Tommy Fury defeats Jake Paul: round by round coverage
Tommy Fury wins split decision over Jake Paul
Tommy Fury defeats Jake Paul
In a fight that was much wider than the judges' scorecards would indicate, Tommy Fury outboxed and outclassed Jake Paul from the opening bell and through all eight rounds. Boxing is all about levels, and while Tommy Fury is perhaps not at the level of his famous brother, it was clear that he is a notch above Jake Paul.
That is not to say that Jake Paul did not have his successes. Derided as "just a YouTuber", Paul proved that he belongs in the boxing game. It is no longer possible to dismiss him, and while he may not be at the same level as Tommy Fury yet, there is little doubt that he has a skillset that could be honed into something better.
The biggest success that Paul had was when he knocked Fury down in the eighth round. While Fury protested that he slipped, it was a clear knockdown as he walked onto a right hand from Paul. But even before that, Paul was finding his target with increasing regularity and while he may have come out second-best in every round, he was alway only one punch away from a stunning victory.
Ten years ago, Dillian Whyte looked something like Jake Paul, with a heavy right hand and a clumsy style. A pub brawler more than a boxer. And he has learned and trained and become a talented pugilist. For that matter, the same can be said of Tyson Fury. Early fights saw him with bad fundamentals and a bit chinny, and look where he wound up. My point? There is hope for Jake Paul yet.
As for Tommy Fury? He is far from the finished article either. His skill was on display, but he still has a long way to go if he wants to emulate his brother. But with this win, he will feel that he doesn't have to. No longer simply "a Fury" he is making a mark as his own man in the boxing world. There is a long way to go, but he can now be the master of his own future.
Jake Paul has indicated that he will be triggering the rematch clause and with a split decision, it would be insane not to. It is unfathomable how any of the judges gave that fight to Jake Paul, but then that is boxing. It is all subjective and you see what you are looking for.
From the point of view of the public, however, a rematch between these two will be a welcome spectacle. And while buying a Jake Paul pay per view may have made boxing fans seethe in the past, in this case, it is a valid purchase. For better or worse, the argument that Jake Paul isn't a real boxer has been put to bed forever.
That is going to be it from our live coverage of the Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury boxing. Thank you for joining us and we look forward to bringing you all of the best in the world of boxing and the wider world of sports.
As most of the boxing world, I was dismissive of Jake Paul, but in all truthfulness, he did some good work in that fight. While Tommy Fury may have ouboxed him, there were moments where Paul made an emphatic statement and showed that he belonged in that ring. Is he world title level? No. But you can't say that he isn't a boxer. Not any more.
Tommy Fury is clearly emotional as he notes that he is finally making his own way, in his own name, not as a member of the Fury family, but as his own man, as Tommy.
The rematch?
Both fighters meet in the ring and exchange pleasantries. You have to give respect to anyone who gets into the ring for eight rounds with you.
Jake Paul has a rematch clause in the contract and given the fact that it was a split decision, I would feel that he will likely trigger that clause and do it again.
Judges Scorecards
I scored the fight 77 to 72 in favor of Fury, but let's see what the judges think.
They scored it as follows:
75-74 Paul
76-73 Fury
76-73 Fury
Tommy Fury wins by split decision.
Round 8
Both fighters come out swinging and Fury goes down. He protests that it was a slip, but the referee counts it as a knockdown. That could sway things if the judges see it closer than I do.
Fury comes back with a flurry of punches and looks like getting the stoppage. Jake Paul fights his way out of it and survives the onslaught.
As the fight comes to a close, both men are holding on.
Jake Paul won that round, the first one that I saw, but if Shawn Porter is correct, he may have won the fight.
Round 7
Tommy Fury is clean in this round, outboxing Paul easily. I have just seen Shawn Porter's scorecard and he has it even, with Jake Paul winning three rounds. I can't believe that. I find it hard to see Jake winning any rounds at all, much less three.
Fury is doing the better work here, and Paul looks tired and holding on immediately when they get close. Tommy Fury has a cut opened up on his left eye from a head clash.
