Boxing: Tyson Fury Survives Horrific Cuts, Topples Otto Wallin in Grueling Battle

Tyson Fury (29-0-1) weathers nasty gashes and intervals of adversity to outbox the headstrong Otto Wallin over 12 rounds. And still your lineal heavyweight champ. It's your move, Wilder. pic.twitter.com/kOiy0n2iYx

— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) September 15, 2019

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It’s safe to assume that most boxing insiders expected Tyson Fury to run through Otto Wallin like a rhino in a lamp store. They were accurate in that Fury prevailed, but it was much, much tougher than expected.

Fury (29-0-1) was on his heels early against the Swede as Wallin took the fight to the Englishman from the jump. Wallin pressured the taller lineal champion and dug hooks to the body and chest repeatedly. And to make matters worse for “The Gypsy King,” a loopy left hook in the corner near the end of the third opened a nasty laceration on Fury’s right eyebrow.

The cut turned into two as an apparent clash of heads sliced open Fury’s right eyelid in the fourth and, with blood pouring from the wound, Fury’s reign as the lineal heavyweight champion was in serious peril. When the cut worsened in the sixth, veteran referee Tony Weeks halted the bout to have it examined by the ringside physician. When the 6’9” Brit was allowed to continue, that’s when Fury turned up the heat and fought out of desperation until the end (Wallin even raked his glove across the cut at the end of the sixth, though Weeks didn’t deduct a point).

Fury turned the tides in the contest and tore into Wallin’s head and body and routinely buzzed him with rights to the head in the ninth and it seemed like “All In” was all but all but toast but he couldn’t put him away. Fury seized full control of the bout and seemed to be on his way to an easy victory, but Wallin (20-1, 13 KOs and 1 NC) nearly pulled off the unthinkable upset in the final frame.

Early in the 12th, Wallin rocked Fury with a sizzling left hook to the jaw. The punch wobbled Fury’s legs and Wallin, knowing he was behind on the cards, pounced. The Swede launched punches from everywhere and landed dozens of blows, but Fury clung onto him and survived the round.

In the end, Fury survived the gruesome cut, overcame an early obstacle and survived a late onslaught of punches to win a unanimous decision. Fury was given the judges’ nod via tallies of 116-112, 117-111 and 118-110, electrifying the capacity crowd inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.