Tyson Fury has produced a career-best punch to end the challenge of Dillian Whyte in the sixth round in front of 94,000 people at Wembley Stadium.
The fight had been cagey and bad-tempered – the ref intervened on several occasions to warn the combatants – before Fury found his range and caught Whyte with a vicious uppercut.
Fury claimed in the ring after the fight that this would be his last contest, though that is a message that is heard many times in boxing before it actually occurs.
The self-proclaimed Gypsy King left in now traditional fashion, belting out American Pie to thousands of fans. It would be a surprise if it were the last time that we heard his signature tune.
The fight itself had been defined by Whyte’s inability to get through to Fury, who used every inch of his reach advantage to nullify the challenger.
Whyte began in a southpaw stance in round one, but returned to regular programming thereafter and found the same lack of success.
Not that Fury was landing too much himself, but he won all the early rounds without much hassle.
Whyte had to change things up and make the contest into a brawl. After a slow start, he did find some joy in attempting to manhandle Fury, but also drew the ire of the referee after a series of clinches and punches on the break.
With Mark Lyson repeatedly reading the riot act to both fighters, things looked like they might get more unpleasant – before Fury spectacularly stopped the contest.
It was, at first, almost innocuous. On replay, however, it was clear that this punch was as good as any that Fury has thrown in his long career.
It was a short, devastating uppercut from the champion that left Whyte almost out on his feet, though the impression was different as Fury landed, then pushed his man over.
Whyte was able to rise, but as the referee asked him to move forwards, he stumbled. It was all the opportunity needed to call time, and crown the Gypsy King once more.
It was a 32nd win for the undefeated Fury, who defended his WBC belt for the second time and has talked of retiring at the age of 33.
“I have to be a man of my word, and I think this might be the final curtain for the Gypsy King, and what a way to go out, Fury said in the ring, with his WBC and Ring Magazine belts around his shoulders.
It certainly was. The punch that ended the fight with a few seconds to go in the sixth came pretty much out of nowhere, with Fury in control of the fight without truly exerting himself.
Whyte had been starting to breathe heavier in what proved to be the final round, by which time he had a cut around his right eye — potentially from a clash of heads.
The fifth round was dominated by Fury, with a body shot and then a straight right rocking Whyte back and getting the crowd going.
“He is as strong as a bull and has the heart of a lion,” Fury said of Whyte, who was his former sparring partner from 2012-13.
“But tonight he met a great in the sport, one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.
“I think, even Lennox Lewis would be proud of that uppercut.”
If he does retire, Fury will go down as the greatest British heavyweight, surpassing Lewis.
What might make him continue is the chance to be the undisputed champion from what could be a hugely lucrative bout against Oleksandr Usyk or Anthony Joshua.
Usyk beat Joshua last September to take the WBA, IBF and WBO belts and is preparing for a rematch with Joshua after leaving his native Ukraine, where he was helping his country in the war with Russia.
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