Jake Paul is finally set to satisfy the fans who have been calling for him to face an established boxer by fighting Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia on February 26 – but Shane McGuigan believes he’ll taste defeat.
The controversial American star goes into the bout with Fury a slight favourite after a decision victory over retired MMA star, Anderson Silva. The Brit is 8-0 in his professional campaign, and this fight will mark both his first main event and first scheduled for eight rounds.
McGuigan – who currently corners the likes of Daniel Dubois and Adam Azim – told Seconds Out that he was close to working with Fury last year when he was set to face Paul.
“I was called in with Tommy because his dad and his brother couldn’t go to America. So when that fight was on short notice going to America, me and Tommy got on well. He was on the Tyron Woodley undercard, so was Daniel Dubois.
He rang me up and said look, would you work my corner? I said come down. Let’s have a week together.”
Of course Tommy himself ended up being refused entry, too, cancelling the bout until it was recently re-signed.
As third time seems lucky for the pair to get it on, McGuigan has pointed to two things Fury has that should give him the victory over his American rival.
“I feel like he had a good jab, he had good feet. That really is enough to beat Jake Paul in my eyes. A guy that’s explosive, throws a good right hook over the top, but really leaves his feet behind him, he’s not programmed to punch properly.
Reasonably fast hands and it’s all in rotation but he doesn’t move his feet and track and punch. He’s boxing guys that are static and standing there.
If he [Fury] sticks to the jab, gets himself moving, doesn’t trade up with him, just busts him up on the jab for three or four rounds then he should beat him.
“Understanding of boxing, you’ve got to say that Tommy Fury knows a lot more about boxing than Jake Paul.”
The fight will be available in the UK via BT Sports Box Office and ESPN+ in the US.
