The moment approaches for Jake Paul and Tommy Fury, who throw down at the Diriyah Arena in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday. This eight-round cruiserweight bout, plus undercard action, will be broadcast by ESPN+ PPV in the US and BT Sport Box Office in the UK.
Paul (6-0, 4 KOs) has been roundly criticized for having never competed against a legitimate professional boxer. However, the 26-year-old social media sensation has faced world-class MMA strikers during the embryonic stages of his professional journey and has worked extremely hard on his boxing ability.
“We’ve picked [Fury] apart,” said Paul during Thursday’s final press conference. “We’ve studied him. He makes a lot of mistakes. He’s great on offense. He’s got a great jab. Lots of combos. Speed. Good footwork. Good movement. He’s a good boxer, but he’s not a great boxer. His lack of defense and lack of head movement is going to be exposed on Sunday.”
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Fury (8-0, 4 KOs) is the half-brother of reigning heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The 23-year-old boxer entered the UK’s public conscience courtesy of a successful stint on the reality TV show Love Island. But despite his bloodline and media pull, the confident young Englishman has punch swapped with real professionals, albeit of the journeymen variety.
“You’re getting put to sleep inside four rounds,” Fury told Paul. “Let me tell you. I’m not an old man. I’m a fresh, young fighter. I’m going to put you away. You had two very lucky escapes from this fight. You should have taken those escapes. You should not be sitting here right now because this is bad for you. You should have stuck to making easy money fighting old men and celebrities. I’m coming to take your head off.”
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While this is undoubtedly a big event, the matchup itself elicits the broadest spectrum of opinion imaginable on whether it’s good or bad for boxing. Opinions vary widely, even within The Sporting News headquarters.
Our senior combat writer Andreas Hale and deputy editor Tom Gray now give their respective takes on what the Paul vs Fury clash brings to the sport:
Why Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury is good for boxing
By Andreas Hale
I know some boxing purists are disappointed that a longtime boxing journalist and card-carrying member of the Boxing Writers Association of America would be supportive of a fight between a YouTuber and a reality TV star.
Unfortunately for you, that’s where we are.
But this opinion is coming from someone who adores the pomp and circumstance of pro wrestling and is aware that boxing is struggling to find footing for the younger demographic.
It’s no secret that the viewership demographic for boxing skews toward an older audience.
Here’s the thing: Fighting is a universal language that everyone understands. Oftentimes, it is a video of people fighting that goes viral on social media. And while boxing purists appreciate the art of the sweet science, the greater population is uninterested in technically sound fighters with fantastic defense. In all honesty, bad boxing is far more entertaining than good boxing because it produces more knockouts and people getting punched in the face.
It’s not until the politics of boxing get involved with fights not being made for a variety of reasons and sanctioning bodies complicating who the “real” champion is where things get overly complicated and make it less about fighting for the casual fan.
And that’s who Jake Paul caters to — the casual fan.
The YouTuber’s unlikely foray into boxing attracts a younger audience interested in what the former Bizaardvark actor is doing with his life. And it’s not like he isn’t taking the sport seriously because he trains hard and has shown improvement each and every time he’s stepped into the ring. No, he isn’t going to beat Canelo (despite what he says), but he’s naturally athletic enough to learn and apply the nuances of boxing properly. Couple that with his marketability and audience, and you have a recipe that builds a bridge between the younger generation and boxing.
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Oftentimes we have exciting fighters who cannot market themselves and fighters who can talk a good game but can't seem to back it up. Paul has been successful enough to make people want to pay to see him lose and leave surprised when he doesn't. And if he can get just 10% of his millions of fans to take an interest in boxing, how does that hurt the sport?
What has hindered boxing has nothing to do with Jake Paul and everything to do with big fights inexplicably not being made and a lack of understanding regarding boxing's politics. When a fight is as simple as two guys (or girls) punching each other in the face, everyone is happy.
It also doesn’t hurt that Tommy Fury is a good-looking guy who happens to be the half-brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. There’s a lot of appeal in this fight, even though diehards are going to disregard its relevancy and impact on the sport.
Not everyone who watches a Jake Paul fight will be converted into a hardcore boxing fan, but he’s the closest thing to bridging the gap between audiences that we have. And that's better than nothing.
Why Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury is bad for boxing
By Tom Gray
The Jake Paul-Tommy Fury roadshow is aimed, largely, at Gen Z and Gen Alpha – the kids, teenagers, and early adults that never knew a world without social media and a smartphone.
Paul is a young, intelligent, and charismatic, social media personality. He’s adapted himself to a younger audience by being ambitious, daring, and innovative; attributes which are seriously lacking among many of the suits responsible for making elite-level boxing matchups in 2023.
That’s why “The Problem Child”, a literal boxing beginner, is headlining a pay-per-view event. If you told any worthwhile promoter this was possible 25 years ago, they would have laughed their ass off.
But, let’s be honest, this isn’t boxing. Unbelievably, I’ve heard the Paul vs Fury bout referred to as a “big fight”. My God, this sport needs a hero! What we have here is a cruiserweight eight-rounder between novices. Paul takes the game seriously enough, but he’s as green as a bottled glass. Fury might be a decent prospect, but it’s too early to know for sure.
“Oh, but they’re well-matched!” That’s wonderful, but if you watch this sport for craft and skill, you aren’t going to find it in Paul vs Fury. Even if you attend a legitimate small hall boxing show featuring well-schooled youngsters in four-round bouts, you’ll still be impressed by the talent, bravery, and stamina on display.
Conversely, during Sunday’s dustup, the PPV audience will sit there in anticipation of a cartoon punch: a big, crude haymaker resembling the one that Paul scored on the hapless Tyron Woodley in December 2021. You remember that, right? It went viral – even I saw it. As brutal as that knockout was, Paul showed that right hand to Woodley for several seconds before releasing it. As the ponderous blow made its way around the arena, it stopped off for a beer and still found the target.
That’s good for boxing? Really?
I’ve seen better-constructed knockouts outside a bar when both participants are drunk – and I’m serious. If people – young or old – get the impression that this is the best that boxing can deliver, then that hurts the sport – it doesn’t better it. I’m in the boxing business and that’s not good news.
This isn’t the sweet science. This isn’t the sport I grew up on. This is a dirty and overpriced cocktail of WWE and cringeworthy trash talk with a splash of punch. And it’s being staged in a country that can afford to pay top dollar for any old rubbish. But, hey, there’s a market for it – that’s supply and demand.
All things considered, I’d rather watch Oleksandr Usyk shadowbox for eight rounds than this.
