Jake Paul and Tommy Fury look set to finally meet in the ring after cancelled fights and hostile negotiations.
The fight is viewed by may as the perfect one for both fighters, with Paul keen to silence doubters by facing a ‘real boxer’ and Fury currently sitting awkwardly between the ‘crossover’ scene and the more traditional route of undercards and domestic titles.
Combat sports journalist, Ariel Helwani, first broke the news that they were readying to fight on February 25 in Saudi Arabia and, despite no official announcement, all news has been positive.
Tommy will be representing the family name, and he’s under a fair bit of pressure. Tyson ‘The Gypsy King’ Fury told TalkSPORT that his half-brother could cancel his flight back to England if he loses.
“I don’t think it’s been officially announced, but I hear an announcement’s imminent. So they’re finally getting it on. They’re going to throw down and the two YouTube people get to battle it out for the king of the YouTubers.”
“Listen, it’s going to be fun and I expect Tommy to chin him – and if he doesn’t, he can stay in Saudi Arabia.”
Whilst it could be taken as a joke, the heavyweight champion delivered it deadpan, and it was followed by comments from their father and Tommy’s trainer, John Fury, about the consequences of a loss.
In a separate TalkSPORT interview, the elder Fury said that he would retire his son if Jake Paul beats him – although went on to say that he was confident it wouldn’t happen.
“Absolutely, no shadow of a doubt. There is no more boxing for him if he loses. But, I am 100 per cent confident he will knock him out.
It’s a big ask for Jake Paul, because Tommy is much better than what he’s faced before, so fair do’s to him. It’s a foregone conclusion that Tommy will win.
We are not leaving a stone unturned and are training as if this were against a world-class fighter. He’s working really well. Tommy will be very famous on the 26th of February.”
What the statements provide – other than a boatload of familial pressure on Tommy’s shoulders – is that the fight will go ahead on February 25 providing nothing comes out of the blue.
On the two previous occasions that Paul and Fury have signed to fight, the British star has been forced to pull out once due to illness, and then a travel ban the second time around.
If the date and location are correct, an official announcement is expected very soon.