Tommy Fury’s sparring partner reveals Jake Paul’s key weakness, why the pressure is all on the Brit and why he may have ducked the press conference
British professional boxer Jimmy Kelly knows Tommy Fury well, having regularly been called upon as a sparring partner. His record stands at 23-6, including battles against Liam Smith.
Speaking exclusively with Casinos En Ligne, Kelly has talked about how Tommy’s range can find Jake Paul out in their bout on Sunday as well as how the Fury brother can cope with the pressure of fighting a YouTuber.
On Tommy missing the press conference and ‘zoning in’
JK: “There are times where you have a closed camp and it’s very much business and you don’t want to be moving about. He didn’t go over to Saudi for the press conference because it’s all business. I know Jake called him a flake or something for not coming out for the press conference, but I understand it. The day prior you’re arranging to leave so your mind is not focused on training. You fly one day, the day after that you come back and you’re tired, so you’re losing three or four days of training. You’re eating on the go so your diet isn’t there and readily available. It’s eight hours to Saudi. You come back and the travelling takes it out of you. It’s a pivotal part of camp. He’s played it smart not doing that.
“People will say he’s scared but you’ve got to be confident in yourself to say I’ll forget all that noise and whatever s*** Jake’s chatting, and has the confidence to say: listen, I’m locking down here and zoning in. That’s what he did. Tommy’s not been on social media and he’s zoned in.”
On whether this fight will make or break Tommy’s career
JK: “I remember Tyson Fury used to say when he was younger that he wasn’t going train for bums. When he’d face the journeyman types he used to say, I should be able to beat these and that’s just the belief he had – that he can beat these fighters any day of the week. It’s the same for Tommy. When you’re coming up and fighting these journeymen you don’t have the same fear factor. You’re training hard but you don’t have that fear factor.
“There’s a difference in the aura of a big fight, when there’s a lot at stake and the pressure is on. I think this is the first time in Tommy’s career he has the fear factor. Tommy had his exhibition and the kid he fought on Tyson’s undercard at Wembley had a good record on paper but it was lost down the undercard. This is totally different. There is so much pressure on him. I think these types of fights make you or they break you and I think it’s going to be a fight that is going to make Tommy.”
On how all the pressure is on Tommy
JK: “Jake Paul can fight. I know people say he can’t, but he can. I don’t think he beats Tommy, but Jake’s played it clever when he calls himself just a YouTuber and a Disney kid. That takes a lot of pressure off himself and passes it to his opponents. He was a YouTuber but he’s not anymore. But the pressure is on Tommy. Jake has been fast tracked and has gotten all this attention but Tommy’s the heavyweight champion of the world’s brother and comparisons are always made between Tommy and Tyson.
“The pressure on Tommy is: what if a former YouTuber – who can fight now – beats the heavyweight champion of the world’s brother. So there’s a lot of pressure on Tommy. But good fighters perform under pressure.”
On how Tommy Fury will murder Jake Paul – ‘it’s an easy nights work’
JK: “Tommy has underrated range and reach. He has a massive reach. He has massive shoulders and dead long arms. Tyson is the same and uses it to his advantage and Tommy’s doing the same. He’ll faint a lot, use his jab and side step. And I think that’s going to murder Jake in my opinion. I think Jake will look to slip punches and land an overhand right – but that shot is not going to be there. He’s going to be found falling square all the time.
“The last few times I sparred Tommy you could really see how he uses his range. And I just see Jake struggling with the range. I see Jake looking for that right hand and Tommy moving away from it and eventually when Jake over commits and comes square, I think Tommy jabs, lean backs and the right hand lands when Jake gets over eager and that’s the shot that will do him.
“Tommy’s got to be patient over eight rounds but there’s certain times you have got to draw some mistakes from your opponent. And I don’t think Jake’s fought somebody who can dominate from range like Tommy. Jake will either drop back and be picked off, or he’s going to try and gamble his way in with overhand rights and he’s going to get caught.”
On Jake Paul either getting knocked out or loses on points no matter what he does:
JK: “I don’t see it as a 50-50 fight. I give Jake credit, he got hurt against Woodley the first time and saw it through. Credit where it’s due, it takes character to do that. And then to stop him in the second one and then fight Anderson Silva and do the eight rounds, whilst Tommy has only done six rounds. Jake’s also got self belief in him, he thinks he can go into MMA. He’s got delusional self belief and that’s a massive thing. But as soon as you start eating jabs, that evaporates.
“That could be the argument people are making for Jake, but Tommy has things in his locker he’s not shown before because of his level. He’s never had to go to the trenches, he’s never had to show heart or what not because his skill has brought him through. The level of his opponents is another factor but I’ve seen the level in the gym and in this fight his level is going to be transferred to the ring.
“Jake’s a tough, fit kid with heart. His legs dipped against Woodley and he came back. That’s all well and good but Tommy will be too technically good. Tommy’s been boxing since he’s a kid. The deciding factor though will be the distance. Feint, jab, move – walk away from the right hand. It’ll be an easy night. If Jake gambles and pushes the pace I think he gets knocked out. If Jake doesn’t put the pressure on and wants a boxing match he loses on points.”
