By Geno McGahee
On February 26th, on ESPN+ PPV, Jake Paul, 6-0, 4 KO’s, finally takes on Tommy Fury, 8-0, 4 KO’s, in an eight round grudge match. The two were set to fight on two other occasions but Fury pulled out both times for different reasons. Now, unless we get a third pull out, the two will face off in a boxing match and the fans that have been following this saga will get an answer to the question that has been asked with regularity: what happens when Jake Paul faces a “real boxer.”
Paul has made his name by taking on mostly names from mixed martial arts. He started by taking on Ben Askren (KO-1), took on Tyron Woodley (SD-8, KO-6) a couple times and just defeated Anderson Silva (UD-8). The continued argument that is made is that beating older MMA guys has not proven anything, but Paul has proven a lot with victories over two fighters. Beating Woodley and especially Silva were impressive wins and proved that he can fight and that he has been learning a lot in this sport.
Silva made his name in MMA, but he had fights in boxing prior, including a win over former world champion, Julio Cesar Chavez, JR., in a major upset. Silva is a very talented fighter and he brought those natural skills to the boxing ring and Paul was able to defeat him and even knocked him down. Paul learned a lot with the win.
Tommy Fury is considered the first “real boxer” that Paul is stepping into the ring with. Fury comes from the Fury family and comes in with the undefeated record, but the opposition is far from impressive when it’s examined closely.
The collective record of the Fury opposition is 24 wins, 176 losses, and 5 draws. The one opponent that had a winning record of 10-1, 2 KO’s, Daniel Bocianski, went the full 6 rounds with Fury and lost a unanimous decision, but a closer examination of Bocianski’s record is revealing. The collective record of his opposition was 99 wins, 191 losses and 9 draws. As much as Paul’s record is scrutinized, he has faced much tougher opposition than Fury has.
Inside the ring, Fury will be a different animal than Paul has faced. Fury is a boxer and does possess boxing skills even if they were on display against less than stellar opposition. He is big and he’s young and seems really motivated to win this fight and defend the Fury name against what he is calling a “YouTuber” in Paul.
There is a chance that Paul could be exposed in this fight and all the talk that he’s not a real boxer could have some confirmation. This could be the fight that all the Paul haters have been waiting for, but the favorite here should be Paul for a few reasons.
Fury has been hit with right hands with regularity from his opposition and that is Paul’s KO punch. That is the punch that Paul will be looking to land and land early. The biggest Paul advantage is a mental one. He believes that he is mentally tougher and has intimidated Fury and there is some evidence to back it up. With Fury backing out twice and skipping the first press conference, it raises some red flags. The first round of their fight will show just how intimidated Fury is. If Paul is right, the fight could be over within the first round, but if he’s wrong, the match will be interesting.
Fury has a counter right hand that he uses when his opponents jab or come in with their own right hand. This shot could surprise Paul and be the key to victory for Fury. If he can dodge the right hand and come back with the counter right, it could be the end of the Paul run as a boxing PPV star.
PREDICTION
Jake Paul will pounce on Tommy Fury early and I suspect that Fury will retreat and will panic when the first right hand lands. Fury will play defense and hold on for dear life as Paul builds momentum. I see Paul stopping Fury in four rounds as the referee rescues Fury after consistent punishment, but I could also see Fury quitting on the stool, citing some injury to avoid any further combat.
