Tommy Fury gets close win over Jake Paul
Tommy Fury, right, jolts Jake Paul with a right-hand punch during their cruiserweight fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Tommy Fury has handed YouTube influencer Jake Paul the first loss of his boxing career.
Fury claimed the cruiserweight contest in Saudi Arabia on Monday (NZT) via a split decision with the judge’s scoring it 75-74, 73-76, 73-76.
Paul managed to drop Fury in the eighth and final round, but that wasn’t enough to gain the decision.
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Tommy Fury, left, managed to out-point Jake Paul in their cruiserweight fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Most unofficial scorecards had Fury leading the fight by three points heading into the final round.
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It was a mixed fight, filled with some real action but also dogged by clinching, particularly by Paul.
Both fighters were deducted a point in separate rounds during clinches. Fury had a cut around his left eye from an apparent clash of heads during the seventh round.
Fury disputed the knockdown as both fighters came in close and Paul delivered nothing more than a jab. Fury protested to the referee, claiming he had slipped. He was thrilled to get past that and gain the result.
”This to me is a world title fight ... I have trained so hard for this,” Fury said. "This was my destiny, this was my fate. I’m 23, I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. I had a dream I would win this fight and nobody believed me. Now everybody can take note.”
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Clinching dominated the cruiserweight fight between Tommy Fury and Jake Paul.
Fury dominated the stats, landing 88 punches to Paul’s 49. Fury landed 49 power punches to Paul’s 24.
It was Paul’s first fight against a recognised boxer, and the 26-year-old drops to 6-1 since starting professionally in 2020. His previous wins had come against celebrities and MMA fighters.
“It wasn’t my best performance. I’m not making excuses because I lost, but it wasn’t my best performance,” Paul said after the fight.
”I felt a little flat. But we are 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.
``I've already won every single way in life. I made it farther than I ever thought I would, and beyond. This is a humbling experience. I'll take it on the chin and come back.''
Tommy, 23, half-brother to WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, is now 9-0.
Fury showed his pedigree by fighting behind an effective jab while scoring with some good combinations and also some big shots.
Paul’s most effective weapon was his left hook which he managed to land several times.
The close result, against two heated rivals out of the ring, leaves the possibility of a rematch if there is an appetite.
Asked after the fight if he would trigger his rematch clause, Paul; said: “100%, let’s run it back.”
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Jake Paul will relish his commemorative belt like it was a world title.
This was a missed chance by Paul to silence his doubters.
The WBC, one of the most respected boxing organisations, had said they would give Paul a world ranking if he beat Fury.
Fury was under immense internal pressure, fighting for his family name. Tyson said his half-sibling wouldn’t be welcomed back to Britain if he lost to Paul.
The crowd in the arena outside Riyadh included Al Nassr football’s new signing Cristiano Ronaldo, comedian Kevin Hart and a collection of boxers including Mike Tyson, Deontay Wilder, Joseph Parker, Devin Haney and Tyson Fury and his entourage,