I like what Wilder said after he declined to show Fury respect in the ring:  “…Last but not least I would like to congratulate Fury for his victory and thank you for the great historical memories that will last forever…”

Yeah, he’s right.  We won’t forget that one.  It was another classic, like their first fight. That Fury has a concrete block on his shoulders.  I mean that as a compliment.  Best chin since Foreman.  Too bad he doesn’t have more power.  That would make him great.

I heard a couple sports news guys suggesting its time to start talking about Fury’s place in the pantheon of greats.  I disagree.  He defeated Wilder twice, and he out-pointed a frustrated Klitschko by adopting the ‘Drunken Debutante” fighting style.

Other than those wins, I find his record lackluster, crummy, execrable.

He went the distance with the likes of Pianetta and Otto Wallin.  And while he was doing that, Wilder was fighting Luis Ortiz and Dominique Breazeale. 

And he stopped them both.

No, the Gypsy King has got a way to go before I’ll consider him a ‘great’.

Wilder, on the other hand…

“Hopefully, I proved that I am a true Warrior and a true King in this sport.”.

Yeah, he already had.

Back in the day, he fought a ‘bum-of-the-month’ assortment, taking it slow.

We all saw a big bully cracking drunks on the skull, not taking chances, not advancing.

Then in 2013 he knocked out Liakovich, then in 2014 Malik Scott. This earned him the right to fight Bermane Stiverne for the WBC title.

That fight went the distance. Deontay Wilder won the fight, against an accomplished boxer too, by boxing, and not merely by dropping bombs.  He won the WBC belt and defended it 10 times, ending all of those fights within the distance.

Fury didn’t defend the belts after defeating Klitschko. Not once. He went on a three-year hiatus, battling his demons and drinking and tooting and going crazy and bravely fighting back and blah blah blah.  I mean I’m sincerely glad the lad got his issues sorted out and he’s enjoying life.  Good on him. But that does not make him a great fighter.  That designation requires victories against top competition, defending his title against the best.

His only title defense so far was this last one, against Wilder.

Lets see what he does in the coming years. 

He may quit. Go out undefeated.

By the way,  Joe Louis won 27 title fights.  Klitschko, 25.  Muhammed Ali won 22 title fights.  Tyson Fury, 3.

He has a way to go.