Deontay Wilder has been hit with a six-month medical suspension in the aftermath of his knockout defeat by Tyson Fury in Las Vegas, another major blow to the Bronze Bomber’s boxing career.
The American heavyweight was unable to exact revenge on the Gypsy King for his loss in their second bout, as Fury knocked Wilder down three times on his way to victory in their trilogy fight last weekend.
Wilder was immediately taken to a Nevada hospital to be checked over after the bruising encounter and he will now undergo surgery on a broken hand next week.
As a result of his injuries, the Nevada State Athletic Commission have suspended him until April 8, meaning he cannot return to the ring until that date unless he is medically cleared by a doctor beforehand.
It is unclear exactly when Wilder, known for his devastating right hand power, did the damage but he also has broken both a finger and knuckle.
Wilder is now expected to undergo surgery next week when he returns to his home state of Alabama.
His co-manager Shelly Finkel told The Sun: “Deontay broke his right hand behind the third knuckle and he has to have that fixed next week.
“He has to have surgery, the knuckle is OK, it’s the bone behind the knuckle that broke. He’s sore but he was OK, he was home yesterday.
“He’s healing and at this point, if everything is OK, after the hand surgery he’ll probably look to enter the ring mid next year, like April or May.”
Fury has also been handed a standard 45-day suspension following his victory, which was his first ever world heavyweight title defence.
Wilder has now suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time in his impressive career, after having previously not lost a single bout in 43 fights.
Fury’s win brought an end to their thrilling rivalry which started with their controversial draw in Los Angeles back in December 2018.
Their fight on Saturday was one of the best in recent years with Wilder knocking Fury down twice in the fourth round.
Fury floored the Alabama fighter in the third and 10th round, before referee Russell Mora intervened to stop the fight in the penultimate round.
Now their long-running trilogy has finally been concluded, all eyes are now focused on who each man will fight next.
