Written by: Shawn Cross
It looked like it might never happen. However, on Sunday in Saudi Arabia, Jake Paul and Tommy Fury finally got their hands on the ring as the main attraction of ESPN’s pay-per-view event. The bout between Paul 6-0 and 8-0 Fury was scheduled for the 8th in the cruiserweight division.
Twisted Fury got the best of things in the beginning, making it difficult for him to land, and he fired a quick jab, landing well at the end of the round. Paul had a second better when he saw him go down, but Fury still topped the three-minute split with movement and a stinging jab. Paul took a strong third, in a round he probably won by being the most active fighter. Moreover, Fury didn’t stick around and move like he did before.
The fourth round was all Fury, as he hit Paul hard and with some regularity. As for Paul, announcer Sean Porter was right to point out that the guy was sending his shots, giving Fury the advantage of seeing what happens. Fury was tagged heavily by Paul in the fifth, although the referee had inexplicably taken a point from Paul for a single shot behind the head that wasn’t particularly damaging and effective. By the end of the round, Fury had landed a powerful shot of his own.
Paul put some good punches together at the beginning of the sixth. Then anger took a good con. Then a point was taken from Fury to hold. It was a close run, sure, but Paul may have outdone it. Both men did well in the seventh. It was a tough and gritty fight, and it was hard to call it quits. A direct shot from Paul scored a knockdown in the eighth and final round. However, Fury may have gotten the best of the rest of the round.
The judges ended up ruling in Fury’s favor by a split decision.
“All due respect to Tommy,” said Paul. “he won.”
“I don’t know if I agree with the judges,” he added. “This is definitely a humbling experience. I’ll take it on the chin.”
Suffice it to say, the two men were gracious to each other after the fight and seemed excited for their rematch.
