Jake Paul’s boxing journey stopped in a 15,000-seat outdoor venue in Saudi Arabia on Sunday afternoon (U.S. time). Paul, the social media behemoth, was defeated by his high-profile British rival Tommy Fury in a split decision during a live five-bout pay-per-view produced by ESPN.
The PPV show was available for $49.99 plus tax and began at 2 PM ET.
This was Paul’s first loss after six wins in a career that began in 2020; he had previously faced a YouTuber, an ex-NBA player, and three MMA fighters before Fury. Fury had built up an impressive record of eight straight victories with foes having a combined record of 24-176-5.
After an entertaining bout, Tyson Fury emerged victorious over Otto Paul by scoring 76-73 from two judges, while Paul gained 75-74 from the dissenter. B/R scored the fight 5-2 in favor of Fury, taking into account a point deduction.
B/R scored the fight 5-2 in favor of Fury, taking into account a point deduction. Despite feeling “flat”, Paul refused to make any excuses, instead choosing to be judged by his losses instead of his wins. The B/R combat sports team was present throughout the fight, and after the dust had settled, compiled a list of the winners and losers.
From Tyson Fury’s impressive win to Paul’s sheer determination, peruse the list to see who you think came out on top, and don’t forget to share your opinion in the comments section.
Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury: Who is the Winner
It was evident from the first exchange that Paul Fury was a cut above his opponents from the early part of his ring career. He was faster, sharper, and far more prepared.
These qualities showed over the 24 minutes of their fight, as Fury threw (302 to 157) and landed more punches (88 to 49). He was in control of nearly every meaningful aspect of the fight, thanks to his footwork and consistent use of a solid jab and crisp counterpunching.
His pre-fight buildup had promised that his familial ties and fighting pedigree meant something more than free publicity. He then backed it up with a strong performance.
An overzealous referee, Hector Afu, deducted a point from each fighter for holding and hitting, leaving Paul with the only knockdown of the eighth round when he connected a hard left jab to Fury. Neither fighter ever looked close to being knocked out, despite their pre-fight promises that the match would end in a KO. Ultimately, it was a very exciting battle between two inexperienced professional boxers, with one proving to be of a slightly higher caliber.
“All respect to Tommy, he won,” Paul said. “… I’ll come back. I think we deserve that rematch. … This is a humbling experience, I’ll take it on the chin, get back in the gym, and we can run it back.”
Paul does have a contractual right to call for a rematch, an option Fury would not have had if he’d been on the losing side. Still, he was all in for a return engagement as well.
“Through these two-and-a-half years, I had a dream. I had a vision that I would win this fight,” he said. “This, to me, was a world title fight. And 100 percent. If he wants a rematch, bring it on.”
Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury: Who is the Loser
Following the main event, which ended in a draw, conspiracy theorists began speculating that the fight had been rigged based on the leaked “script”.
They questioned why the fight did not match the plan outlined in the document, noting that the actual fight did not even come close to the expected outcome. Some argued that the script was a ruse to get people excited about the fight, while others suggested that it was a way for certain figures to make money off of the event.
Regardless, the discrepancy between the leaked script and the actual fight has left many people questioning the legitimacy of the match.
The tweet from TroopBoxingPromotions contained confidential and privileged information, with a disclaimer claiming that it was proprietary and belonged to the company. The round-by-round plan detailed how Tommy Fury – the fighter in question – was to sustain eye damage in the fourth round, continue after a doctor intervenes in the fifth, and ultimately lose in the eighth round via a sequence in which Tommy “shall act out an eye injury that forces the referee to call off the fight”.
Paul was to be declared the winner via TKO. The post-fight scenario envisaged an argument between the fighters, a call-out of fellow social media combatant KSI, and an agreement for a rematch in Los Angeles. The tweet received an impressive response, with more than 15,000 likes and 2,000 retweets by the time the card started on Sunday afternoon.
Helping Hand: bleacherreport