Tommy Fury beats Jake Paul by split decision
Tommy Fury beat Jake Paul by split decision in arguably the most anticipated eight-round contest in boxing history.
Fury, 23, was the busier fighter, landing more accurate punches and demonstrating his boxing fundamentals.
The former Love Island star, brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, was knocked down by YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul in the eighth round.
One judge scored it 75-74 to Paul, with the other two scoring it 76-73 to Fury.
“For the past two years this is all that has consumed my life,” an emotional Fury, who has now won all nine of his professional bouts, said on BT Sport.
“Everybody thought I was running scared but tonight I made my own legacy.”
After dedicating the fight to his new-born baby daughter Bambi, Fury added: “This is my first main event, I am going to get bigger and better and if he wants a rematch, bring it on.”
Paul – who lost for the first time in his seventh professional fight – said: “All respect to Tommy, he won. Don’t judge me by my wins, judge me by my losses.
“I don’t know if I agree with the judges, it is what it is but that is the boxing world.”
Several stars from the world of sport and entertainment were in attendance and many more were following the bout from home.
Boxing legend Mike Tyson and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo were among those present in the open-top Diriyah Arena.
Popstar Drake shared a screenshot of his $400,000 (£335,000) bet on a Paul KO win, while Home Alone actor Macaulay Culkin tweeted: “There’s no better way to celebrate your half birthday than to watch Jake Paul get punched in the head repeatedly.”
The main event was given the full big-fight treatment, with legendary Master of Ceremonies Michael Buffer introducing both fighters.
Fury, dressed in white with the name of his new-born daughter etched across his robe, walked first to the ring along with trainer and dad John Fury and brother Tyson.
But with Fury waiting patiently, ‘The Problem Child’ Paul was still pacing up and down in his dressing room as the mind games continued. When Paul did make his entrance, a chorus of boos echoed around the venue.
Unusually, the fight took place on a Sunday night and while both Paul and Fury boast a huge social media following among younger fans, the first bell did not ring until 22:30 GMT (01:30 local time) – almost an hour later than scheduled.
The fight was the latest lucrative sporting event to take place in Saudi Arabia.
The Kingdom has spent billions to bring elite sport to its country but critics, such as human rights organisation Amnesty International, have accused Saudi Arabia of trying to ‘sportswash’ away the country’s “abysmal” human rights record. (BBC)
