Youtuber turned boxer, Jake Paul (6-1, 4 KOs), finally faced a “real” boxer for the first time, and it was a bit more than he could handle as Tommy Fury (9-0, 4 KOs) handed him his first defeat via eight-round split decision Sunday night at Diriyah Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Fury, the younger brother of Tyson Fury, pushed forward aggressively at the start of the fight, but Paul initiated clinches in order to avoid any significant damage. This pattern would continue for the rest of the fight.
In the second and third rounds, Fury made a crucial adjustment. Instead of coming forward, he spent more time on the outside where he could land jabs and right hands.
Paul became frustrated with Fury’s footwork and occasional combinations as the rounds progressed. In the fifth, Paul was deducted a point for hitting Fury behind the head. That point deduction was nullified after the 23-year-old Manchester native was himself deducted a point for clinching in the sixth round.
The later rounds were close, and it became clear that Paul’s widely publicized campaign as a pro boxer was enough for him to develop into a fighter who could create a competitive fight with Fury. In fact, the 26-year-old native of Cleveland, Ohio, even managed to send Fury to the canvas with a counter left jab in the final round.
Fury’s early lead, however, was enough for him to secure the victory as two judges scored it 76-73 for him while a third had it 75-74 for Paul.
There is a rematch clause, which Paul plans to exercise.
“All respect to Tommy. He won. Don’t judge me by my wins. Judge me by my losses. I’ll come back. I think we deserve that rematch. It was a great fight. It was a close fight. I don’t know if I agree with the judges. I got a 10-8 round twice. So, it is what it is. I’ve already won in life, man. I’ve already won in every single way. I have an amazing family. Amazing friends. Amazing work ethic. I’ve made it farther than I ever thought I would,” Paul said.