Round 6
Jake Paul comes out with a great right hand, but Fury eats it well and comes back with a combo of his own. This is much better from Fury. He is landing uppercuts and finding Jake in those telegraphed moves.
Jake is trying to mix it up, throwing double jabs. This is nice, but he should have done it earlier. Tommy is much faster than Jake.
Now the ref is deducting a point from Tommy Fury for holding and hitting. So the two, while neither were fair, are at least cancelled out.
Round 5
The fifth round is much of the same, with both men throwing what they throw, Tommy with good counter punches and Jake with a big overhand right. Jake Paul hits Fury in the back of the head and the referee deducts a point! That is going to make it nearly impossible for Paul to win without a knockout.
I don't think that it was fair to deduct a point from only Jake, particularly when Tommy's rabbit punch just one round earlier had no repercussion.
Round 4
Tommy Fury comes out with a flurry of combination shots, landing some good punches. Jake Paul is on the back foot and is getting outclassed comprehensively in this round.
With under a minute to go, Jake comes back with a nice counter, but he is telegraphing his shots and Fury ends the round with a shot in the back of the head. That was uncalled for. He needs to be careful that he doesn't get a point deducted.
Round 3
Jake Paul comes out blasting and while he is not landing those haymakers, it is only a matter of time. Fury is too immobile, too predictable.
Fury boxes him back and Paul slows the pace. He catches Tommy with a good counter punch.
This is better from Jake Paul.
Round 2
Fury comes out in control of the second round, dictating the pace, but Jake Paul is not a chump. He is getting shots in, particularly that overhand right.
Another overhand right from Paul, and while it is not landing yet, it is a heavy weapon that will inflict heavy damage if it finds a home.
Both fighters look relaxed and while Tommy is outboxing Jake at the moment, it is not at all a wide margin.
Round 1
The bout gets underway with Tommy Fury coming in fast and going after Jake Paul. They clinch almost immediately and there is a bit of wrestling going on. The referee calls time and warns both fighters with less than a minute fo the first round gone.
Both men are coming in heavy handed and going for the knockout and while Tommy is more active, Jake is actually landing better shots. It would be difficult to say who is the YouTuber and who is the boxer.
The last ten seconds sees a steady attack from Tommy Fury and he lands several heavy shots on Paul.
This is scheduled to go eight rounds and will be fought at the cruiserweight division. Tommy Fury gets a good round of applause by the Saudi Arabian crowd, but Jake Paul is roundly booed. It is quite surprising to be honest, since moments before the crowd were chanting "we want Jake"
Ringwalks
Tommy Fury is in the ring and Jake Paul lives up to his Problem Child moniker, making everyone wait an excruciatingly long time before he starts his ringwalk.
Finally he enters the arena and the national anthems are played, God Save the King for Tommy Fury and The Star Spangled Banner for Jake Paul.
Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury [cruiserweight]
The main event is now about to kick off and we will take a look at some interesting things about Jake Paul and Tommy Fury.
One of the main issues coming into this bout is the fact that Jake Paul is a YouTuber and has not faced any real boxers. But that may turn out to be a red herring since Tommy Fury has very little boxing experience, perhaps even of a lower quality than Jake Paul has had.
Yes, Fury is from a famous boxing family, but that is not the same thing as actual experience.
An interesting rule in effect in this fight is that a result will be made after the fifth round, rather than immediately as any professional boxing match would normally. Another is that instant replay is available. I'm not sure that I have ever seen that in play in a professional boxing match.
Badou Jack is the new WBC Cruiserweight World Champion
Badou Jack is now a three-time, three-division world champion, having stepped up from Light Heavyweight for this bout. Ilunga Makabu simply was outclassed by a true champion tonight.
Round 12
Makabu is stunned by a hard right! He falls onto the ropes and Jack jumps on him, landing shot after shot with no response. Makabu is out on his feet and the referee steps in to stop it. Badou Jack has taken the belt off Makabu by knockout!
Round 11
Twenty seconds into the round and Jack lands a big right hand and Makabu goes down. He is in real trouble!
Jack jumps on him and tries to end the fight here and now. Makabu is hurt! He is on his heels!
