Tyson Fury vs Otto Wallin: Promoter Frank Warren says Fury’s reputation in the US will not be affected by his performance

Tyson Fury’s reputation in the United States will not be affected by his gruelling 12-round victory over relative unknown Otto Wallin, according to the boxer’s promoter Frank Warren.

However, it remains to be seen whether the deep cut he received above his right eye, and a smaller one on the eyelid, will impact the scheduling of his highly-anticipated rematch with Deontay Wilder.

Fury battled through nine rounds with blood continually running into his eye to take a unanimous points decision before being transported straight to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada.

The 31-year-old told the PA news agency on Sunday he had received 50 stitches and doctors had done a “fantastic job”.

The injury impacted the Mancunian’s ability to execute his game plan as, with the doctor being called to inspect the wounds at least twice, there was a real concern the fight would be stopped and he would lose on a technical knockout.

It was a different kind of show from the one Fury – who beat Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas in June – wanted to put on but Warren insisted it would not have diminished his standing among American fans.

“It doesn’t affect his standing, how can it? He won the fight,” said Warren. “He won it with a serious injury.

“I was concerned when the doctor went to the corner a couple of times he would stop the fight – maybe another doctor would have stopped it.

“The bottom line is Tyson won the fight. He did what he had to do, he hurt him a few times. Wallin was a very credible opponent.

“All these people, armchair critics and judges, who come out with these various predictions for fights, I have to keep saying to them anything can happen with these big guys and it nearly did again.”

Fury did not attend his post-match press conference as he was immediately whisked away for medical treatment and, while Warren is confident the damage will not affect the proposed February 22 rematch with Wilder, he admits it hinges on how well Fury heals.

“The doctors here said as much as it was a very bad cut it was a clean cut and doesn’t need micro-surgery inside and it will stitch well so, fingers crossed, it will be all right,” he said.

“He said although it was deep they are not hard cuts to sew. He said they should heal pretty well.”

Fury’s trainer Ben Davison said, in the immediate aftermath, it was impossible to talk about the prospect of a delay on the Wilder bout.

“I know boxing very well but I couldn’t comment on that. We will have to see what advice he gets,” he said.

“Obviously it affected him a lot, he couldn’t see out of it but he had to make out he could see out of it.

“Boxing is full of obstacles, sometimes you have to overcome these obstacles and that is what Tyson did. That is what champions have to do.”

Davison also brushed off criticism from Fury’s father John, unable to travel to the USA because of previous convictions, who said his son looked “weak as a kitten” and the performance was “the worst I have seen from Tyson”.

“John is Tyson’s dad so you have to respect him but Tyson was fully prepared, you can’t do nothing about a bad cut,” he added.

“Just because someone’s gone the distance you can’t say someone is weak. If someone is weak they wouldn’t have done 12 rounds like that.

“I didn’t just keep saying it for the sake of it, he (Wallin) wasn’t to be underestimated.

“That is why we worked in training for it to potentially be a dogfight because we knew we might have to go there – although not in that manner.

“Luckily we had prepared Tyson for that, because that’s what he needed.”

PA