Riyadh, Feb. 26 (BNA): Jack Paul suffered the first loss of his professional boxing career after being defeated by Tommy Fury at the Diriyah Gymnasium on Sunday, with the British reality TV star recording a breakaway win on American social media. a star.
Witnessed by superstars such as Fury’s half-brother and current WBC heavyweight champion Tyson, former champion Mike Tyson and soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr club, Paul’s significant flaws were highlighted as Fury picked him over eight rounds.
“Tonight I made a special legacy, I made a special legacy,” Fury said, finally stepping out of the shadow of his illustrious boxing family, according to Reuters.
He added, “For those two and a half years, I had a dream and a vision and nobody believed me. Now they can stand up and take notes.”
Fury had the better of the opening exchanges but Paul began to settle in the third as he tried to lure his opponent forward and counter with big right hands.
In a short bout on technical quality, Paul seemed to turn the tide when he got a point in the fifth round for a jab to the back of Fury’s head, but Fury got a chalk point to hold onto sixth for even things being equal. up again.
A short left hand dropped Fury in the eighth and final round to shift momentum in Paul’s favor to create a runway finish as both men chased a knockout punch that never materialized.
“All due respect to Tommy, he won, don’t judge me by my wins, judge me by my losses. I’ll be back, I thought I deserved that match, it was a great fight, close fight,” said Paul. In the ring, his boxing record is down to six wins and one loss.
In the co-main event, challenger Badou Jack put on a clinical display of boxing, stopping Ilunga Makabu in the 12th and final round to win the WBC cruiserweight title, the third weight class in which the 39-year-old Swede holds a world title. Title.
He dropped Jack Makabu with a big right hand in the fourth round and emblazoned him again in a similar fashion in the 11th, and although Makabu’s unquestioned South African power posed a threat until late in the fight, he eventually gave up.
With his corner telling him before the final round that he needed a knockout to win, Makabu came out swinging, but Jack’s fragile combos overpowered him, forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight as the Swede got the belt.
M