Tyson Fury stays unbeaten, stops Tom Schwarz late 2nd round

Tyson Fury stopped Tom Schwarz with 6 seconds left in the second round Saturday night, with the British heavyweight star remaining unbeaten and putting on a show in his Las Vegas debut.

Fury (28-0-1, 20 KOs) made short work of his previously unbeaten German opponent, battering him with a jab before knocking him down to a knee in the second round right after Schwarz (24-1) landed a big punch. Fury pressed ahead after the knockdown and forced Schwarz's corner to throw in the towel before the bell.

Fighting for the first time since he dramatically rose from a devastating 12th-round knockdown to secure a draw with Deontay Wilder, Fury confirmed his world-class ability after his comeback from a 2 1/2-year ring absence.

Tyson Fury, of England, poses for photographers after defeating Tom Schwarz, of Germany, during a heavyweight boxing match Saturday, June 15, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP PhotoJohn Locher)

"I came here to enjoy myself, put on a show for Las Vegas, and I hope everybody enjoyed it as much as I did," Fury said.

Although Fury already had memorable fights in New York and Los Angeles, the Manchester native was determined to put on a show in his debut in the fight capital of the world.

The performance by the world's lineal heavyweight champion was just as dominant as expected, but his shenanigans before and after the bout might be even more memorable. Fury was in performance mode at the MGM Grand Garden before the fight even began.

Tyson Fury, of England, celebrates after defeating Tom Schwarz, of Germany, in a heavyweight boxing match Saturday, June 15, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP PhotoJohn Locher)

After Schwarz ring-walked to the mellow strains of Bob Marley, Fury appeared in red-white-and-blue gear — including a top hat — as he stepped through a cordon of showgirls. With a broad grin, he took the ring to James Brown's "Living in America," the entire entrance in homage to Apollo Creed's famed fictional entrance at the MGM Grand in "Rocky IV."

Unlike Creed, Fury survived and won.

And after the bout, Fury showed off his decent singing voice. With the microphone in his boxing glove, Fury serenaded his wife, Paris, with Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing."

Tyson Fury, of England, hits Tom Schwarz, of Germany, during a heavyweight boxing match Saturday, June 15, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP PhotoJohn Locher)

The first fight of the 30-year-old Fury's lucrative new co-promotional deal with Top Rank was intended to introduce his violent style and loquacious character to ESPN's large audience, and he did both — albeit briefly.

"The key tonight was to enjoy myself," Fury said. "I used the jab. I was slipping and sliding. I caught him with the straight left. It was a good shot. It could put anybody away. I put on an extra 12 pounds, and I could really feel (the power)."

After dominating the first round with his jab, Fury switched to a southpaw stance late in the second round, and Schwarz caught him with a shot. Fury got mad, battering Schwarz with a combination and dropping him to a knee with a huge right hand to the head.

Tyson Fury, of England, right, dodges a punch by Tom Schwarz, of Germany, during a heavyweight boxing match Saturday, June 15, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP PhotoJohn Locher)

Schwarz got up with a badly bloodied face, and Fury teed off, peppering his turtling opponent with big shots. Referee Kenny Bayless stopped it at roughly the same moment Schwarz's corner threw the white towel into the ring.

The 6-foot-5 Schwarz is highly ranked by the WBO, but he had never fought outside his native Germany or the Czech Republic before Fury's camp picked him for this showcase bout.

Just two weeks ago, Anthony Joshua was stopped by Andy Ruiz Jr. at Madison Square Garden in one of the biggest upsets in recent boxing history. Schwarz never appeared to have a chance of pulling a similar upset — not with the 6-foot-9 Fury towering over him and fighting in crisp form.

Tyson Fury, of England, right, and Tom Schwarz, of Germany, fight during a heavyweight boxing match Saturday, June 15, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP PhotoJohn Locher)

More AP sports: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Tyson Fury, of England, celebrates after defeating Tom Schwarz, of Germany, in a heavyweight boxing match Saturday, June 15, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP PhotoJohn Locher)

Tyson Fury, of England, enters the arena before a heavyweight boxing match against Tom Schwarz, of Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP PhotoJohn Locher)

NEW YORK (AP) — “The Fall Guy,” the Ryan Gosling-led, action-comedy ode to stunt performers, opened below expectations with $28.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday, providing a lukewarm start to a summer movie season that’s very much to be determined for Hollywood.

