A fight years in the making is scheduled to finally happen on Saturday, February 26 when Jake Paul and Tommy Fury hook up in a catchweight battle in Saudi Arabia. The two were scheduled to meet in late 2021 but Fury pulled out due to an injury. A second bout scheduled for last August was also called off. That might actually be a good thing for Paul, who is relatively new to this boxing thing. When Paul started his new career several years ago, many thought it was another phase for the internet personality. Well, he’s serious about his boxing and we’ll see how much he’s learned when he tangles with a real fighter.
Unbeaten in six fights, Paul’s latest victory was a unanimous decision over mixed martial artist Anderson Silva last October. In fact all his opponents have more MMA experience than boxing experience, which makes this fight so intriguing. Paul understands the significance of this fight saying recently, “The moment of truth has finally arrived. I will get in the ring with a real boxer, an 8-0 fighter from a storied fighting family and show the world the truth about who Jake Paul the boxer really is.”
Those who know boxing understand Paul has the skillset to be good and he’s had little difficulty against opponents with little to no boxing acumen. Despite that he opened as the betting favorite at -180. If the name sounds familiar it’s because Fury is the half-brother of two-time world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Tommy has etched out a nice career so far winning all eight of his fights. In his last official fight, Fury beat Daniel Bocianski on points after sending his opponent to the canvas several times. After securing the victory Fury called out Paul saying, “I’m going to end your career, you’re no good. Let’s get this fight done.”
Jake Paul -180 vs Tommy Fury +143
The 8-round catchweight fight between Jake Paul (6-0, 4 KOs) and Tommy Fury (8-0, 4 KOs) will be held at Diriyah Arena in Riyhad, Saudi Arabia on Sunday, February 26, 2023. This is the main event on a six-fight ticket scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury Fight Preview
Both fighters are in line for the cruiserweight division however this bout is a catchweight at 185-pounds, which is 15 pounds away from the cruiserweight limit. They talked a lot of trash to and about each other in the lead up, which is ballsy from guys who haven’t done much in their brief careers. But there is a catch to this duel. The winner of the fight will be ranked in the cruiserweight division by the WBC. The reward was announced by the governing body.
So Paul and Fury can get a look at what real competition in the weight class looks like, there is a WBC cruiserweight title bout on the undercard with Ilunga Makubu defending against Badou Jack.
Paul is taking his boxing career seriously as we see a step up in competition from the payday fighters he battled previously. None of the six on his resume had a winning record and all of them were better at something besides boxing. Hell, in his second professional fight he KO’d former pro basketball player Nate Robinson. Paul’s greatest asset is his power, which was on display in the second Tyron Woodley fight when he canceled his opponent with a vicious overhead right. He set up Woodley with a steady diet of jabs in the earlier rounds before landing the knockout blow. We just don’t know how he’ll hold up against someone who can actually box.
While this is Paul’s toughest opponent yet, the same can be said about Fury. Names on his fight resume don’t stand out. But Fury has eight professional wins all as a boxer while Paul finally gets his chance to fight someone trained in boxing. And Paul recently signed to compete in the Professional Fighters League, a MMA promotion, likely taking some fire out of the ring. Few details have been released about his schedule, though.
Fury is one tough customer and a good bet at +143. Paul has a way of getting under people’s skin and he called out Fury several times after the first two scheduled fights were nixed. While that’s great stuff for his followers and the media eats it up, the trash talk has a way of motivating fighters and I can see Fury harness the emotion.
Bet Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury Prediction
You probably have an idea where I’m going with this. Fury is as solid as Paul with a boxing background. He’s trained in the ring and fought opponents who are also trained fighters. No matter how hard you train you don’t get that experience unless you step inside with another boxer, which Paul has yet to do. I guess you should be careful what you wish for because you might actually get it. And in this case Paul isn’t going to be happy.
Our Pick: Tommy Fury / KO
