Dan Rafael, ESPN Senior Writer Close2013 BWAA Nat Fleischer Award winner for excellence in boxing journalismESPN.com boxing writer since 2005Five years at USA TodayFollow on Twitter0 SharesEmailprintcommentTyson Fury, named after Mike Tyson, joined the Hall of Famer in the annals of heavyweight history as he dethroned long-reigning world champion Wladimir Klitschko by unanimous decision Saturday at ESPRIT Arena in Dsseldorf, Germany, where the pro-Klitschko crowd sat in disbelief as the massive upset unfolded.
Fury did not look particularly good, but he was busier, landed more punches and had Optimization Seo the spring in his step that Klitschko did not. The 39-year-old Klitschko appeared to grow old in the ring as he was outhustled throughout the fight by the 27-year-old British mandatory challenger.
In the end, there was no miracle comeback, even though Klitschko's trainer, Johnathon Banks, told Klitschko in no uncertain terms as early as following the 10th round that he would need a knockout to win.
Editor's Picks
Fury: Wilder will have to wait, Klitschko has round two
Having ended Wladimir Klitschko's long reign, Tyson Fury has welcomed facing the Ukrainian for a second time -- most probably in England.
Fury upsets Klitschko: Top stats to know
Check out the numbers behind the British champion's victory.
1 Related
When it was over, Fury and his team celebrated as though they knew they had won. There was no such celebration in the Klitschko corner as ring announcer Michael Buffer read the judges' scorecards.
Ramon Cerdan scored the fight 116-111, while judges Raul Caiz Sr. and Cesar Ramos both had it 115-112. ESPN.com also scored the fight 115-112 for Fury, who won Klitschko's cadre of alphabet title belts and the lineal world championship, although, according to Klitschko's camp, he has a clause in his contract that calls for an immediate rematch at his option, so a sequel is likely.
"This is a dream come true,[/img]
"It's hard to come to foreign countries and get decisions. It just means so much to me to come here and get the decision."
Fury, who had trash-talked endlessly during Seo the buildup to the fight, snatched the microphone and addressed Klitschko and the crowd of some 50,000, including many Brits who made the trip.
"I'd like to say to Wladimir, you're a great champion,[/img]I couldn't throw my right hand because the advantage was the longer distance he had."
Klitschko's arsenal includes a devastating right hand and left hook and one of the best jabs in boxing, but he could barely land anything solid and certainly nothing that hurt Fury in a dreadful offensive performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_1kfMR11wQ
Klitschko's place in history and all the gaudy statistics never bothered Fury, whose confidence was obvious in the leadup to the fight, even though Klitschko, the 1996 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist, owned the power and skill advantages. He also had the vast majority of the crowd behind him, but Fury never did care about any of that.
"I told the world I would beat him," Fury said. "And I did."