Halfway through the round and Jack is coming with combinations and switching from orthodox to southpaw. Makabu has no answer for this. Badou Jack "The Ripper" is ripping Makabu apart!
Round 10
Makabu is completely out of gas. He is laying on the ropes and Jack is working against him. It isn't a rope-a-dope, he is tired. Jack is in clear control.
Makabu is still dangerous though, and he comes off the ropes and lands a big right and another. Jack comes back and lands four left hands in a row. Better from the champion, but Jack is clearly in control.
Round 9
Makabu is still looking for that big opening, and he will need it to win this fight. Barring a knockout, there is very little possibility that he can come back on the scorecard.
Jack is the better boxer of the two, he has faster feet, faster hands, better conditioning. Makabu lumbers his way forward and throws several lazy jabs. Jack is unfazed by anything that he is doing so far. Just on the bell, Jack catches Makabu with a sweet right hand. It didn't knock him back, but it just emphasized the fact to the judges that he owned that round.
Round 8
Badou Jack is comfortable as he comes out and throws combinations that are catching Makabu cleanly. Junior looks like he is confused and unsure as to what he should do to find Jack, he is unable to so far.
With a minute to go in the round, Jack throws a couple of eye-catching right hands that catch Makabu. Jack is still nimble on his feet as Makabu lumbers his way to the bell.
Round 7
Badou has the faster hands, the faster feet. If he boxes, then Makabu can't win. On the other hand, Jack looks like he is too willing to trade with Makabu, and that is a foolish tactic because Jack can't win that war.
Makabu is looking for that one big shot, but he is having trouble finding it. Jack on the other hand is quick, in and out, and is outscoring Makabu easily.
Round 6
Makabu looks like he is starting to tire, sucking air and slowing down. He is the more active fighter in this round, but is lumbering, whereas Jack looks like he is still fresh. Although Makabu does land a few of his shots, perhaps enough to give him that round.
Round 5
Badou Jack is in the drivers seat and Makabu will need to win every round now if he wants to stay in this. Jack is having great success moving to his left, behind that front foot of Makabu.
Makabu is increasing his work rate but he is eating a lot of shots on the counter. Clearly frustrated, Makabu is trying to set up that left hand but is unable to get jack where he wants him.
Jack is circling and in control as the round ends. There is little in it, but Jack's shots felt more hurtful, so I would give him the round.
Round 4
Both fighters are still working from the inside, but now Jack looks more comfortable at the distance.
With a minute left in the round, a big right hand from Jack puts Makabu on the canvas!
The champion is not hurt by the knockdown, but it certainly changes the tone of this fight. Coming back in to try and salvage the round, Jack is clearly in control.
Round 3
Makabu has finally woken up, he is now moving more and pressing Jack. While he has yet to hurt Badou Jack, Makabu certainly looks more in control of the pace.
Makabu lands a big right hook that gets Jack's attention. With a minute left, the fight has finally moved to the inside. Jack stays inside and trades with Makabu, but this is looking more like the type of fight that the Congolese fighter wants to have.
I give that round to the champion, his first.
Round 2
The second round starts off muchas the first ended. Single jabs and one-two shots from both fighters, and Makabu is allowing this fight to stay on the outside, which plays into Jack's skillset. If Makabu wants to get on top of this fight, he needs to press jack more, cut the ring down and don't allow him to stay outside so much.
In the waning seconds of the round, Makabu finally chases Jack down and has some brief success. But for most of the round, Jack was in control.
Round 1
Jack comes out bouncing, trying to jab, while Makabu is more cagey, keeping his range and throwing shots at the body of Jack.
The southpaw Makabu looks a little unsteady on his feet, perhaps he is trying to set up Jack to get onto that left hand, but so far it just looks like he is not stable.
Round one ends without much happening either way. I would give it to Badou Jack for the few jabs that he landed to Makabu's body, but it could go the other way just as easily.
Ilunga Makabu vs. Badou Jack [WBC Cruiserweight World Title]
This is the fight that boxing fans have been waiting for, as Ilunga Makabu defends his WBC Cruiserweight title against Badou Jack.
