Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder press conference - as it happened: Fighters reaction after heavyweight clash ends in draw
The two fighters took to the podium to give their takes on a thrilling fight
Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury were both left stunned after their incredible split decision draw in Los Angeles
Wilder, who retains his WBC heavyweight world title, twice sent Fury to the canvas late into the fight only for the challenger to pick himself up and salvage the draw.
He had dominated the early rounds and looked set for another historic victory before Wilder grew in confidence and connected with extraordinary shots in the ninth and final round. Watch live coverage and follow our news updates below.
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On his long and painful road back to the summit of the heavyweight division, Tyson Fury has survived sinking sixteen pints of Stella a day, a cocaine addiction, a doping scandal and an aborted attempt to kill himself. Add to that list, a pair of Deontay Wilder’s feared overhand rights, which twice relegated Fury to the canvas in a wild ninth round. But Fury picked himself up to draw this most chaotic of heavyweight fights, and in doing so climbed to impossible new heights.
This was a script so plainly implausible that even the well-heeled luvvies who had travelled down from Hollywood Hills turned for the exits scarcely able to comprehend what they had just witnessed. The end result: a split decision draw that sees Wilder retain his WBC heavyweight world title, after Fury dominated the early rounds only for Wilder to twice catch him late on — first in the ninth and then in the twelfth.
Neither man was happy with the outcome. A rematch is not just a formality — but a must. READ MORE.
Arguably the best middleweight of his time, Andre Ward, thinks this one might be a little too much for Fury.
Up next is Luis Ortiz vs Travis Kauffman.
This is likely to be fairly straightforward. A convincing win with the world watching should keep him in the eyes of boxing's top level.
Not sure Kauffman knows it or not, but there was a whole round of boxing just then.
Luis Ortiz jabbed his way through that one and unleashed a couple of combinations toward the end. First round Ortiz.
Ortiz isn't pressing Kauffman in the way you'd have perhaps expected so far, but when he lands he's landing heavily.
The man nicknamed My Time is just doing his best to try and keep away. 2-0 Ortiz.
The two finally trade blows at close range and Ortiz catches the American with a big left but to Kauffman's credit, he stands it up nicely.
Ortiz is finding more and more success now though and is really beginning to stalk his prey.
A comfortable third round to Ortiz.
Kauffman told Ortiz to come and get him, perhaps a tactic to try and make him sloppy and agitated but the experienced Cuban fighter has too much ring craft for that.
He looks happy enough to simply jab his way through the rounds. Not really sure what the plan is from Kauffman here.
Into round five and it's been all Ortiz so far and that isn't going to change anytime soon. All four rounds have been comfortable, with Kauffman seemingly just trying to annoy his opponent by taunting him a bit, raising his arms for no real reason.
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