The British fighter was ahead on points when Deontay Wilder landed a stunning combination to send him to the canvas. Wilder wheeled away, fully expecting Fury to be counted out but was as astonished as the fans as Fury got up.
"Tyson's eyes rolled in his head. I was sitting there going 'Oh my god. Holy s***. Very few men in the history of boxing can pop up like that," said Wilder's promoter, Lou DiBella.
"When I was down, I wasn't just down on that canvas for me and my family. I was representing everyone who suffers around the world. I couldn't stay down. I had to get up and show that you can continue, that anything is possible," said Fury afterward.
The fight was declared a draw and the pair is set for a rematch next year.
It is not the first time the ring has seen moments which would not look out of place in a Rocky movie.
Diego Corrales v Jose Luis Castillo, 2005
In Hollywood boxing movies the violence is visceral and the hero character will be knocked virtually cold, only to stagger up and battle on to victory.
That doesn't happen in real life, does it?
Take a look on YouTube at round 10 of the epic battle between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo.
Corrales, known as Chico, grew up in a tough part of Sacramento, California, was involved in street gangs as a teenager and saw his best friend killed in a drive-by shooting.
But his way out was through boxing and, despite a defeat to Floyd Mayweather in 2001, he rose to the top.
In 2004 he became the WBO world lightweight champion and defended it against Castillo, a powerful punching Mexican, in May 2005.
The bruising battle was 30 seconds into the 10th round when a stinging left hook from Castillo sent Corrales down and seemingly out.
He got up, his legs like jelly but was soon knocked down again.
Both times the canny Corrales spat out his mouthpiece and bought himself a few seconds when it was replaced in his corner.
He was docked a point by the ref but those crucial few seconds enabled him to unscramble his senses.
Soon the pair was exchanging bombs in the ring and a few seconds later Castillo sagged on the ropes and the ref ended the fight.
Corrales had won.
The bout was declared The Fight of the Year by Ring magazine.
Sadly Corrales was killed in a motorbike accident near Las Vegas two years later.
Julian Jackson v Herol Graham
In November 1990 Britain's Herol Graham and Julian Jackson, from the US Virgin Islands, squared off for the WBC world middleweight title at an obscure hotel on Spain's Costa del Sol.
Graham's exquisite boxing skills dazzled Jackson for the first three rounds and the TV commentators speculated at the beginning of the fourth round that Jackson's cornermen were planning to pull him out.
Instead, they sent him out for "one more round".
For two minutes Graham tormented his opponent and then, out of nowhere, Jackson landed a devastating shot flash on the Briton's chin.
"Oh no! That's what we were worried about. He won't get up from that. Oh would you believe it?" said commentator Gary Newbon.
The ref duly counted out Graham, who retired eight years later after being knocked out by Charles Brewer in another unsuccessful world title bid.
Carl Froch v Jermaine Taylor, 2009
In April 2009 Britain's Carl Froch was defending his WBC super middleweight title against the experienced American, Jermain Taylor.
Taylor had twice beaten the legendary Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins and was ahead on points going into the last round against Froch, who needed a knockout.
With a minute to go Froch was coming on strong and Taylor was clearly running out of gas.
Taylor was knocked down with 44 seconds to go. If he could survive to the bell he would probably win on the judges' scorecards.
He got up but Froch pounded on him until, with only 10 seconds left of the round, the ref called it off and the Nottingham man had held onto his title.
Julio Cesar Chavez v Meldrick Taylor
A similar Rocky Balboa-style moment came in this megafight between Mexico's Julio Cesar Chavez — one of the biggest names in boxing in the 1980s — and American Meldrick Taylor.
Chavez, with his long unbeaten run, good looks and machismo attitude, was a god in Mexico.
But the American boxed his socks off when they met at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas in 1990.
Taylor only had to survive the last round and he was champion.
Chavez was not about to give up his unbeaten record that easily.
"It doesn't appear that Chavez has the stuff to get it done," said commentator Larry Merchant with a minute to go.
But Chavez unleashed a furious onslaught and referee Richard Steele waved the bout over with four seconds left to go.
Taylor's trainer, Lou Duva, went absolutely berserk but the Mexican fans loved it.
Chavez eventually retired in 2005 with a record of 106 wins (85 by KO), six defeats and two draws.
Rocky Marciano v Jersey Joe Walcott
Rocco Francis Marchegiano — better known as Rocky Marciano — was the only world heavyweight champion to retire undefeated.
But that proud record was seriously challenged in September 1952 when he met Jersey Joe Walcott in a fight in Philadelphia.
Walcott, who had just beaten Ezzard Charles, packed a phenomenal punch and the fight was so popular it was shown on closed circuit TV in theaters in 30 cities across the US.
Early in the first round, Walcott floored Marciano for the first time in his career.
He got up at the count of four and survived the round.
The pair went toe to toe until the 13th round and Walcott was ahead on all three judges' scorecards.
But the Brockton Blockbuster was not finished.
He landed a devastasting punch in the 13th round which left Walcott in a sitting position, his left arm through the rope as the ref counted to ten.
Marciano retired in 1955 but died in a plane crash in 1969, aged just 45.