- Fury maintains unbeaten record, but is made to work for it against Wallin
- Manchester fighter suffers massive cut in round three
Tyson Fury perhaps has the miraculous work of his Mexican cutman Jorge Capetillo to thank for him maintaining his unbeaten record in Las Vegas on Saturday night where he survived a major scare against Swedish underdog Otto Wallin.
Fury got the nod unanimously from the judges, but the one-sided scores read out at the end of the fight didn't tell the full tale.
Fury adopted a Mexican persona for the night on Mexican Independence Day weekend in the US, and he treated the packed T-Mobile Arena to a Mexican-style bloodbath.
Wallin, the bookmakers' 30-1 underdog, tore up the script when he opened up a huge gash above the right eye of the lineal heavyweight champion in round three.
With the 28-year-old then switching his work from the body to target the gaping wound, Fury's corner had their own battle at the end of each round to keep his eye in fighting condition with the ringside physician taking an increasing interest in the cut.
With the cut ruled to have been opened up by a punch by the Nevada Boxing Board of Control, a stoppage would have meant the fight went Wallin's way by TKO and ruined the prospect of the much-hyped Fury-Deontay Wilder superbout early next year.
"I knew he was cut but I wish I could have capitalised a little more on it," said the previously undefeated Wallin.
"Nobody can question my heart and question that I'm a good fighter. Tyson is a great champion."
As Fury stepped up his workrate perhaps panicked by the severity of the cut, Wallin took some heavy punishment. But as the fight drew to a close, Fury survived another scare in the last round when Wallin backed him up and landed a solid shot looking for a stunning win to rival that of Andy Ruiz Jnr over Anthony Joshua earlier this year.
"Big congratulations to Otto," Fury said. "He was a tough guy, he kept coming. He didn't know how to lose, but tonight I was the better man.
"I got caught early on in the eye lid, but I am the gypsy warrior, it's Mexican Independence Day weekend " I wanted a war.
"It was a good performance. I got the rounds in tonight.
"Deontay Wilder, I want you next, bum."
After the gruelling fight, Fury's cutman Capetillo thanked God for providing him the wisdom to stymie the blood from Fury's wound. Fury should be thanking Capetillo.
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