Jake Paul and Tommy Fury’s highly-anticipated bout finally arrives this Sunday, 26 February and not only are fights fans and sceptics alike eager to see what happens, but some of boxing’s biggest names are getting their predictions in.
The influencer turned pro boxer and younger Fury brother have both talked a big game ahead of the fight, the build-up to which feels like it has been dragged out significantly as a result of multiple cancellations and rearrangements thanks to last-minute injuries, visa issues and so on.
However, the pair have now reached the point of no return and having had the official face-off, the boxing world is now left to decide whose going to win. Unsurprisingly, Tommy’s big brother Tyson is backing family but did finally concede that Jake can, indeed, fight.
Nevertheless, the ‘Gypsy King’ still believes “100% Tommy is going to win” and even believes it’ll be a knockout victory.
Although it’s clear there is now an acceptance among the Fury camp that the younger Paul brother can and has been fighting professionally for some time now, Tyson did caveat: “I don’t think he can beat a Fury, no”.
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He also went on to say he is “very proud” of his brother for putting on a proper main event like this, adding that “he has always believed in himself”, even when he was a little kid. As for the other Tyson present for the fight in Saudi Arabia, ‘Iron Mike’ had a different take on who he thinks is going to edge it.
As a true boxing legend and global sporting icon, many might have assumed that Mike Tyson would pretty resistant to the rising celebrity and influencer advent within the discipline, but having proved himself to be taking this thing seriously after six straight wins, he’s clearly convinced ‘Kid Dynamite’.
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The 56-year-old admitted that while he hasn’t seen Tommy Fury fight before, he said: “I don’t think he’ll be able to beat Jake Paul”. He also believes the 26-year-old is only getting “better and better as he fights”, insisting that “someone’s getting knocked out… someones 0 has got to go”.
On the other hand, while both fighters are currently undefeated in their fledgling careers — Fury boasting just two more wins than Paul — and Tyson believes that he is “the biggest name in boxing right now besides the heavyweights”, the likes of Derek Chisora can’t seem to decide what the fight means.
Derek Chisora told me it’s “a disgrace to boxing” if the WBC give Jake Paul an official world ranking for defeating Tommy Fury pic.twitter.com/ROwy1xxElS
Despite initially telling IFL TV that he believes Paul will “get knocked out… along as he’s getting paid” (a suspicion many have levelled given all of the hype thus far), Chisora has most recently named the American as the favourite but still feels all the posturing might be his downfall.
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Speaking to the Mirror, he said: “all the odds are favouring Jake and everything, all the fans are saying ‘Jake, Jake, Jake’. But I’ve got a feeling that Jake might get stopped by Tommy, but if that happens then ‘oh wow’.”
Moreover, it seems he is more concerned with what a victory for Paul would mean for boxing at large after the WBC said he would gain a ranking if he beats Fury. Chisora noted that “it’s hard enough for real athletes, real boxers to gain those rankings” and the rules shouldn’t be bent for the sake of money.
These are just a few of the boxers who have given their Paul vs Fury predictions and, aside from the result, it seems so many both within the industry and beyond can’t decide whether it’s good for the sport or not.
What do you think and who do you think is going to take the W on Sunday?
You can watch the highlights from the final pre-match press conference and a rather fiery face-off down below:
Featured Image — BT Sport/Boxing Social (via Twitter)/Jake Paul (via IG)
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Bayern Munich reportedly set to target Phil Foden in the summer transfer window
Danny Jones
European giants Bayern Munich are said to be interested in homegrown Manchester City star, and are interested in signing him this coming transfer window.
And if you believe some of the reports circulating around the Stockport-born footballer, he could very well be looking to leave the Etihad in the summer.
Foden seems to have somewhat fallen out of favour at Man City of late, having been benched in four of the last five games, with his overall minutes having been on a gradual slump over recent months; as a result, some sources are suggesting it’s prompted a potential move away.
As per TEAMtalk, the Bundesliga side is hoping to target the City youth product and England international ahead of next season, with former teammate turned Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany very keen on acquiring his services.
Man City have stepped up efforts to secure Phil Foden's future with talks held during the international break and confidence is now growing that a new deal will be finalised before the end of the season, amid Bayern Munich interest, @TEAMtalk can reveal.https://t.co/ScBP5a3a08
Whether or not having a club and Premier League legend in charge would serve as a sweetener for the attacking midfielder or not, who knows?
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, while the gifted playmaker is said to be “frustrated” with the current situation at Man City, the club are believed to have “stepped up efforts to secure the long-term future of Phil Foden, with fresh talks held during the international break”
Having still managed to chip in with 15 goal contributions so far this campaign – two-thirds of those involvements being goals – the hope is that they can tie him down to a new deal long before the end of the season.
There’s no question about his natural talent and versatility across the forward line; it’s just whether or not he’s happy with his game time under Pep Guardiola, which admittedly has often fluctuated ever since he broke into the first team.
Pep has never made a secret of his love for Phil, either; he’s just not afraid to mix things up and try different things given the squad depth at his disposal and other teams in the division becoming increasingly competitive.
It’s also worth noting that many expect him to be in Thomas Tuchel’s starting lineups for the Three Lions at this year’s World Cup.
At present, Foden’s contract is set to expire at the end of the next term (2026/27), but it’s rumoured that he could soon commit to staying until 2030 on paper.
Now 25, the once up-and-coming youngster/’rising star’ is now a fully-fledged senior professional and serial winner.
With many years still ahead of him, you could argue that this is the perfect time to take on a new challenge, or equally, stay with his beloved Blues and extend their modern dynasty as one of the more experienced and decorated members of the dressing room.
As for whether Kompany can convince him to swap his familiar surroundings for a fresh chapter in Germany, or whether or not another big Champions League-level outfit monitoring the situation could come sniffing, only time will tell.
For now, let’s just hope he has an incredible few weeks over in North America this June and July.
A free snooker fan zone has popped up in Manchester for the 2026 Tour Championship
Danny Jones
We’re sure plenty of you are well aware that this year’s WST Sportsbet.io Tour Championship is happening in Manchester right now, but what many of you may not know is that a completely free snooker fan zone has opened up as part of it.
You don’t need a ticket for any of the actual matches to watch them on the big screen or even play one of your own.
However, it isn’t just the buzz inside the match room itself that the World Snooker Tour has brought on its return to the city centre – even the supporter hub outside is well worth a visit.
Based over at Manchester Central on the Exchange side of the building, while the games themselves are taking place in the main rooms, the foyer and surrounding areas have been turned into a fan park.
Perfect for anyone looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon or, indeed, a full day this week – not to mention an ideal activity for kids this coming Easter bank holiday weekend – if you’re a fan of the sport, you’d be a fool not to at least pop your head in.
Running until this Sunday, 5 April, when the tournament itself finishes, snooker lovers have access not only to a bar area with multiple big screens and food and drink, but also numerous free tables for them to play on.
In fact, you quickly turn a few frames into some proper practice if you’re so inclined, as there’s even on-site coaching to be made the most of.
As you can see, people of all ages have already turned up in their droves to soak up the atmosphere.
Once again, the competition is being broadcast live and free-to-air on Channel 5 if you’re happy to watch the games at home, but we don’t need to tell you what makes sitting in a room with a bunch of fellow fans and getting excited together so enjoyable.
If you visit the Manchester Central convention centre before the end of the week, you can even have a go at playing on a proper king-sized snooker table for the full pro-feel experience.
For anyone who wants to grab actual tickets for the matches as well, you can find them HERE.
Danny Jones -
24th February 2023 
