By: Sean Crose
“I wasn’t sure I was going to say yes to another potential matchup against Tommy after he pulled out of our matchup last year,” Jake Paul claimed in a press statement released to promoter his August 6th cruiserweight battle against Tommy Fury. “Ultimately,” he added,” knocking out a Fury was too appealing to pass up.” This may be true, but the early odds are in favor of the 8-0 Fury walking out of the Madison Square Garden in August with another win on his resume.
“With their long-awaited match being confirmed for August 6, Tommy Fury is odds-on at 4/5 to come out on top against Jake Paul, who is 5-0 in his boxing career,” stated Sam Rosbottom of gambling outlet Betfair. “Meanwhile, Paul is 11/10 to cause a huge upset by beating Fury, brother of two-time world heavyweight champion Tyson. It is also odds-on at 4/7 for the fight not to go the distance in New York.”
Favored to win or not, it’s highly unlikely Paul is lacking in confidence.
“I’ve proven I am dedicated to boxing in and out of the ring,” he said, “from promoting fights, championing fighters and fighter pay, to knocking out my opponents. The Furys cannot say the same, they are selfish losers. On August 6, at the mecca, Madison Square Garden, the world will see why I am on my way to being a world champion. I’m honored to fight under the same lights as some of the greatest professional boxers in history.”
Paul and Fury were supposed to fight months ago, but Fury – younger brother of heavyweight kingpin Tyson Fury – backed away in the eleventh hour. With Paul now openly questioning his dedication, Fury is arguing that it’s he, not his August 6th opponent, who is the real boxer.
“The Paul brothers’ boxing charade is about to come to an end once and for all,” he said. “I am a boxer. My opponent plays boxing. Jake Paul has been dressed up to look like a boxer against retirees from other sports. On August 6, I will show the world that he does not belong in the ring. Thank you to my promoter Frank Warren, Most Valuable Promotions and Showtime for letting me permanently shut up Jake Paul. I look forward to headlining Madison Square Garden and knocking out this clown.”
The Paul-Fury fight, along with Amanda Serrano’s mandatory featherweight title defense against Brenda Carbajal, will be the main event of a Showtime pay per view card.