Jake Paul should fight KSI next, not Tommy Fury says Eddie Hearn

By Boxing News - 02/28/2023 - Comments

By Charles Brun: Matchroom Boxing head guru Eddie Hearn advises that Jake Paul steer clear of taking a rematch with Tommy Fury and instead go in the direction of a battle against fellow Youtuber KSI because he sees that as a “massive” fight.

It’s clear that Jake isn’t going to be able to make enough improvements in the next four to six months for him to defeat a hugger/runner like Tommy Fury. To beat this style, it would require a skill set & ring IQ that Jake Paul doesn’t possess.

A top 15 contender at cruiserweight would destroy a limited hugger like Tommy Fury, but he’s smart enough not to fight contenders, and one gets the sense that’s not what his career is about.

Jake Paul should fight KSI next

“I do respect Jake Paul, and I respect him even more after last night. He can’t fight; he will never be a world champion. You had two not-very-good fighters who were quite evenly matched,” said Eddie Hearn to the DAZN Boxing Show.

“The rematch, I know people will watch it, but we’ve seen what they are, not very good. Fight KSI; it’s absolutely massive. Because the reality is any time you fight anyone with any ability, you will get beat.

“He’s done a good job promotional. He made a lot of money last night. A lot of people watched an eight-rounder between two not-very-good professionals. He is a professional boxer. He’s not a Youtuber. It’s not the end of Jake Paul. Let’s move on to the serious stuff.

“We can’t take him seriously as a contender,” said Hearn about Jake.

YouTube video

Jake can make money fighting KSI

As Hearn says, a Jake Paul vs. KSI would be “Massive,” which means there would be a tremendous amount of money both fighters can make in a fight of this magnitude. KSI is a winnable fight for Jake, and that’s when he needs to keep his hustle going.

Losing is bad for what Jake is trying to do with his side gig, making money off of boxing, and that’s why he needs to stay away from Tommy because he doesn’t have the right skills to defeat that type of spoiler.

Look at it this way. If Jake fights Tommy again and loses, the value of a fight against KSI will drop, and that means less money for Paul.

Tommy wants to fight Youtubers/influencers, not top 15 contenders, and the reason is obvious. Contenders are good, whereas the Youtubers/influencers are mediocre enough for Tommy to beat them.

Although Hearn doesn’t give a reason for why he thinks Jake (6-1, 4 KOs) shouldn’t take the rematch with Tommy Fury (9-0, 4 KOs) after losing an eight round split decision against him last Sunday in Saudi Arabia, the reason is obvious. Tommy is a spoiler that a fighter needs a certain type of skill set to defeat.

Tommy is a hugger/runner

When a say “spoiler,’ I’m talking about a fighter that clinches incessantly, moves around the ring nonstop, and ties up their opponents each time they get in punching range. You got to be an intelligent pressure fighter to defeat a spoiler like Tommy, and that requires these attributes:

1. Fast feet to cut off the ring
2. Jabbing frequently
3. Throwing body shots to stop the running
4. Fighting through the clinches
5. Volume punching – not just one punch at a time

On top of that, Tommy bends the rules using roughhouse tactics, like throwing rabbit punches, holding & hitting, headlocks, hitting on the break, and shoving. To defeat a fighter that is roughing you up the way Tommy does takes skills & experience, and Jake doesn’t have it, and he’s not going to acquire them anytime soon.