BLOOD AND CUTS
Tyson Fury’s eye will ‘never be the same’ after horror cut and he won’t be ready for Wilder rematch in February, says Andre Ward
TYSON FURY should delay his rematch against Deontay Wilder to recover from his horror eye injury.
That's the opinion of undefeated former two-weight world champ Andre Ward, who doubts that the Gypsy King would be fully recovered for February.
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Fury, 31, battled valiantly to beat Swede Otto Wallin in a unanimous points victory last time out, taking it 116-112, 117-111 and 118-110.
But Fury's win was in doubt from the third round after his vision was hampered following a hefty blow to his right eye - with the Brit star sharing before and after pics of the gash.
He was rushed to hospital after his fight - with his own dad fearing for his future, despite the boxer's insistence he will face Wilder again.
It is believed a deal has already been agreed for Fury to rematch Wilder in February after their controversial draw in December last year.
TAKE THE TIME TO HEAL
Despite being knocked down twice, including a brutal one on the 12th round, many believed Fury should have got the decision from the judges and not the draw that was given.
Now Ward, speaking on the YouTube channel, has suggested that the fight should be pushed back to ensure the 47-stitch gash above his right eye.
On the rematch, 35-year-old Ward said: "Both guys feel like they got jobbed in the first fight.
"Wilder feels like it wasn’t a draw. Fury feels like he eked it out. We don’t want that kind of conversation after the rematch.
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EYE COULD BE EVEN STRONGER
"Give the eye time to heal. Take a couple of extra months so we can give the fans, and the media what they want to see in the rematch."
But Ward believes the area around the eye, once fully healed, could be even STRONGER than it was before.
He added: "It’s never going to be the same, but it’s going to be better.
“The scar tissue will have formed, and he won’t have the softness and the redness around his eye that he would have if he tried to come back too soon, because we don’t want any excuses."
SunSport excluisvely revealed how Fury's cut could cost him around £3,000 per fight.
£3,000 per fight for plastic surgeon
Wallin slashed the Gypsy King’s right eye in two places in Las Vegas but, with the help of Mexican cutsman Jorge Capetillo, the 31-year-old Brit boxed to a points win.
Fury gave Capetillo a bumper cash bonus for the nine minutes of expert work he did during the remaining intervals, to keep him in the fight.
And legendary British cutsman Mick Williamson, who helped save the careers of Ricky Hatton, Paul Smith and Tony Bellew, explained to SunSport how the ex-champ will have to cope with the wound for the rest of his career.
Williamson said: “Forty seven stitches sounds terrible but it’s really, ‘the more the merrier’ in that situation.
"They are not going to hurt you and the more you put in the tighter the wound is bound and quicker it will heal.
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“That many stitches means he has probably had micro-plastic surgery, stitches inside the cut and then on the skin on the outside, and that is the best way.
“Ricky Hatton used to cut very badly but later on in his career, when he had made a few quid, he used to pay a top plastic surgeon around £3,000 per fight, just to be there on call.
“It might sound like a lot but when you are fighting for that mega-dough, it is really worth it. That sort of money is nothing compared to what these guys are earning.”
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