Tyson Fury has been told he cannot box for at least two months after the horrific cuts he suffered during his victory over Otto Wallin.
The Mancunian heavyweight resoundingly beat the unheralded Swede on points in a unanimous decision in Las Vegas in the early hours of Sunday morning.
However the fight was at risk of being stopped at one point due to a nasty gash he suffered above his right eye in the third round, which saw his face covered in blood and which the ringside doctor was later called over to check.
The 31 year-old was rushed to hospital straight after the bout at the T-Mobile Arena and needed 47 stitches to close the wound.
As is procedure, the Nevada State Athletic Commission say he is not allowed contact until at least October 30 and is suspended until November 14, reports the Mirror.
The self-styled 'Gypsy King', who was born in Wythenshawe but raised in Styal, Cheshire, is set for a rematch with WBC Champion Deontay Wilder, with the pair's last meeting ending in a controversial draw which many thought Fury had won, in December 2018.
That is expected to take place back in Vegas on February 22 next year.
Immediately after the fight there were concerns the showdown with Wilder would have to be postponed if the cuts needed serious surgery or if they would not heal in time.
But Fury, who is now back in the UK, said: "I'm ready for war. I think it was just over 40 stitches inside and out with both the cuts.“Listen I'm all right. It's boxing.
"You can't go swimming and not get wet. It's the fight game."
Frank Warren, who promotes former unified champion Fury also sounded a positive note.
He said: “The doctor said it was a clean cut so it doesn’t need microsurgery inside and he said it would stitch well.
“Fingers cross it will be alright. He has five months until February and we will see what happens.
“Of course he does need a rest because he has been in camp for a year.
He has a cut, he can’t train with a cut. All he has got to do is maintain a decent weight to work on for when he can be in the gym back sparring.
“It won’t stop him running, it won’t stop him doing other things.
“He needs a rest, he needs a break with his family. He will have a couple of months off and three months to prepare for the fight.”
Tyson's father John Fury launched a blistering attack on his son's performance and his corner after the fight.
He told BT Sport, where he was appearing as a pundit: "He’s my son, but I’m a straight talker; that's the worst I've seen my son.
"He needs to go back at the drawing board and see what’s gone wrong here.
"That wasn’t Tyson. He was as weak as a kitten from the first round.
"Even looking at him in the first round, he looked softer than he usually does.
"If I had my way, the lot [Tyson's team] would be gone. If they keep that team that will be his career [gone]."
But Tyson's trainer Ben Davison said: "Listen if Tyson was a kitten, he wouldn't have been able to do 12 rounds like that.
“It was his engine and experience, strength and size which was the difference there.
“Strength wise I was perfectly happy with it. The cut affected him a lot, he couldn't see out of it but he had to make out like he could see out of it.
"John is Tyson's dad so of course you have to respect him but Tyson was fully prepared and you can't do anything about sustaining a bad cut."
