Tyson Fury was at his entertaining best as he stopped Germany’s Tom Schwarz in the second round of their heavyweight fight in Las Vegas, putting on a crowd-pleasing show inside and outside the ring.
British fighter Fury, 30, first dropped Schwarz with a straight right before backing the German into the corner, landing a flurry of punches as the fight was waved off at the MGM Grand.
It was lineal champion Fury’s first bout since his controversial draw with WBC champion Deontay Wilder in Los Angeles in December, and was the British boxer’s first outing on a lucrative new deal with ESPN.
Ever the entertainer, The Gypsy King did not disappoint with his performance in the ring or outside it, channeling Apollo Creed by entering to the tune of James Brown’s ‘Living in America’ and decked head-to-toe in the Stars and Stripes.
Once the bell went, Fury was ruthless in dismantling his 25-year-old opponent, spearing through his defense with jabs in the first round, before stepping things up in the second.
The 6ft 9in Brit showed his defensive guile by backing off and slipping a series of punches from Schwarz in the second round, before moving in for the finish.
After the fight, Fury continued to entertain the Vegas crowd, belting out a rendition of Aerosmith’s ‘I don’t want to miss a thing’.
Schwarz was unbeaten in 24 fights heading into the bout, but never looked like pulling off a shock similar to Andy Ruiz’s stunning recent victory over WBA, IBF and WBO champion Anthony Joshua.
READ MORE: ‘One of the biggest upsets in history’: Ruiz dismantles Joshua in huge shock in New York
Bigger tests will surely await Fury, who has now put a troubling two years of personal problems well and truly behind him.
He is set to fight again in the US once more this year, with Madison Square Garden being eyed for September or October.
His opponent for that fight is as yet unclear, but beyond that the momentum will surely head toward an eagerly-awaited rematch with Wilder in 2020.
As the man himself said, with Tyson Fury you don't want to miss a thing.