Tyson Fury ready to conclude fierce trilogy with Deontay Wilder

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury emerged from T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday evening and ambled atop a makeshift stage to publicly announce his return to Las Vegas.

“This is Las Vegas. I was built and born for this,” the 33-year-old Briton proclaimed. “Las Vegas is the home of the Gypsy King for sure.”

And he is back in his kingdom.

Fury (30-0-1, 21 knockouts) and his nemesis, Deontay Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs), made their ceremonial grand arrivals ahead of their third and final fight Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. Fury stands as the champion, having beaten Wilder for his belt by technical knockout on Feb. 22, 2020 at MGM Grand Garden.

Wilder is the title challenger for the first time since Jan. 17, 2015, when he won the WBC crown from Bermane Stiverne at the same venue.

Their bout Saturday marks the end of a fierce rivalry that has helped revitalize and shape the heavyweight division over the course of the last three years.

“It’s been a long time coming, and I can’t wait,” Wilder said. “Sometimes we get confused what day of the week it is. We’re always rushing ahead. … But it’s going to be great. I’m looking forward to the fans and the electrcity that’s going to be in the arena.”

An epic trilogy

Fury wasn’t but another opponent for Wilder the night of Dec. 1, 2018. One a mere six months removed from a 26-month layoff that cost him the WBA, IFB and WBO titles he’d claimed from the legendary Wladimir Klitschko.

Depression claimed valuable years from Fury’s prime. Wilder at the time was the division’s dominant force and still serves as its most powerful puncher.

But Fury didn’t relent to Wilder’s power that night in Los Angeles and rose from two knockdowns, including a vicious one in the final round that nearly ended the fight.

He was the far superior boxer as well and earned a split draw to trigger the trilogy.

“They tried cherry picking me years ago when I was fat, had just got back, had six months of activity, back in the ring after three years of drug abuse and alcohol abuse,” Fury said. “They thought they’d cherry pick a big name, but it just didn’t work out for him.”

Fury beefed up for the rematch and executed a game plan that he teased during the promotion — press forward toward Wilder and swing away — resulting in a seventh-round stoppage. But the 35-year-old Alabaman exercised a contractual rematch clause and was awarded the third and final fight via arbitration.

He’s lobbed gobs of barbs toward Fury and publicly accused him of cheating by stuffing his gloves.

The accusations, Fury said, turned a cordial rivalry into a personal one. Fury called Wilder a “piece of (expletive)” on Tuesday while standing on the stage before smatterings of reporters and fans on hand for grand arrivals.

“It was just business. The second fight was much of the same,” Fury said. “But afterwards, all this crap that he’s come out with…he’s made it personal. If he wants to make it personal, let’s make it personal.”

Fury said that he conducted four separate training camps in preparation for the final fight against Wilder, allowing for ample improvement under the tutelage of trainer SugarHill Steward. He plans to press the action again Saturday and employ a similar strategy to the one that helped him win the second fight.

At 6 feet, 9 inches, he’s also fluid, rangy and equipped with one of the sharpest sets of skills in heavyweight history. They’ll be on display Saturday for the first time in nearly 20 months.

“I’ve been in the gym training and boxing for the last 10 months for this. … Here we are again, all this time later,” Fury said. “This is fun and games to me. I get paid to fight people, something I’d do for free. … I live to fight. I don’t do anything else. There’s nothing else I’m interested in. I have no business interests. I have no interests in anything apart from fighting. Because that’s what I’m born and raised to do.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.