Even though Jack's last outing wasn't so great, he is a former world champion and is relaxed as he walks to the ring.
Makabu is immensely proud to be Africa's first world champion and is dead set on making an emphatic statement to the boxing world by defeating a true contender in Jack.
The last time that Makabu lost was back in 2016 when Tony Bellew knocked him out. Since then he has won 10 in a row and is considered one of the best pound for pound fighters in the game today. If he wins here, he is likely to get a fight with Canelo Alvarez.
Judges scorecards
Let's see how it was scored at ringside:
All three judges agree with my scoring, and Ziyad Almaayouf gets the unanimous decision, improving to 2-0.
Round 4
This round is the decider. With the 10-8 first round, it is even at the moment. Whoever does the best work here will take the bout.
Almaayouf is the faster and stronger fighter, doubling up his jab, working clever. Martinez looks like he is out of ideas and is eating a lot of shots.
Zizo lands a big right hand but Martinez is not for going down. The round runs out, but that was all Almaayouf.
I scored it 38 - 37 to Almaayouf.
Round 3
Neither of these fighters seem willing to slow the pace as they both come out trading punches. Zizo is landing the better shots, working nicely behind the jab. He lands double rights and Martinez looks ready to fall.
Ronnald is trying to land uppercuts but he should work the jab a little more. One issue is that Martinez keeps switching from orthodox to southpaw, but rather than look as if it is a tactical move, it just looks like he lacks training and composure.
Zizo is doing what he wants with Martinez in this round. So far, Martinez won that first round due to the knockdown, but Almaayouf has won the other two.
Round 2
The second round starts with the pendulum the ohter way. Martinez looks like he is going for the KO and winds up eating a few nice counter punches from Almaayouf.
Both fighters are slowing and with a minute to go, Almaayouf gets a cracking shot in that rocks Martinez. He recovers quickly but that really rocked him. The bell came just in time for him in that round. This fight is back and forth!
Round 1
Almaayouf come out in a flurry and looks like he is going all in for an early knockout. He needs to be careful, though, because Martinez knows how to avoid the biggest hits and get his own back in.
Almaayouf slows as the round goes on and he is unable to get the quick KO. Martinez stays poised and starts to get punches in of his own.
Oh dear! Martinez lands a straight right and drops Almaayouf in the waning seconds of the round. Almaayouf gets back to his feet but is happy to hear the bell.
Ziyad Almaayouf vs Ronnald Martinez [Welterweight]
Ecuador's Ronnald Martinez comes in at 3-1-1 and will square off against Ziyad Almaayouf at 1-0 in a welterweight four round bout that sees local Saudi Almaayouf try to get his professional legs under him.
MIke Tyson, Cristiano Ronaldo in the house
Iron Mike Tyson makes his way to ringside and is mobbed by fans who all want selfies. The champ is gracious and makes time for everyone. Cristiano Ronaldo is in the building as well and the crowd erupt when they see him on the big screen.
Deontay Wilder wants to reveal his news SOOOOO badly!
Deontay Wilder comes over for an interview about what he is seeing and who he thinks will win the main event. He is composed and refuses to be drawn, saying that he has "no dog in the fight" so he doesn't want to pick a winner, but that "everybody who gets in the ring and risks their life has my respect."
When questioned about his own upcoming fight, he wants sooooo badly to reveal something, giving information out in drips and drabs, but stops short of any revelation. All he will give us is that he will "definitely have two fights this year" and hopes to get three fights in. He won't say who his opponents are, but says that the next two fights will be "amazing" and that "we are going to give the people what they want."
Muhsin Cason improves to 11-0
Cason certainly put in a bit of work in that fight, even though it was only one round. And say what you will, that first punch was a peach! A good right hand that caught Jafarov right on the jaw. Everything that came after that was a result of that one big shot.
Waved off!
Jafarov declines to come out for round two and retires on his stool! This is a disappointment. It looked like Jafarov had managed to find his wits as that first round ended, but clearly his team saw something as he was in the corner in between rounds. Muhsin Cason gets the win by technical knockout and improves his record to 11-0.
