Trainer Malik Scott has revealed that Deontay Wilder suffered an injury to his hand during the trilogy loss to Tyson Fury. 

“We saw the doctor afterward, everything was cool. He's got a busted lip, he broke his hand, broke his finger or knuckle. But life goes on,” Scott told ESNews. 

Wilder won just one round on three of the judges’ scorecards from the sixth round on and was not effectively using his equalizing right hand, a development also discussed during the live television broadcast by Hall of Fame heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.

After scoring a pair of fourth-round knockdowns, Wilder was mostly fatigued as Fury bounced back and outworked him all the way to an 11th round TKO win. Fury scored three knockdowns in total and 150 punches landed overall.

Scott heaped high praise toward the WBC champion Fury (31-0-1, 22KOs) following the British boxer’s brutal beating of his pupil Wilder (42-2-1, 41KOs).

"I've always said [Fury’s] not good, he's very good and damn-near great. After tonight I'm gonna consider him a great fighter. Much respect … [Wilder] was great, Fury was greater. The best man won.

“We almost beat him. This was a hell of an experience … I want Deontay to get some good rest after this. I’m going to make sure he gets it.” 

With Fury going 2-0-1 in the trilogy against Wilder, Scott believes his fighter will be better suited against unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

“Fury, I’m assuming, will get the Usyk shot now, which will be good,” said Scott. “With Deontay, I believe with his style; he’d do a whole lot better against Usyk than AJ’s style did. Ten times better.

“Tyson Fury and Usyk is a very good fight. I can say this. If Tyson Fury is fighting Deontay Wilder and Deontay is 238 and the hardest puncher in the history of the sport, and he’s willing to come and lean on Deontay to wear him down, what do you think he’s going to do to Usyk?

“[Fury is] going to go right to him [Usyk] and want to lean on him and maul.”

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or on www.ManoukAkopyan.com