Jake Paul’s Loss to Tommy Fury Was Compelling. A Rematch Could Be Even Better

The fight had all the right parts: drama, talent and anticipation. But eyes are on what the YouTuber-turned-boxer does next now that he is no longer undefeated.

Tommy Fury defeated Jake Paul on Sunday.

So who is ready for the rematch?

Admit it. Paul-Fury piqued your interest. Paul has been a polarizing figure since the YouTuber-turned-boxer stormed onto the combat sports scene in 2020. Fury, an ex-Love Island cast member from one of boxing’s most well-known fighting families, has a sizeable audience of his own. ESPN all but branded the last seven days ’Jake Paul week.’ Maybe you weren’t forking over $50—a steep price to pay for a late afternoon pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia—but you wanted to know the outcome.

And you know what? It was a pretty good fight. Fury, the “real boxer” Paul critics have pleaded with him to face, fought well. And under considerable pressure. Fury was undefeated coming in, but a close examination of his resume revealed a collection of has-beens and no-hopers. He shares the same bloodline as Tyson Fury, the heavyweight champion, but Tommy has a fraction of the talent of his brother.

But he has talent. Paul’s last two fights came against Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley, both ex-UFC champions. Fury was better. He came out with energy, crowding Paul early. He boxed. He moved. He landed flurries. His defense was decent. The overhand right is Paul’s best punch. It’s the shot that knocked Woodley out on his feet. For eight rounds, Fury was able to stay away from it.

The 23-year-old handed Paul his first loss of his boxing career / Courtesy of Skill Challenge Entertainment

It wasn’t pretty. Far from it. There was plenty of holding; referee Hector Afu warned both fighters twice in the first round. He took a point from Paul in the fifth. He took one from Fury in the sixth. Officially, this fight was Paul vs. Fury—but for eight rounds Afu appeared determined to make himself part of it.

There was drama. In the seventh round, Paul, down on the scorecards, caught Fury coming in with a stiff jab that sent him to the canvas. It wasn’t a clean knockdown—Fury appeared to lose his footing on a glossy section of the ring apron just as Paul’s punch connected—but it was enough to give Paul a chance in the closing minutes of the fight.

It wasn’t enough. The final result was a split decision, one Paul didn’t argue with. “All respect to Tommy,” said Paul. “He won.” Paul has a rematch clause, one he says he intends to exercise. “It wasn’t my best performance,” said Paul. “I felt a little flat. We’re going to come back and get that W.”

I’m in. Why not? Paul isn’t an elite fighter. He doesn’t try to be. When the WBC shamelessly announced it would rank Paul if he won, Paul shrugged his shoulders at it. He’s not a cruiserweight. He’s a moneyweight. He’ll hint at fights against Canelo Alvarez and book fights with Woodley and Fury. His future isn’t Badou Jack or Artur Beterbiev. It’s Nate Diaz and KSI.

A Fury rematch is compelling. Maybe do it in front of a sizeable crowd in the UK. Or bring Fury to New York. The buildup to this fight was fun. For months the two have been using social media to slap each other around. In January, Fury’s girlfriend, influencer Molly-Mae Hague, announced the birth of their first child on Instagram. Paul quickly jumped into the comments with “just in time to see your father get knocked out.” The YouTube audience was into it. Mike Tyson was ringside. Devin Haney, too.

There’s a storyline. For three years Paul has dedicated himself to maximizing his talents. He brought in top trainers. He paid well for top sparring. He was singularly focused on winning. But Paul is a man with options. He founded a gambling site. He makes millions on YouTube. He is involved with several different products. He likes boxing—might even love it—but he doesn’t need it. And it’s fair to wonder if he will approach training with the same fire he once did.

Last fall, I asked Paul just how he thinks he will respond to a loss.

“Let’s say if I ever lose...,” says Paul. “I think people would like me more if I lost, because they would get to see a different side of me that I haven’t had to show because I’ve just been winning. So I’m not going to be humble; I’m not going to go back and into hiding and work on myself and emerge a new person or whatever. But a loss I think would push me in that direction. And it makes the story a whole lot [more] interesting.”

Indeed. Jake Paul is no longer an undefeated fighter. But the boxing world will still pay attention to what he does next.