Wladimir Klitschko v Tyson Fury: Ringside reaction from BBC pundits

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Media caption,

Win is reward for keeping faith - Fury

Britain's Tyson Fury ended the nine-year reign of Wladimir Klitschko as he claimed a unanimous decision victory to claim the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight world titles in Dusseldorf.

Here are some of the thoughts from BBC pundits who were inside the 50,000-capacity Esprit Arena to witness Fury's biggest night.

Mike Costello - Radio 5 Live boxing commentator

"Earlier in the week, David Haye rated Tyson Fury's chances as 20-1. That's roughly half as much as Buster Douglas was rated before he beat Mike Tyson. That just goes to show how much Tyson Fury was dismissed in so many quarters. But with the platform of an ABA national title, he turned professional in 2008 and it's been pretty much glory all the way.

"Tyson took some heavy punches from one of the biggest punchers in the history of the heavyweight division but he didn't back off. He came straight back at Wladimir Klitschko and proved everyone wrong.

"Wladimir Klitschko was beaten by Tyson and Father Time tonight. Tyson Fury has taken a massive step up in class to produce the performance of his life. British boxing is absolutely buzzing."

More on Fury's victory

Steve Bunce - boxing analyst on 5 Live

"Wladimir looked bad tonight because Tyson Fury made him look bad. Looking at my notes going through the rounds, I don't know when Tyson did anything wrong.

"Seeing the joy and relief on Team Fury when the decision came, I wonder if they thought they would get it.

"What's really fantastic is Tyson Fury has done the job tonight. He's not sneaked away with something, because Wladimir was made to look dreadful tonight, he was made to look like an old man by Tyson Fury.

"But we are now in a situation going forward where we cannot lose. Because if there's a rematch, if Wladimir wants revenge, that will happen. Not only that, you've got David Haye, Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder. Pack your bags because we're going on the heavyweight road."

Image source, Deontay Wilder
Image caption,

American Deontay Wilder holds the only other world title in the heavyweight division

Richie Woodhall - former world champion on 5 Live

"Tremendous, a great display. I said he would win it and he has won it. I had it by three rounds, there was only one winner. If they had robbed him it would have been a travesty, he boxed sensationally and went to another level.

"The body language said it all. Wladimir and his brother Vitali knew they did not do enough.

"I think it's the greatest night of boxing I've ever commentated on. My hat goes off to him. He excelled in every department tonight and deserves to be heavyweight champion of the world."

Five facts about Tyson Fury

Background: Fury was born into a family of Irish travellers. His father, John Fury, was a bare-knuckle fighter in the 1980s, who was jailed in 2011 for gouging a man's eye out.

Lightweight to heavyweight: Tyson was born three months premature and weighed in at 1lb - doctors described his chances of survival as slim.

What's in a name? His father named him 'Tyson' as world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was in his pomp when Fury was born in August 1988.

Father time: Fury and wife Paris have a five-year-old daughter called Venezuela and three-year-old son Prince.

Sporting chance: Fury, a Manchester United fan, represented both Ireland and England at amateur level

Ben Dirs - BBC Sport online boxing reporter

"For British fans, a night of boxing in Germany is always something of a culture shock. With vast areas of the Esprit Arena floor given over to VIP guests, the build-up was dominated by polite chatter and the clink-clink of cutlery on crockery, making the atmosphere feel more supper club than fight night.

"When the fight broke out - although some would argue that never actually happened - the volume remained almost the same and by the fourth round a creeping sense of disbelief had seeped into Klitschko's German fans: their hero was being comprehensively outboxed and didn't know what to do about it.

"Given Klitschko's status, and the fact the fight was in his adopted home of Germany, there were no wild celebrations from the pockets of Fury followers when the final bell rang. But that soon changed when the cards were announced.

"It wasn't a great night of boxing by any means - it was a dour, messy fight and many will no doubt argue that Fury's victory is yet more evidence of how far the heavyweight division has fallen - but due must be given to the Englishman for dethroning a great world champion in his own backyard."

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Tyson Fury became the first man to beat Wladimir Klitschko in 11 years

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