Round 1
My word! One punch and Jafarov goes down! He comes back up and continues to fight, but he looks wobbly on his feet. Cason is intelligent, letting Jafarov throw and stretch himself, feinting and avoiding the big haymakers.
With a minute to go, Cason gets Jafarov onto the ropes and begins to probe him. Jafarov gets out of trouble and looks like he is more alert as the round ends.
Muhsin Cason vs Taryel Jafarov [Cruiserweight]
The next undercard fight sees a couple of cruiserweights in Azerbaijani Taryel Jafarov as he takes on American Muhsin Cason. This fight sees Jafarov come in at 18-5 taking on the 10-0 Cason. Keep your eye on Muhsin Cason, he could be a rising star in the fight game, but you never know at these larger weights. One punch could end it all. This fight is scheduled to go 10 rounds.
Samreen improves his record to 8-0
Simion did not look overly hurt when he was on the mat, but the referee clearly saw something in his eyes that he didn't like. Either way you cut it, that was an impressive show from Bader Samreen. His punches were hard and hurtful, Simion was clearly frustrated and walked onto each of those combinations.
"I saw my opportunity and in boxing, you don't get paid overtime, you know what I mean?"
Round 1
Both fighters come out cagey, with Samreen trying out combinations. It gets a little heated as Simion marches onto the young fighter. Samreen is making every punch count and draws Simion onto the ropes. With 1:30 to go, Samreen puts Simion down and the referee judges that he is in no shape to continue. Bader Samreen wins by knockout in just over 90 seconds.
Bader Samreen vs Viorel Simion [Super Lightweight]
Simion and Samreen are making their ringwalks as the first undercard fight gets ready to get underway. Viorel Simion is an old pro with a record of 23-9 going up against the young Bader Samreen, who comes in at 7-0. This bout is scheduled to go eight rounds.
Bronze Bomber is in the house
Deontay Wilder has just come in with his entourage. Always dapper, he is wearing all white, with a traditional Saudi keffiyeh and looking like he owns the world.
Tommy Fury is in the arena, looking relaxed and unworried ahead of his evening's work.
He says that he feels happy and rearing to go. "You will have 100% Tommy Fury, and Jake Paul will feel the force of that."
Undercard running order
The five bouts tonight will start with Jordanian Bader Samreen vs Romanian Viorel Simion.
1 Bader Samreen vs Viorel Simion
2 Muhsin Cason vs Taryel Jafarov
3 Ziyad Almaayouf vs Ronald Martinez
4 Ilunga Makabu vs Badou Jack "The Ripper"
5 Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury "The Problem Child"
Andy Clarke and Shawn Porter are commentating on the fights while heavyweight greats Mike Tyson and Tyson Fury are both in the crowd.
The event gets underway
As the event gets underway, the venue is mostly empty. That is normal and I wouldn't read much into it, as crowds normally filter in through the undercard fights.
Whatever boxing fans feel about Jake Paul and the new brand of boxing event that he represents, there is no denying the fact that the money is flowing in, with a voracious global social media following happily parting with their cash to see him fight. Even the big stars are in on the act, with huge sums being bet on the outcome.
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This bout is not without controversy, and there are allegations flying that the fight has been rigged something along the lines of a Wrestling match.
A long road
The road to this matchup between YouTuber Jake Paul and Tommy Fury has been winding and bumpy, now two years in the making. A fight last year was called off when Fury was denied entry to the United States by Homeland Security because of alleged ties to Irish mob boss Daniel Kinahan.
Most boxing fans are dismissive of Paul, citing the fact that he is yet to face an actual boxer, with his six professional wins coming against another YouTuber, a basketball player, and four MMA fighters. But World Boxing Council president, Mauricio Sulaiman, has confirmed that a victory over Fury will see Paul enter the WBC’s cruiserweight rankings.
Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury: LIVE
Good evening! And welcome to our live coverage of The Truth, as Jake Paul and Tommy Fury finally settle their grudge in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.
We have a tasty night of boxing in front of us, as the undercard features several undefeated records being put on the line, plus a clash for the WBC Cruiserweight world title between Ilunga Makabu and Badou Jack.