Tommy Fury’s late notice withdrawal from a planned PPV boxing bout against Jake Paul has become one of the major stories in combat sports as 2021 comes to a close. In part that’s because the scrapped fight cleared the way for a rematch between Paul and former UFC champion Tyron Woodley—after Woodley lost their first fight via split decision in August. But also because of the confusion over just why it was Fury was pulling out of the fight.
“I’m a scary guy to fight - the [trash talk], the pressure. All of this? He cracked and tried to find a way out,” Paul told Sky Sports of the news that that he would no longer be fighting Fury on Showtime PPV later this month.