On Sunday afternoon, Jake Paul and Tommy Fury will finally enter the ring to compete against one another. The matchup has been in the works for more than a year, having been canceled twice before finally being scheduled for Saudi Arabia.
Paul has started his career undefeated, defeating fellow social media influencers, former NBA stars, and multiple MMA superstars. Fury, the unbeaten younger half-brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, is his first opponent with a traditional boxing background. The two men have engaged in copious amounts of trash talk, but on Sunday, one will claim victory and the other will suffer their first loss in the professional boxing ring.
In the co-main event, one of the divisional champions that Paul and Fury typically call home will compete. Ilunga Junior Makabu puts his WBC cruiserweight title on the line when he fights the veteran Badou Jack.
Makabu, 35 years old, holds a 29-2 record against largely unrecognized opponents. His most recent defeat occurred in 2016 when he faced former champion, Tony Bellew. Since then, he’s amassed ten consecutive victories, seven of which were via knockout.
DOWN GOES FURY 😱😱😱 #PaulFury
🎥 @MostVPromotions pic.twitter.com/WuZTFv5kLJ
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) February 26, 2023
Results:
Paul and Fury originally were scheduled to fight in December 2021, but a rib injury forced Fury out of the bout. Then they were supposed to square off Aug. 6, 2022, but Fury was denied entry into the U.S.
Tommy Fury defeats Jake Paul by split decision
Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury, cruiserweight
Ilunga Junior Makabu (c) vs. Badou Jack, WBC cruiserweight title
Bader Samreen vs. Viorel Simion, lightweight
Muhsin Cason vs. Taryel Jafarov, cruiserweight
Paul has proven to be a dedicated boxer who uses the resources he has acquired from his time as a Disney Channel actor and his successful influencer career to put together rigorous training camps. Nonetheless, his profile has resulted in a non-traditional list of opponents, as he is unable to face the low-level, no-name competition that almost every professional boxer faces to begin his career.
Paul began his career by knocking out fellow social media influencer AnEsonGib in the first round, followed by a vicious viral knockout of former NBA star Nate Robinson. He then targeted mixed martial arts superstars, knocking out an out-of-shape and unmotivated Ben Askren before losing a split decision to former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.