The Universal Pictures release opened on a weekend that Marvel has regularly dominated with $100 million-plus launches. (In 2023, that was “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” with a $118 million debut. ) But last year’s strikes jumbled this year’s movie calendar; “Deadpool & Wolverine,” originally slated to open this weekend, is instead debuting in July.

So in place of a superhero kickoff, the summer launch went to a movie about the stunt performers who anonymously sacrifice their bodies for the kind of action sequences blockbusters are built on. Going into the weekend, forecasts had the film opening $30 million to $40 million.

“The Fall Guy,” directed by former stuntman and “Deadpool 2” helmer David Leitch, rode into the weekend with the momentum of glowing reviews and the buzz of a SXSW premiere. But it will need sustained interest to merit its $130 million production budget. It added $25.4 million in overseas markets.

Working in its favor for a long run: strong audience scores (an “A-” CinemaScore) and good reviews (83% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). Jim Orr, distribution chief for Universal, believes things line up well for “The Fall Guy” in the coming weeks.

“We had a very solid opening,” said Orr. “We’re looking forward to a very long, very robust, very successful run throughout the domestic box office for literally weeks if not months to come.”

But the modest start for “The Fall Guy” hints at larger concerns for the film industry. Superhero films haven’t been quite the box-office behemoth they once were, leading studios to search for fresher alternative. “The Fall Guy” seemed to check all the boxes, with extravagant action sequences, one of the hottest stars in the business, a director with a track-record for crowd pleasers and very good reviews.

But instead, the opening for “The Fall Guy,” loosely based on the 1980s TV series, only emphasized that the movie business is likely to struggle to rekindle the fervor of last year’s “Barbenheimer” summer. “The Fall Guy” stars one from each: Gosling, in his first post-Ken role, and Emily Blunt, of “Oppenheimer.” Both were Oscar nominated.

“It’s going to be a very interesting, nontraditional summer this year,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore.

In part due to the effects of last year's work stoppages, there are fewer big movies hitting theaters. Expectations are that the total summer box office will be closer to $3 billion than the $4 billion that’s historically been generated.

“The summer season is just getting started, so let’s give ‘The Fall Guy’ a chance to build that momentum over time. It’s a different type of summer kickoff film,” said Dergarabedian. “There’s always huge expectations placed on any film that kicks off the summer movie season, but this isn’t your typical summer movie season.”

In a surprise, No. 2 at the box office went to the Walt Disney Co. rerelease of “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.” The first episode to George Lucas’ little-loved prequels collected $8.1 million over the weekend, 25 years after “Phantom Menace” grossed $1 billion.

Last week’s top film, the Zendaya tennis drama “Challengers,” slid to third place with $7.6 million in its second week. That was a sold hold for the Amazon MGM release, directed by Luca Guadagnino, dipping 49% from its first weekend.

The Sony Screen Gems supernatural horror film “Tarot” also opened nationwide. It debuted with $6.5 million, a decent enough start for a low-budget release but another example of horror not quite performing this year as it has the last few years.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Fall Guy,” $28.5 million.

2. “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace,” $8.1 million.

3. “Challengers,” $7.6 million.

4. “Tarot,” $6.5 million.

5. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” $4.5 million.

6. “Civil War,” $3.6 million.

7. “Unsung Hero,” $3 million.

8. “Kung Fu Panda 4,” $2.4 million.

9. “Abigail,” $2.3 million.

10. “Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire,” $1.8 million.

Ryan Gosling, left, and Emily Blunt pose upon arrival at the special screening for the film 'The Fall Guy' on Monday, April 22, 2024 in London. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Emily Blunt, right, and Ryan Gosling in a scene from "The Fall Guy." (Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Ryan Gosling in a scene from "The Fall Guy." (Universal Pictures via AP)