In the final showdown of a historic trilogy, Deontay Wilder faced Tyson Fury on Saturday in the WBC heavyweight championship fight.

While Fury had taunted and tweaked Wilder throughout the buildup to their dramatic face-off in Las Vegas, the latter promised to present a ‘rejuvenated and reinvented’ version of himself.

Also read: Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder 3: All you need to know, date and time

The rivalry goes back to December 2018, when drama-filled 12 rounds followed by a controversial twist with the verdict saw a tie match with the scorecards at 115–111 for Wilder, 114–112 for Fury. The decision had satisfied no one as the two met 15 months later, this time the British boxer ending Wilder’s unbeaten record.

On Saturday, the two boxers met for the third time and the thriller ended with Fury defeating Wilder via 11th round TKO to defend his WBC and lineal titles inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

But, who is Deontay Wilder?

Born on October 22, 1985, is former WBC heavyweight champion and held the title from 2015 to 2020, before losing out to Fury. Wilder became the first American world heavyweight champion since 2004, ending the longest span of time without an American heavyweight champion in boxing history. 

Wilder began boxing at the age of 20. At the 2008 Olympics, he earned a bronze medal in the heavyweight class as an amateur. The feat earned him the moniker “The Bronze Bomber,” which Wilder created after Joe Louis, who was nicknamed “The Brown Bomber.”

Wilder is noted for his devastating punching power, having knocked out all of his opponents. With 20 knockouts in the first round, he has a knockout-to-win percentage of 98% (75% in world heavyweight championship bouts, the third-highest in heavyweight history).

Also Read: Tyson Fury promises knockout finish to epic Wilder trilogy

Wilder faced Stiverne for the WBC heavyweight championship on January 17, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, in a bout dubbed “Return to Glory.” By beating Stiverne by unanimous decision after twelve rounds, Wilder became the first American heavyweight world champion since Hasim Rahman.

In December 2018, Wilder first faced Fury in front of a crowd of over 17,000 at Staples. After 12 rounds, the fight was called a draw, with Wilder retaining his WBC belt. However, Both of them were unsatisfied. In the rematch, Fury dominated Wilder as the American’s corner threw in the towel in the seventh round.