Tyson Fury v Otto Wallin: British heavyweight continues to show endless resolve

A fun-filled showman turned into a bloodied, angry and possessed fighter in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Even in this city where the sober turn drunk by day and gamblers see hope turn to despair, Tyson Fury's transformation was stark on the eye.

As he returned to his corner, blood pouring down the right side of his face from the cuts inflicted by Otto Wallin, he looked at trainer Ben Davison and simply yelled: "I live for this."

When the cuts have healed, there will be some critics of how he only landed a points win but the fact Fury is again living for this can be seen as joyous for the sport.

In a fight-week where he excelled as salesman, showman and, ultimately, dogged fighter, the parties possibly least impressed will be his heavyweight rivals, though they again saw a man with seemingly endless resolve.

• Fury - I had 40 stitches, won £5,000 and am ready for war with Wilder
• Bloodied Fury beats Wallin on points in dramatic Las Vegas bout
• Fury cuts may 'push back' Wilder rematch - Warren
• Listen: 5 Live Boxing - Fury battles through cut to beat Wallin

Selling hard and digging in

On Monday Fury knocked out interviews at his home and delivered promo slogans down the barrel of cameras in one take. On Tuesday he served Tacos at a restaurant and on Wednesday he sang for media. This was the salesman.

On Saturday, sombrero and all, he danced in his dressing room before smiles turned to blood-filled grimaces, resilience, know-how and a sheer refusal to lose. This was the fighter.

He is some mix.

From depression, to being hammered to the floor against Deontay Wilder and now this survival in torrid circumstances, it is clear it will take something immense to beat him.

He seems to revel in adversity, with his facial expressions turning angry as he thumped back at Wilder, and they did again against Wallin in Sin City.

"I'm grinding like an amateur who hasn't had a fight in their life," he said on Tuesday. By Saturday night this felt like an understatement.

"The cut happens and Tyson had to fight outside of his plan, fight ugly and show more aspects of his game," said former world middleweight champion Andy Lee on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"The fighters that cross over are blood and guts fighters. Tyson showed he can do that.

"You are hugely affected by a cut like that. It is so draining but when you overcome a fight like that, it kind of builds your resolve. You think 'nothing can be as bad as this so what have I got to worry about'."

Bring out the fighter sooner

Those close to Fury speak of his iron will. This is a man who says he once sat in a sauna long enough for Wladimir Klitschko to leave just so when they eventually fought, he knew he had already out-lasted him.

One question now is if the salesman or showman needs to be put away sooner in a fight week.

Fury was hitting pads in the ring while he waited for Wilder to ring walk in Los Angeles. In Vegas, how focused could he have been after floating to the ring on a parade, while dancing and wearing a sombrero?

The site of blood unquestionably flicked a switch at the T-Mobile Arena. If, as is hoped, he faces Wilder or any other of the elite names next, the entertainer may need to tune out and the fighter kick in a bit sooner on fight day.

"I thought he looked a little bit lazy in the opening two rounds, the cut coming in the third," said 5 Live's Steve Bunce.

"It will fall into two camps. One will question the fact he was facing an unknown Swede so how has he gone 12 rounds, the other will say he gutted it out and also, what preparation for Wilder next."

Fury favourite against Deontay

The experience Fury has now gained reads richly. He has worked with the likes of legendary trainer Emanuel Steward, Anthony Joshua's coach Rob McCracken, his uncle Peter Fury, Freddie Roach and Ricky Hatton.

Throw in the spars with Klitschko and his work with Davison and you can see why so much know-how runs through him, knowledge that is invaluable at times of crisis.

His father's comments that the current team around him could damage his career seem overly harsh. Watching the team eat together, roll into fight-week events together and their general interactions, you do feel they have Fury's best interests - physical and mental - at heart.

Other critics will point to the fact that only 40% of the seats were taken as being reflective of an uninspiring choice of opponent and Fury failing to make a splash in the US.

Being around Fury, you do get a sense he is relaxed with how things are going. In facing the destructive Wilder just six months into his comeback, he perhaps earned the right to have a couple of lesser names on his record before going big once more.

It is of course, harder to suppress disappointments in match-making in this social media era.

Ultimately a showdown with Wilder in February - should his cuts heal and the American beats Luis Ortiz when they eventually agree to fight - will offer a route back to world-champion status and thrill the paying public.

"We are told that fight is done and I think we will be back in Las Vegas in February," said Bunce, but of the cuts that required 47 stitches he added: "A fight in February means you are in training camp in early December. There are tight lines in recovering the eye."

Lee added: "You have to assume he is the favourite against Wilder now. He went into the first fight with no real competition for over three years and was overweight, getting into shape.

"He's had two fights since, had the training camps and gained all the instincts you get for fighting regularly. You'd have to make him favourite now."

While Fury sat in hospital, the casino floor at the MGM Grand Hotel where the beaten Wallin stayed was bursting at the seams with Saturday night gamblers.

Fury will no doubt find an eye-catching way to market the latest scars picked up in battle.

He is a salesman but when he returns to the ring, it will be a brave man who bets against this never-say-die fighter.