Tyson Fury landed a vicious uppercut in the sixth round to score a stunning technical knockout victory over Dillian Whyte to retain the WBC heavyweight world championship at a sold-out Wembley Stadium.
Fury, fighting on English soil for the first time since June 2018, made a long and elaborate entrance that involved a throne before he jogged with his team to the ring at the centre of Wembley Stadium amid the 94,000 people roaring along.
Though dominating on the scorecards, Fury struggled to show the usually slick, intelligent boxing that saw him climb to the top of the heavyweight division as the bout turned into a bad-tempered affair.
Whyte came out in a southpaw stance in an opening round of probing jabs but, aside from some crisp shots to the body, that seemed to be the only surprise he had in store for the 33-year-old Fury.
Possessing a considerable height and reach advantage, Fury fought most of the fight on the outside, controlling the distance with his jab and punishing his fellow Briton with lead hooks as the challenger tried to close the distance.
Both fighters threw shots on the break and a cut opened up over Whyte’s right eye after a clash of heads.
Tyson Fury brought the fight to a stunning close with a blistering right uppercut out of nowhere to send Whyte crashing to the canvas, and though he got back to his feet, referee Lyson waved the fight off.
Fury, who stretched his unbeaten record to 32 wins and a draw, with 23 knockouts, said it was unlikely that he would fight again, a sentiment he has long held.
It is unlikely that this was the last time the “Gypsy King” entered a boxing ring, especially with a lucrative bout against Anthony Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk for a unified crown still on the table but if the right uppercut that downed Whyte was the last punch of his career, it was a high note to end on.
