AFTER two postponed fights and a lot of verbal jabs, one of boxing’s most anticipated grudge matches is less than a month away.
The clash between ex-Love Islander Tommy Fury and YouTuber Jake Paul will take place in Saudi Arabia, on February 26.
Jake Paul and Tommy Fury will finally fight after two years of taunts
The fighters’ feud has escalated again after Paul taunted Tommy on a picture showing his nearly-born daughter
The ever-rising tensions hit boiling point this week after Paul leaked that his rival’s partner Molly-Mae Hague gave birth before their official announcement.
Despite apologising, he wrote on the couple’s Instagram post: “Just in time to watch your dad get knocked out.”
The remark, which has been branded “distasteful”, is the latest in a long line of clashes between the boxers.
As Tommy, 23, vows to ensure Paul, 26, will “never box again”, we look at how the bitter row began.
Tyson’s fury
Tommy’s brother Tyson Fury is believed to be the instigator of the imminent multi-million-pound boxing match.
Back in 2021, the 34-year-old shared a screengrab of what later emerged to be incorrect ‘viewing figures’ about his younger brother’s fight.
The image wrongly claimed Tommy’s match had been watched by 1.9million viewers, while others barely broke 100,000 views.
The feud appeared to have been sparked by Tommy’s brother Tyson Fury
This is the tweet that kickstarted the feud
At the end of the social media post, which claimed Tommy “slaughtered” competition, he added: “@jakepaul where you at?”
The YouTuber then hit back and claimed to have no knowledge of who Tommy was, despite his appearance on reality TV show Love Island in 2019.
He said: “I get to the bottom of the Tweet and he’s calling me out to like fight someone, and the Tweet is about his brother.
“Oh, I didn’t even know he had a brother. Then he’s calling me out to fight his brother, and I’m like, ‘Bro, what the f*** is going on here?’
“I didn’t know Tyson Fury had a bro? I like Tyson Fury.
“I don’t want a beef with Tyson Fury, but damn, if Tyson Fury took a s***, it would be his little brother.
“He’s literally like this little kid. My point is here. You’re Tyson Fury’s little brother. If you want to fight me, don’t let your big bro do s*** for you.
“Log in to Instagram or Twitter and call me out for yourself, bro. What’s going on in this boxing world?”
Paul went on to brand Tommy a “Ken Barbie doll looking motherf***er” to which the Brit responded by donning a blonde wig to mock his locks and told him to “stick to YouTube”.
Jake Paul calling out Tommy Fury in a video
Tommy Fury wearing a blonde wig to mock Paul
Molly-Mae’s fake flirty text
Both fighters continued to trade jabs online, with Paul accusing Fury’s girlfriend Molly-Mae Hague of flirtatiously messaging him in 2018.
The DM, which she denounced, read: “Might be coming to America later this year and have always been a fan of your videos.”
The alleged message, which featured a white heart emoji and a face licking its lips, was signed off: “Maybe you can show me around?!”
Molly-Mae later pointed out that the white heart emoji wasn’t in use at the time of her ‘message’.
On Twitter, she wrote: “Times must be hard when you’re having to fake a DM…. [two silly face emojis] photoshop is scary.”
Molly-Mae rejected Jake Paul’s claim that she messaged him
Later the fashionista mocked her boyfriend’s boxing rival
Soon after the spat, Paul, 24, knocked out retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren, 37, to go 3-0 in his career.
It followed knockout wins over YouTube rival ‘AnEsonGib’ and ex-NBA player Nate Robinson, 37.
Tommy, 22, in June then went 6-0, while it was announced Paul would fight ex-UFC champion Tyron Woodley, 39, in August.
Beforehand, Tommy was considered as an opponent, but his profile Stateside was deemed not big enough.
Instead, Paul would have his rival fight on his undercard, against a sparring partner of his, Anthony Taylor, 32.
Backstage ‘melee’
Tommy, who signed a two-fight deal with US network Showtime, won on points while Paul did the same – putting them on course for a grudge match.
And the rivalry reached new heights when the pair came face-to-face backstage, causing a melee between their teams.
Tommy said afterwards: “There was a moment in that corridor where everything was going off between the security, my team, his team and it was just me and him.
“I looked dead into his soul. When the cameras are not around, he doesn’t want to know.
