When Tyson Fury took on Deontay Wilder back in February 2020, it took seven rounds for the Gypsy King to secure the victory. He went on the attack from the outset and after landing some hard blows and inflicting so much damage on his opponent, the opposition corner had no choice but to throw in the towel. It was a decision Wilder was certainly not happy with, but the extent of his injuries were clear to see in the aftermath of the fight, proving it was the right call. That’s because the Bronze Bomber was forced into missing the post-fight conference, as he instead had to make a trip to the hospital.The injury that did the damage? A burst eardrum, inflicted by Fury earlier on in the night during the third round. A swift combo in that round from the Gypsy King saw him land a huge right to the side of Wilder’s head that wobbled the American and sent him crashing to the floor.
Although he recovered – and ultimately went on to fight for a further four rounds before his corner had seen enough – the damage was done, as blood began to stream out of the affected ear.
It threw Wilder completely off and Fury continued to inflict further punishment from there on out. With his balance skewed and the fighter shaken, Fury was able to continue tormenting his opponent and further attacked the American until the towel was thrown in.
In fact, Fury’s performance saw him on top in all of the judges' scorecards right up until the fight was stopped.
That burst eardrum then could certainly have been seen as one of the main deciding factors in that victory. Although Fury was predator-like from the outset, eager to land some early blows and stay on the front foot from the get-go, this injury in particular no doubt would have had Wilder wobbly on his feet and less capable of defending himself properly. That allowed Fury to capitalise, zone in on the affected area and bag himself the win.
Even the Bronze Bomber’s trainer Jay Deas claimed that the eardrum would no doubt have affected his ‘equilibrium.’
If Fury can go on the attack early on in the third fight between the two and inflict some similar punishment in the early rounds, it would stand him in good stead for the rest of what could be a long bout.
This injury knocked Wilder off his game and ultimately allowed the Gypsy King to take further control. A similar showing would go a long way towards him securing victory yet again.