Tommy Fury did what five other competitors could not: defeat social media star turned-boxer, Jake Paul. The fight occurred in an outdoor arena in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, where Fury took home the split-decision victory over the “Problem Child.” The judges scored it 76-73 twice for Fury and 75-74 once for Paul.
The fight came with tons of pressure for Fury (9-0), who is from a fighting family that boasts his half-brother Tyson Fury as a heavyweight juggernaut and world champion. Additionally, it was the first time that Paul faced a “real” boxer in his prime, so the pressure was on Fury to disprove Paul’s growing legend.
The Fury
Fury landed 88 of 302 punches (29 percent), and Paul (6-1) connected with just 49 of 157 (31 percent), per CompuBox statistics. Fury was flat-out dominant, out-landing Paul in every round, holding him to single-digit touches in all but the third round, where he landed ten shots, doubling him in power punches landed (49-24).
After two failed attempts to make the fight, Fury put to bed the sentiment that he would be just another victim in Jake Paul’s wake.
“All the way through these 2 1/2 years, I had a dream, I had a vision that I would win this fight, and no one believed me,” Fury said in the ring after his emotional win. “Now I can stand up and everybody can take note. In my first main event, at 23 years old, I had the world on me. I had pressure on my shoulders, and I came through.”
The pressure to win came not only coming from his famous fighting family but also from the world of boxing. Ahead of the fight, World Boxing Council (WBC) president Mauricio Sulaiman stated that the winner would receive a top 15 ranking at cruiserweight with their organization. For many in the boxing community, Paul making the coveted WBC rankings would have been equivalent to disrespecting those toiling away their whole lives to receive such recognition.
What Does The Boxing World Think Of Jake Paul Now?
“The winner [of Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury] will be ranked by the WBC,” said Mauricio Sulaiman to Fight Hub TV. “We ranked 40 fighters per division, and Jake Paul, we’ve been in close communication for more than five years.
“He won an amateur belt of the WBC, and we have followed and been in close communication, as I say. Nobody can deny the skills that he’s developed, and nobody can deny the punching power. He seems to have a chin, and his boxing is a lot better than people say … he’s not a boxer. He is a boxer.”
However, Tommy Fury placed an asterisk next to the hype train, removing Paul’s undefeated professional status. For Paul, who bet Fury that he would double his pay if he beat him, the reasons for the loss came shortly after.
“Honestly, I felt flat,” Paul said during the post-fight press conference. “I got sick really bad twice in this camp, injured my arm. So, it wasn’t my best performance. But I lost. I’m not making excuses. I’m just saying, it was not my best performance. I felt a little flat. We’re going to come back and get that ‘W.’ Don’t judge me by my wins. Judge me by my losses. I’m going to come back stronger.”
Will Jake Paul Box Again?
Luckily for Paul, he has the right to a rematch in his contract and indicated he planned to exercise that option.
“All respect to Tommy – he won,” Paul said in the ring during his post-fight interview. “And don’t judge me by my wins. Judge me by my losses. I’ll come back. I think we deserve that rematch. It was a great fight, a close fight. I don’t know if I agree with the judges. I got a 10-8 round – twice. So it is what it is. … This is definitely a humbling experience. I’ll take it on the chin. Get back in the gym and we can run it back.”
For now, boxing for “real” boxers lives another day, Tommy Fury will make the WBC rankings, and Jake Paul is still a baby problem in the boxing industry.
