount of motivation as Wilder to win, which he ended up doing.”

Despite his victory, this battle was not easy for Fury either, and his fight began long before entering the ring. In 2017, when he retired from boxing following a positive drug test for cocaine, he had reached his heaviest weight, weighing over 180 kg. He was also addicted to drugs and alcohol and even stated that he had regular suicidal thoughts.

Despite this setback, he managed to make a return to the world of boxing in 2018, training hard to lose all of his excess weight and quit his various addictions. He dived straight into the deep end, facing the then heavyweight champion of the world, Deontay Wilder, who had a knockout ratio of 97.6 percent. Ever since, Tyson Fury has often shared the story of his battle with mental health issues.

“I think that one of the things that come to mind is that Tyson Fury seems to be a very masculine person, with a very public career that requires him to be tough,” Ashlee Davis, HS counselor, said. “I think that Fury sharing the story of his mental health issues and addiction shows that it can happen to everyone. His story will inspire those going through the same issues that they didn’t do anything wrong and that they can recover from it as well.”

This trilogy battle between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder is being considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight trilogies in history, with dramatic upsets and knockdowns that sent shockwaves throughout the division. Despite his loss, Deontay Wilder also earned respect from many through his heart and determination throughout the fight.

For Tyson Fury, he stated that he will be taking a break from boxing to enjoy his victory over Deontay Wilder. Many assume the break will not be for long as in the aftermath of the fight, other fighters such as Andy Ruiz Jr. stated that they would like to challenge him for the title of champion.

“Tyson Fury fought really well, and he definitely deserves the win,” Hanjoo Lee(10), Tyson Fury fan, said. “He spent 6 months straight training and sacrificed time and effort to train, which is really admirable. The fight was excellent, and there was a great effort from both fighters with an impressive 5 knockdowns. This was truly a great fight.”