Jake And Tommy To Settle The Score In Saudi

Jake Paul and Tommy Fury will finally settle a long-running score as the pair face off in Diriyah this weekend. 

It will be the butting of heads of two personalities evolved from very different beginnings. 

Jake Paul cuts a confrontational figure, but the television star turned teenage rebel did not always have the image of Public Enemy No.1. One thing he did always have, however, was the knack of self-promotion. A knack that has led him to being one of the most talked about figures in boxing - a sport he only set his eye on five years ago. 

Then there is Tommy Fury, who despite his stint on Love Island and a rapid rise to mainstream fame, has spent his life in the fighting circle. The Fury name holds weight in an era dominated by Tommy’s half-brother and heavyweight king, Tyson. 

Yet just as boxing does best, it will pit both men against each other in the fairest manner possible. Neither their backstory nor their bloodline will matter once Sunday rolls around. 

And when Sunday rolls around, ANYTHING could happen.  

That is because this is a fight that factors in more than just ability. See, regardless of his carefree attitude, the furore around this feud has definitely been a burden for Tommy. Sure, he may seem at home in front of the lights and cameras, but there will be a lingering doubt to which his boxing career is riding on. 

Defeat would be the ultimate humiliation in a career that is yet to get off the ground. A Fury family abandonment was perhaps gestured only to amplify the stakes - by no means would Tommy be left sitting in the Saudi capital if beaten - yet there is unquestionably pressure from the rest of the Fury clan for him to deliver. 

Paul, on the other hand, enters with a mentality that reads nothing-to-lose. He has one-upped Tommy in the battle of the bickering and will no doubt fly through fight week with limitless confidence. 

Whether that confidence translates directly into the ring is another matter. Knockouts over retired mixed-martial-artists and a 5’9 basketball player have fuelled the hype train, but also done little to present us with an argument as to why he can mix it with the professionals.

Fury himself has hardly set the world alight on his journey to 8-0. His progress, though, has perhaps been stagnated by the constant demand for this very fight. It is almost like the boxing world see Jake as Tommy’s gatekeeper to some form of a fighting career. 

Never before has a prospect had to navigate such a unique hurdle just to be able to continue on their path. 

This really will tell ‘The Truth’. 

And it is a truth that both men would love to tell by method of knockout. Yet, it will almost certainly be a fight that sees out the full eight rounds. Is a risk worth taking if it can haunt you for life?

Think about it, the route to victory is as simple as it is dull for Tommy. Composure and self-assurance should equate to a routine 24 minutes under the lights. 

But, when the lights get hot, just don’t completely write off Jake Paul. 

Oscar Bevis.