Boxing
Tyson Fury at ringside for Jake Paul fight will be 'ace up Tommy Fury's sleeve', claims Paulie Malignaggi
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Jake Paul has his backers as he heads into his fifth professional boxing encounter when he takes on the younger brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, Tommy Fury.
However, another former world champion believes the older brother's presence at ringside will prove a crucial factor in Tommy's favour.
Paulie Malignaggi, who held major titles at both welterweight and light-welterweight, recently explained to Boxing Social how Paul's insistence that unbeaten heavyweight Fury be on hand if he ever took on his Love Island star sibling could backfire.
"I'm actually hearing a lot of people in the US picking Tommy Fury. He's got an ace up his sleeve, he's got his brother Tyson," Malignaggi said.
"I've seen some videos and stuff. He's helping him train and he's involved in camp. Jake has a lot to work on, so does Tommy but I think Tommy has a big motivation in having Tyson with him.
"Jake doesn't have any dummies around him, either. BJ Flores is a smart guy, he'll have him ready as well. But I think it's a legitimate 50/50 fight.
"I wouldn't consider it Jake fighting a boxer. It's Jake the reality star turned boxer versus Tommy the reality star turned boxer. That's all it is, am I wrong?"
Paul has defeated fellow streaming personality AnEsonGib, retired NBA star Nate Robinson and UFC names turned boxing debutants Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley thus far, earning huge sums of money each time.
The younger Fury, meanwhile,is 7-0 with 4 KOs though his quality of opponent hasn't been much better than Paul's. The 22-year-old last fought on the Paul-Woodley undercard with a four-round decision win over Anthony Taylor.
