Tyson Fury Caps Vegas Weekend With Wins in Ring and Casino as Wilder Rematch Awaits

Posted on: September 17, 2019, 03:30h. 

Last updated on: September 18, 2019, 12:44h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

Like most people who spend a few days in Las Vegas, heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury had one whirlwind experience this past weekend.

Tyson Fury won a unanimous decision Saturday over Otto Wallin. Then, after getting stitches for a pair of nasty cuts he received, he spent some time in a Vegas casino and won ￡5,000. (Image: David Becker/Getty Images)

The affable Brit not only defended his lineal boxing title against Otto Wallin – doing so despite receiving a nasty cut above his right eye that needed 47 stitches to close – but he also came home with a little more money than he expected.

I went to the hospital, had a few stitches, went home and had an early night,” Fury told the BBC Sunday while waiting to leave at McCarran International Airport. “Then I’ve got up, gone to the casino, won five grand, had a few beers, and now I’m going to have a few more beers.”

Fury entered the fight at T-Mobile Arena as an overwhelming -3335 favorite. He won by unanimous decision, but Wallin got in his licks in the 12-round bout. One punch in the third round landed above his right eye. Fury later would get a cut on the right eyelid as well. Despite bleeding profusely and having his vision hampered, Fury still controlled the bout against the outclassed Swede.

Focus Now on Wilder

With the Wallin fight now in the past, all the focus can now center on a rematch with Deontay Wilder, the next expected fight for Fury. The two heavyweights met last December, and Fury survived a last-round knockdown to salvage a draw.

Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, told BT Sport Boxing he expects Wilder-Fury II to take place in February. However, before that can happen, Wilder has a scheduled fight with Luis Ortiz on Nov. 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

FanDuel currently books Wilder, the WBC Champion, as the -800 favorite to knock off Ortiz (+410) for the second time in less than two years.

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn wonders if Wilder will be able to prepare for Fury with only four months between bouts. Hearn told Thaboxingvoice that in order for that to happen, Wilder would need to post a quick knockout and avoid injury.

There’s even a chance Fury might need longer to recover from Saturday’s cut. After the bout, the Nevada Athletic Commission suspended Fury for two months and prohibited him from contact until Oct. 30 due to the cuts. The suspension is routine practice for any fighter who suffers a significant cut in a bout.

However, Warren said he expects Fury to be ready by then.

“Fingers crossed, he should be alright,” Warren said. “But Tyson needs now to take a real rest with his family. He’s been in camp, more or less, for a year now, and he needs to take that time now.”

What’s After Wilder-Fury II?

A delay in Wilder-Fury II would have repercussions beyond just those two fighters.

It’s expected that the winner of Wilder-Fury would face off against the winner of the Andy Ruiz Jr.-Anthony Joshua rematch.

Ruiz won the IBF, WBA, and WBO belts by knocking out Joshua in a stunning upset back in May. He’ll defend those titles against Joshua in a Dec. 7 bout in Saudi Arabia.

Oddsmakers, for now, expect Joshua to reclaim the belts. FanDuel lists the former champ as the -390 favorite, although that’s a far cry from the -3335 odds he took into the Madison Square Garden ring the first time he faced the Mexican-American.