Updated:
Feb 27, 2023
Tommy Fury silenced his doubters last night by claiming an eight round split decision victory over Jake Paul.
Paul was the bookies favourite going into the contest and many experts in the boxing fraternity picked ‘The Problem Child’ to defeat Fury.
However, from the opening bell it was clear who was the better skilled boxer of the two. Fury started brightly by using his jab and athleticism to keep Paul on the back foot.
‘TNT’ continued to dominate in round two by moving around the ring, peppering Paul with his jab and being an elusive target for the American.
Nevertheless, in round three Paul started to come forward more and experience success of his own. Seemingly the stronger man, Paul began to push Tommy Fury back and land the odd power punch on his British opponent.
The fight was heating up nicely in the fourth as Fury unleashed a flurry of punches, temporarily thwarting Paul’s offence. But the former Disney star bounced back by connecting with a ferocious left hook, that Fury took without showing signs of being seriously hurt.
Round five saw the back-and-forth action resume, yet Paul’s chances of winning the bout on the cards waned thin when deducted one point by the referee for punching Tommy Fury to the back of the head. Hope for the American was restored in the sixth round though, as Fury was then deducted a point for excessive holding.
In the penultimate round both boxers were feeling the pace. Fury stuck to using his jab while Paul swung wildly, hoping to land a devastating punch.
The drama reached boiling point in the eighth and final round when Jake Paul landed a stiff jab on Fury, sending him down to the canvas and claiming a knockdown.
Regardless, it was the half brother of Tyson Fury who finished the fight in stronger fashion by throwing multiple combinations and attempting to score a knockdown too.
Following a brief delay, it was announced that Tommy Fury was the victor via split-decision. Mike Ross scored the fight 75-74 in Paul’s favour, whereas Omar Mintum and Daniel Van de Wiele both produced scorecards of 76-73 in favour of Fury.
With his win, Fury extended his unbeaten professional record to 9-0, while Paul now has a record of 6-1.
Tommy Fury On His Victory Over Jake Paul
Unsurprisingly, Tommy Fury appeared emotional in the post-fight interview and explained how important it was for him to emerge victorious, especially after all the stick he received from pulling out of the first two bouts with Paul.
“For the past two and a half years, this is all that has consumed my life. Broke rib, denied access and everybody thought I was running scared. Tonight, I made my own legacy. I am Tommy Fury.”
The boxer from Manchester recently became father to a baby girl with long-term partner Molly-Mae and dedicated the win to his family.
“I want to dedicate this fight to my new baby girl, Bambi, at home. My missus, I love you, I can’t wait to see you. This fight was for you. This fight was for you Bambi, I love you.”
Fury continued by reiterating the amount of pressure he had to deal with before and during the fight. Still a novice, this was the first time in his career he has headlined a show.
“All the way through these two and a half years, I had a dream, I had a vision, I would win this fight. And no-one believed me. Now I can stand up and everybody can take note. In my first main event, 23 years old. I had the world on me. I had pressure on my shoulders and I came through.”
