Whatever your thoughts about Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury headlining a pay-per-view boxing card on which a WBC Cruiserweight World Title fight between Ilunga Makabu and Badou Jack takes second billing, it’s refreshing to see such close betting on a primetime prize fight.
Former Disney Channel star and general social media phenomenon Paul is 8/11 favourite to beat ex-Love-Island castaway, 5/4 underdog and junior Fury clan member Tommy in their eight-round showdown.
Their ‘long-awaited’ duel is finally due to take place in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia at approximately 9.30pm UK time on Sunday night and punters will at last find out the answer to that long-vexing question: Is odds-against on Tommy Fury one of the best bets of all time?
Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury predictions
Tommy Fury to win @ 5/4
Fury to win on points @ 5/1
Check out the latest Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury betting odds at Betzone
Fury’s professional boxing experience expected to set him apart
Weighing up the respective calibre of this pair’s ring resumes is a fairly simple task. Paul boasts a 6-0 record, but he’s yet to fight a professional boxer and many of his bouts have had the surreal air of a WWE Monday Night Raw broadcast.
To date he’s seen off one Saudi YouTuber, a former NBA basketballer and three MMA fighters, the most recent of which was 47 on his last birthday. Two of the MMA fighters, Ben Askren and Tyrone Woodley were wrestling specialists with limited boxing ability.
The most recent of those contests, a victory over UFC legend Anderson Silva, had an undeniable exhibition feel to it. Silva didn’t throw a punch for the first two minutes and 23 seconds and spurned countless chances to get shots off when in good positions early on.
Fury, however, has taken on and bested eight actual professional boxers, albeit of moderate quality, which must be much the best form on offer here.
Two of the eight adversaries he’s beaten to date even had winning records, with Daniel Bocianski, whom he turned over last time out, 10-and-1 going into their Wembley Arena bout. Victory over the Pole came easily for the 23-year-old Mancunian, as should this one.
Paul has the guts and conditioning to go the distance
Half of Fury’s eight fights to date have gone to the judges’ scorecards. That lack of obvious KO punch power even at a moderate level has to give Paul some hope of surviving the full eight rounds.
The Mancunian was well on top for much of his most recent outing against Bocianski, scoring a fifth-round knockdown with a lovely right hand, but wasn’t able to finish off his opponent.
Paul may not be as good a boxer as the Poe, but he is undeniably game and well-conditioned. He’s also gone eight rounds twice now, a distance Fury has yet to reach in a career of four and six-round affairs.
If Tommy isn’t able to completely outclass his American adversary in the early rounds, it may be that he will be content to box out the remainder of the fight before turning his mind to more serious tests ahead.
