Tommy Fury recalls what he really thought of Jake Paul before fight

Tommy Fury has admitted that he did not know who Jake Paul was after he was called out by the 'Problem Child' nearly four years ago.

The pair have traded barbs online over the last few years before finally settling their rivalry two years ago. At one point, the fight seemed destined to never take place. The bout was initially due to take place back in December 2021, but with just under a week until the first bell, the Brit withdrew due to an injury and a medical problem.

Nearly a year later, the dust-up was rebooked. However, just weeks to go until the bout, Fury pulled out once more - this time citing visa issues which were preventing him from entering the United States. The clash was booked for a third time in 2023 and they pair finally traded leather. Despite being knocked down in the final round, Fury would go on to score a victory on points.

Despite their iconic rivalry, Fury surprisingly admitted he did not know who Paul was at first - despite the American's large following on social media. Speaking on podcast hosted by Eddie Hall, when asked how the Paul fight came about, Fury replied: "Tyson (Fury) again. Funnily enough. I was boxing on a Frank Warren show in London during lockdown and they put me as co-main along with the main event. I boxed, I won, it was good. Then Tyson put up the ratings on Twitter... he screenshotted the ratings and he put them up and he tagged Jake Paul."

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In typical Paul fashion, the 28-year-old was quick to respond to Fury's post, before 'TNT' went back-and-forth in a verbal spat with the 'Problem Child' before finally settling their differences in the ring."At this time, Jake Paul was making a little bit of noise in the boxing ring and he just started," Fury continued

"Obviously Tyson, being Tyson, he got on a video and went 'you think you are a boxer do you? Well, look at Tommy's ratings. Come and fight him!' I thought 'ok!' I did not even know who Jake Paul was at this stage because he was not a boxer at this point. Jake replied and he said 'oh Tommy, if you want to fight, do no get your big brother to call me out... do it yourself!' And I thought 'ok, here we go. This is where it is starting!'

"Then I jumped on the internet and went 'I do not need anybody to call you out, I am right here and I am going to fight you... no problem!' And then it just escalated into a social media war. Loads of fights that should have happened didn't and it finally came off. It was a two year battle... calling each other every single day on social media, a lot of bad blood, a lot of hype around the fight and a lot of interest."

Since their initial encounter, the duo have frequently exchanged jibes online in an attempt to set up a rematch. However, so far, no rematch has been confirmed. Paul triumphed over Mike Tyson in his most recent fight in November and is set to face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr this weekend. A victory against the Mexican would undoubtedly fuel speculation about a second bout with the former Love Island star.