Own Correspondent|Reports on Sunday morning indicated that Deontay Wilder was hospitalised after Tyson Fury’s heavy beating left him with an ear injury.

Wilder was second-best throughout the fight and wound up on the canvas multiple times. He stopped on his feet in the seventh round, the end of an aggressive masterclass that Fury produced on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The American had made 10 defenses of his WBC heavyweight world title before he surrendered the belt to Fury. Wilder was absent from the post-fight press conference in Las Vegas, and The Athletic reporter Mike Coppinger tweeted that it was because he was sent to “local hospital.”

Coppinger said: “Deontay Wilder is headed to a local hospital for examination of an apparent ear injury along with general observation following a knockout defeat and seven rounds of punishment.”

“Deontay Wilder is headed to a local hospital for examination of an apparent ear injury along with general observation following a knockout defeat and seven rounds of punishment. Wilder won’t appear at the post-fight news conference,” said Mike Coppinger after the fight.

Wilder’s long-time trainer Jay Deas, who attended the press conference in place of his fighter, said the boxer had a tear in the ear.

“It may have affected his equilibrium [in the fight],” he said. “He’s going to get a couple stitches there.”

The loss means Wilder’s record falls to 42 wins (41 KOs) against 1 loss (1 KO) and 1 draw.

Fury, the winner, advanced his record to 30 (21 KOs) against 1 draw, unbeaten. He left the press conference to celebrate victory at the Hakkasan night club in the MGM Grand.

However, it was later reported by ESPN that Wilder was not hospitalized. His manager Shell Finkel said Wilder was “examined and stitched up in the dressing room” for a cut inside his ear.

Finkel also said Wilder took “considerable time to produce a [drug test] sample for VADA collectors, another reason he did not [attend] the post-fight news conference,” Dan Rafael reports.