It may not be the long-awaited Fury fight everyone is dying to be announced, but according to reports, Tommy Fury has once again agreed to fight Jake Paul — for real this time (we hope).
The patriarch of the boxing family, John Fury, said on Sunday that after “backing him into a corner”, Paul‘s manager shook hands and “gave [their] word of honour” that a bout between the two fighters will be organised for February 2023.
Despite the Fury camp having pulled out twice before for different reasons, Tommy‘s dad went on to warn: “if you renege or back out, you’ll never live it down”. He went on to say that a handshake is more valuable to him than a contract. We just want them they actually fight as promised at this point.
As for the younger Paul brother, he confirmed the agreement on social media by calling out promoter Frank Warren and demanding a contract be signed within the next week or he’s “moving on”.
Dear @FrankWarren , I agree to fight Tommy in Manchester or London in Feb. I’ll come to his country, no more running. His baby is due then & you’ve said it’s no issue. Since John is adamant we’ve agreed, I am giving u 7 days to present a signed contract by Tommy or I’m moving on. https://t.co/QMDuEsWipw
The 25-year-old influencer turned boxer also claimed that Warren said the arrival of Fury and Molly-Mae Hague’s first child around that time will not be an issue, though we suspect she might beg to differ.
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It would seem the breakthrough was made after things got rather heated at the Floyd Mayweather vs Deji exhibition fight on Sunday, when 23-year-old Fury had already warned he was going to “slap Jake Paul in the face” at ringside.
While things didn’t transpire that far, Paul went viral for shouting abuse at Fury from the commentary booth and throughout his fight, in general. As a result, the Manchester-born boxer wasted no time in calling him out after the bell rang.
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Tommy Fury and Jake Paul are going AT IT 🤯
Watch #MayweatherDeji live on DAZN PPV in the US, CA, UK, Ire, Aus, NZ and Japan.
Tommy’s fight against Paul Bamba was called off in due to an apparent weigh-in dispute, with the younger Fury brother having to fight Rolly Lambert in a last-minute replacement to try and save the undercard.
However, the fight went un-scored as it was only an exhibition and the pair were booed throughout by the disappointed crowd watching on in Dubai. With that in mind, seeing the minor scuffle between the two camps would have no doubt been one of the biggest highlights of their fight.
Even Big John tried to have a go at the burgeoning American boxer:
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Nothing to see here…
Just a topless John Fury shadow boxing and offering Jake Paul out! 🥊
As mentioned, we’ve done this dance before and while we hope this fight finally comes to fruition, we’re taking this so-called agreement with an ever bigger pinch of salt than we did before.
Both fighters are undefeated in their boxing careers so far (Fury boasting 8-0 and Paul 6-0) and both men have been criticised for not having faced a truly challenging opponent yet.
That being said, there’s a reason there is still clamour for this transatlantic fight — if not to prove they can truly box then at least to be done with the soap opera of it all. If the contract is signed and barring any cold feet in the eleventh hour, will you be tuning in to watch Tommy Fury vs Jake Paul?
Featured Image — Jake Paul/Tommy Fury (via Instagram)
Sport
Former Manchester City player Joey Barton found guilty of assaulting his wife
Danny Jones
Ex-footballer Joey Barton has officially been found guilty of assaulting his wife following his two-day trial in the capital this week.
Barton, who played for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and a number of other clubs, was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 25 March, following an incident back in June 2021.
The former midfielder left his wife, 37-year-old Georgia Barton (McNeil), with a bleeding nose and a bruise on her forehead following a drunken row at their home in London.
Barton is said to have grabbed and pushed her to the floor before kicking her in the head. Married in 2019, the two have four children and are thought to still be together.
The 42-year-old was still employed in professional football as the manager of Bristol Rovers at the time, but he was ultimately sacked in October 2023.
His wife called 999 at the time, telling police that he had hit her, but later retracted her statement.
Born in Huyton, Merseyside, the chief magistrate Paul Goldspring recognised that the one-time England has a history of violence.
He was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence, meaning he won’t serve time unless he commits another offence and has been ordered to pay £2,138.
Since dropping out of mainstream football, in particular, Barton has come under heavy criticism for allegations of racism, sexism and controversial right-wing politics; he even started an ‘anti-woke’ podcast called Common Sense with Joey Barton.
Back in June of last year, he was ordered to pay £35,000 in damages to settle a libel claim with presenter Jeremy Vine after a series of inflammatory comments made online.
The Radio 2 presenter sued Mr Barton earlier this year, after the former footballer wrote a series of posts suggesting Mr Vine had a sexual interest in children.
He also accused of threatening fellow former pro, Eni Aluko, after a torrent of abuse regarding her punditry online – the ex-England international even went so far as to say she no longer felt safe staying in the country.
The Hundred is calling for up-and-coming presenters to co-host this year’s tournament
Danny Jones
The Hundred 2025 is fast approaching and cricket’s fastest-growing tournament is once again asking for aspiring presenters to join their roster of co-hosts and help cover the action.
The fast-paced 100-ball format is entering its fifth year and next to T20, you find a more accessible and thrilling form of cricket, so it’s no wonder the competition is gaining a greater audience each year.
With that in mind, the need for a top-notch broadcast team is more crucial than ever but just like those who backed The Hundred in its infancy, they’re looking to invest in future creatives and on-screen talent.
Are you someone looking to get into presenting or know someone who is? Keep reading.
For the fifth year in a row, we want you to be part of #TheHundredRising! 🎤
So how does it work? Well, it’s pretty straightforward: The Hundred is looking for eight up-and-coming presenters to join their team of main venue hosts up and down the country.
Tasked with guiding and talking fans through an action-packed five weeks across all host cities, successful applicants will be responsible for building excitement and atmosphere inside the seven cricket grounds on each match day.
From player and pundit interviews to crowd engagement and interactive other activations with partnered brands, not to mention members of this year’s live music lineup, you’ll be a key part of putting out the top-quality sports and entertainment product they promise every year.
The best part of all is that no prior hosting experience is necessary – this is all about platforming you and The Hundred as a whole.
Successful applicants will be mentored by the main hosts at their respective venues and will attend a two-day workshop with special guests to get them ready to hit the stage this summer.
The ‘Rising Hosts’ scheme has been set up in tandem with their dedicated event production agency, Progress Productions, which will be in charge throughout the application and selection process.
Shortlisted applicants will then have their details shared with the ECB (English Cricket Board) who will be involved when it comes to making their final decisions.
It goes without saying that even if you just love sports or just want to find a way into the industry, this is an opportunity that is not to be missed.
Danny Jones -
15th November 2022 
