Getty Images Jake Paul celebrates.
Jake Paul blasted Tommy Fury on Monday after he pulled out of their much-anticipated December bout in Florida over an injury he dubbed as a “silly little thing.”
Tommy Fury issued a statement via Ariel Helwani, revealing he’s dealing with a chest infection and a broken rib, forcing him out of the bout.
“I am absolutely heartbroken that I have been forced to withdraw from my fight with Jake Paul due to a bacterial chest infection and a broken rib,” the statement reads. “The beginning of my camp was going incredibly and I never expected anything to come in my way from a victory on December 18th.
“I can’t express how disappointed I am and I really do hope we can get this fight rescheduled in the new year, I want this fight to still happen more than anything. I’m now regretfully putting my focus on recovery and a further reschedule date.”
Paul really didn’t seem to buy Fury’s injury excuse and put the boxer on blast on social media and during a virtual media conference after announcing Tyron Woodley — who he defeated in August — would be his opponent.
“When my team woke me up on Friday to tell me Tommy Fumbles was pulling out, I told them I’ll fight anyone on December 18th,” Paul wrote. “Troy, Trey, Trevor, Travis… I don’t give a f*** who it is. Tommy’s pulling out because of a ‘medical condition’ called vaginitis.”
He was a little more civil while speaking to the media.
“People just need to realize how serious I take this and how a lot of these other professional fighters don’t train as hard as me,” Paul told reporters. “They’re not as prepared as me. And like, Tommy Fury, he pulled out of the fight because of some silly, little thing. I’ve fought with a broken nose. I’ve fought sick. The list goes on. Last fight, against Tyron, I had a hyperextended elbow. I didn’t say anything. Why? Because it doesn’t matter. I’m still going to go in there and find a way to win. That’s my motivation, is win.”
Jake Paul Thinks He Can Raise Stock Against Woodley
While a Woodley rematch isn’t what many were clamoring for, Paul thinks it still will be a significant fight for him if he can win by knocking out the former UFC champ.
“For me, the biggest thing to gain is proving people wrong from last time that thought he won, which is hilarious – including the judge who made it a split decision,” Paul said. ” Clearly, he was at some different fight. But now, I’m just going to back that up and go and knock this guy out. It just goes to show when I say, ‘Anyone, anytime, anyplace,’ I mean it. And most fighters aren’t like that. And for me to take whoever, wherever, whenever, this early on in my career, doing eight-round fights in my fifth fight, it’s unheard of.”
Woodley will have the MMA crowd backing him to put an end to The Problem Child’s reign. He’ll also have incentive to do it, with Paul putting in a $500,000 knockout bonus for Woodley if he can stop him inside the distance.
.@JakePaul‘s adviser Nakisa Bidarian tells me the $500,000 knockout bonus they’ve offered Tyron Woodley has been contractually drawn up. It’s not just a verbal offer.
Paul Might Not Ever Fight Tommy Fury
Fury would have been in for a payday with the Paul fight, win or lose. But the YouTube star says he might never give him another chance after he pulled out of this fight.
“I don’t see a reason to come back next year and give him that big of an opportunity and that big of a payday,” Jake says. “It would almost be more fun and more satisfying for me to just leave him in the dust and make him fight until he’s 25-0, if he gets that far, to get the same payday that he was getting in his eighth fight.”
If Paul does get past Woodley again, it will be interesting to see who his next fight will be. Paul mentioned a fight with Conor McGregor is not too far away and the weight the former two-division UFC champ has put on would make a fight feasible.