RIYADH: As “The Truth” between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury nears, debate remains rife over who will emerge victorious in Sunday night’s mouth-watering encounter. Who wins is a fierce topic of discussion engaging fans, pundits, former champions and active professional fighters alike — escalating the anticipation being felt across Saudi Arabia and the world.
With the stage set for the unmissable spectacle inside the Diriyah Arena on Feb. 26, a special guest panel weighed in on boxing’s biggest grudge match before last night’s fiery press conference at Riyadh’s Al Faisaliah Hotel, where Paul and Fury exchanged more unpleasantries 72 hours before fight night.
“The Truth” promoter and perennial heavyweight contender Derek Chisora and Prince Khalid bin Abdulaziz, chairman of Skill Challenge Entertainment, were joined by undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney and Mike Tyson, the former world heavyweight champion widely considered one of the greatest fighters ever. The quartet discussed the blockbuster match-up and much more, agreeing that the fight is simply too close to call and admitting they cannot wait to watch the drama unfold.
“This is going to be an explosive, entertaining fight and I can’t wait,” said Chisora, the fight-game veteran who twice fought for the heavyweight world championship. “‘The Problem Child’ Jake Paul is going to bring it. ‘TNT’ Tommy Fury has trained to destroy him. But what is the truth? Will Jake Paul beat Tommy Fury? Will Tommy Fury beat Jake Paul? We don’t know — it’s that close. We have to wait until Sunday.
“The winner of this fight will not win it in the first half of the fight,” he predicted. “He wins it in the second half in the last four rounds, when they’re tired and begin to make mistakes. That’s when we get the winner. The time for talk is over — and the truth is almost here.”
Sunday sees Paul and Fury finally battle it out for glory and bragging rights following two previous postponements. The war of words and bitter rivalry between the pair dates back several years — and both are under pressure to perform in front of the thousands in attendance and millions watching around the world. With reputations and undefeated records on the line, Paul vs. Fury is destined to be a “Fight of the Year” contender, a sentiment echoed by Prince Khalid.
“Around the world, people are going back and forth in their minds, speculating who will win and how the fight will end,” he said. “This highlights the magnitude of this event. We have two tremendous fighters facing off and it will be an epic contest.”
“Paul vs. Fury has taken a long time and it has finally been made, which is significant for the landscape of boxing in Saudi Arabia,” Prince Khalid added. “We knew we wanted to stage this fight. We knew its potential and knew we could overcome challenges to make it happen. We always raise the bar here in the Kingdom, and I’m proud to say we’re now on the eve of another massive international boxing event.”
History was also made during the special guest panel segment as a new era for Saudi Arabia boxing officially began. Prince Khalid announced the launch of Skill Challenge Entertainment Promotions, a new and exclusive promotional company that will nurture up-and-coming Saudi boxers, guide them through their careers and also work to continue hosting more of the biggest boxing events in the Kingdom.
Mike Tyson praised the vision of Prince Khalid and Skill Challenge Entertainment to ensure everyone in boxing works together to make the best fights happen, while Haney expressed his belief that the promotion will “push boxing much further.” adding that he hopes to fight in Saudi Arabia in the future.
As the latest must-see sports event captivates Saudi Arabians and the world, “The Truth” follows other international boxing events recently hosted in the Kingdom, namely “Clash on the Dunes” in 2019 and “Rage on the Red Sea” in 2022.
The former has been credited as a groundbreaking moment in Saudi Arabia’s boxing and wider sports evolution, with nationwide boxing participation among men and women since increasing by more than 300 percent. The Kingdom’s sports economy has also recorded growth of 174 percent in the last three years alone, inspired by these events.
“The Truth” and Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury promises to be an epic event from Diriyah’s purpose-built arena and is part of Diriyah Season’s second edition, which presents a series of world-class international sports and entertainment events from the birthplace of Saudi Arabia and UNESCO World Heritage site.