“Let’s be honest, if he really wanted to fight me, I’d have been in that ring there at the end through the ropes, let’s go, there’s no return.
“But he didn’t want that and the reason why he didn’t want me in the ring is because if I was getting in there, he wouldn’t be able to go back on it.”
Negotiations
Talks between the two began soon after, but immediately hit a road bump.
Tommy admitted he rejected two fight offers, believing he was being lowballed.
So Paul publicly bumped the deal up to $1million, plus additional pay-per-view bonuses.
But Tommy responded: “To everybody out there, $1million for a fight of this magnitude is not even worth getting out of bed for, this fight is going to gross millions and millions of pounds.
“I cannot walk down the street without anybody asking me when are you fighting Jake Paul, so until you want to make a serious offer and put it on the table, we can’t think about fighting pal.”
In 2021, Paul’s advisor Nakisa Bidarian told SunSport: “This is an unbelievable offer.
“More than most UFC champions get as a guaranteed base. It’s comical them saying it’s not worth getting out of bed for.”
The fight is now believed to have been agreed for $2.5million (£2m).
Tommy Fury and Jake Paul’s backstage bust-up
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 7 punches used in boxing?
These seven punches are: jab cross, hook hook, uppercut straight right, left hook and body shot. These punches attack the opponent’s head or body.
What is the difference of a left-hook and a right-cross?
A left hook can be thrown from the side, and a right cross from the front.
A left hook can be thrown with the opponent’s back facing you. The elbow is bent 90 degrees and the wrist is turned 45 degrees toward the opponent.
The opponent is facing the palm and the elbow straight. A right cross is made. The opponent is facing the wrist.
How much weight should I lift to be a successful shopper?
Lifting weights is important if you wish to build your strength. Lifting weights should be done with care. First, make sure that you don’t overdo it. Try to lift heavier weights every day. Third, do each exercise 8 times. Fourth, allow for 2 minutes rest between sets. Fifth, all exercises should be performed without momentum. Finally, be focused on form, not speed.
How can I improve my defensive capabilities in fighting?
Learning how to fight intelligently can help you improve your defense. You need to be able to defend yourself from all angles and counterattack if necessary.
If you don’t fight well, you will not be able to handle any situation. You’ll just get beaten up. But if you do know how to fight, you’ll be ready for whatever comes at you.
Here are some suggestions to help improve your defense.
- You need to know where your opponent is coming from. This means you must pay close attention to the body language of your opponent. For example, if he looks nervous, this could mean that his next attack is coming soon.
- Keep your cool. Don’t panic. Instead, keep calm and be focused.
- Block with your arms. Blocking with your arm is a simple, but effective, way to defend yourself against attackers.
- Counterattack. Counterattack.
- Fight dirty. Fighting dirty is another way of defending yourself. If your opponent kicks you in the face, you can counter by kicking him back.
Statistics
- It is just like normal sparring with a partner, but you want to throw punches at 75% of your normal speed. (wikihow.com)
- You want to be running at roughly 75-80% of your top speed..5 mile slow, easy recovery jog at the end.[6]X Research source 2Mix in long runs, shadow boxing, and short sprints on non-interval days. (wikihow.com)
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How To
How to learn to box for exercise
How to learn how to box for Exercise
You learn boxing to increase your physical fitness and self-confidence. Boxing is the most well-known sport in the world. It involves strength, speed and agility.
Boxing is a great way of getting fit and feeling good about yourself. It will be a fun activity that you will want to do again and again.
There are many options for boxing training. Some are held at health clubs or gyms, while others can be done at home. You can also take online courses that allow you access from anywhere in this world.
It is important to find a program that suits your needs and your lifestyle. The best programs are those that focus on building muscle mass, increasing flexibility, improving cardiovascular endurance, and improving overall well-being.
Consider whether you prefer a beginner or advanced course. Beginner’s classes usually teach basic techniques, such as sparring, mittwork, shadowboxing, and punching. Advanced programs typically offer a wider variety of exercises and cover more complex movements.
The beginner’s program usually lasts around 8 weeks and costs less than $100. However, they don’t provide any guidance on nutrition, weight loss, injury prevention, or other aspects of boxing training.
Advanced programs can last up to six months, and usually cost about $300. They can include nutrition advice, stretching routines, warm up exercises, and instructions on proper technique. Some programs include resistance training such as lifting weights and aerobic conditioning such as running.
