"The doctor who did the sewing did a tremendous job. The biggest and most important cut? You could barely see it"
Sunday 10 May 2020 16:09, UK
Tyson Fury's entire team were worried about a major cut re-opening in his fight with Deontay Wilder, according to Jacob 'Stitch' Duran, the man responsible for stopping that happening.
Fury was forced to brutally persevere despite a terrible gash above his eye against Otto Wallin last year, a wound that threatened to resurface in the rematch with Wilder that he eventually dominated.
"Everybody was concerned except Fury and I," legendary US cut-man Stitch told Sky Sports.
"The whole team, including his brothers, were glad to have me on board. It was the most rational thing they could have done, to bring me in. The Fury team understood that.
"I looked at his cuts. The doctor who did the sewing did a tremendous job. The biggest and most important cut? You could barely see it.
"I told Fury: 'I am here for maintenance. I use ice every round. My job is for you to walk out as handsome as you walked in'.
"I tried to form a fatherly type of bond because, although these guys are gladiators, on the inside they are babies.
"Our first conversation was about when he fought Wladimir Klitschko. I was in Wladimir's corner.
"I told Fury: 'I thought Wladimir just had a bad day against you'.
"But I saw Fury against Deontay Wilder [the first time] and became an instant fan, I knew it was no fluke.
"I saw Fury doing in the gym exactly what he did on the night against Wilder.
"I've been at a lot of great events with great fighters in historic events, but Tyson Fury? That took me to a new level.
"It was a fun, electrifying, adrenaline-fuelled two weeks that I spent with him."
Stitch paid credit to Jorge Capetillo, the cut-man who dealt with Fury's injuries when inflicted by Wallin last year.
"I knew straight away it was a bad, bad cut," said Stitch. "People forget there were actually two cuts.
"In the days after I met with Jorge. Considering the circumstances he passed the test, became a hero and saved the test.
"He brought out the importance of being a good cut-man."
