Jake Paul, despite being a YouTube star with an enormous fan base, lost his first boxing match against Tommy Fury. It was a close battle but ultimately Fury emerged victorious.

The heavyweight champion successfully defended his title by winning a majority decision over Paul. Now, he must confront another formidable obstacle - Tyson Fury's younger half-brother.

What happened?

Jake Paul's remarkable journey from YouTuber to professional boxer has come to a halt. After several bouts against three former UFC fighters, another YouTuber and an ex-NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion, criticism mounted that Paul was using his celebrity status for financial gain by pretending to be an actual boxer.

Boxing purists may not have approved of Paul taking on a "real" opponent, but his popularity within the pugilistic community has skyrocketed. With 20.3 million subscribers on YouTube and 18.5 million combined followers across Instagram and Twitter, Paul generates enormous interest for any fight he enters the ring for.

In 2018, 24-year-old Olatunji won his first professional bout against fellow YouTuber Deji Olatunji. Since then, he has gone on to claim four more victories in professional fights.

He's since defeated MMA stars Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley, leaving him at 5-0 with one knockout. Additionally, AnEsonGib - another YouTuber - defeated former basketball player Nate Robinson and Love Island star Tommy Fury; now it appears he may fight again in February 2023.

These victories have all come by knockout, making it hard to believe the young boxer will ever break through in the rigged welterweight division.

He does have a rematch clause in his contract with Fury that guarantees him another fight with the former world heavyweight champion. Should he prevail in that rematch, that could be his ticket to winning the world title.

A victory over the British star would surely boost his boxing profile and earn him respect from a wider audience. But if he loses, it could mark the end of his career.

At the end of a contentious decision, two judges awarded younger Fury with a victory by two scores of 76-73 while one judge dissented. It left many questioning if there had been any foul play involved or not.

No matter the outcome, 24-year-old made an unforgettable performance. He became the only boxer to knockout six opponents in their opening six rounds and quickly gained notoriety on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram. Now considered a contender for KO of the year, his fan favorites have grown exponentially over just a few months in the sport.

Why did Paul lose?

Recently, Jake Paul suffered his first professional boxing defeat of his long career when Tommy Fury (the younger brother of Tyson Fury) beat him at Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia. It ended as a split decision, with both judges giving it 76-73 to Fury and 75-74 for Paul.

Some were hard-hit by Paul's loss. Those who saw him as a hustler using his celebrity to make millions were quick to criticize him, noting that he had only ever faced off against MMA fighters, fellow YouTubers and former NBA players in the ring.

Even after defeating 47-year-old Anderson Silva, there were still doubts whether Paul could really beat a boxer. It's an intimidating challenge but one essential for developing an emerging talent like Paul.

Paul's biggest issue in not beating Fury was that he chose the wrong opponent. Originally scheduled to face Tommy Fury, Paul suffered an injury at the last minute that forced him to withdraw from competition.

Paul had chosen to challenge Tyron Woodley, whom he had previously defeated via knockout, in December 2021. Although it proved a risky choice, Paul knocked Woodley out in the sixth round to earn himself the KO of the year award.

Paul threw a lot of punches during the fight, but they weren't nearly as powerful as he needed them to be. His 49 blows landed compared to 88 from Fury.

However, it was a fiercely fought battle that went the distance. While some moments made it hard to tell who would emerge victorious, Paul showed more aggression than his previous opponent and showed signs of improvement in the ring.

Paul must improve upon his performance against Fury to win the next fight with Silva, and start getting comfortable in the ring. While his game is far from where it needs to be, he's making great strides towards that goal.

Did Paul pick the wrong opponent?

Jake Paul's first loss as a professional boxer was scripted by Tommy Fury. The YouTuber-turned-boxer's loss to the brother of Tyson Fury attracted millions of viewers and some criticism for his choice of opponent. Ultimately, Paul suffered his first professional defeat in an 8 round welterweight bout that saw Fury emerge victorious by split decision.

Many have pondered if Paul chose the wrong opponent for his last fight. He was set to face Hasim Rahman Jr, a former MMA fighter and Love Island star who filled in for Fury when that match was cancelled.

Paul had last sparred with Rahman 18 months prior, during a heated session that spilled onto the ring floor. In their post-fight press conference, both fighters exchanged insults but there was also an undertone that this would be their chance to show off their skillsets.

Paul may not have picked the wrong opponent, but there are still numerous issues that need to be resolved before Paul can move forward in his boxing career. He must find opponents who will give him a fair fight and are eager to see if Paul can truly become a world-class boxer.

He must ensure he has an experienced team behind him to assist him with his growth as a fighter and help build his profile. Some of those individuals include BJ Flores and Shane Mosley, with whom he works closely.

Paul has been guided by those around him in developing the ability to use his athleticism, boxing skills and social media presence to build a brand that attracts fans around the world. In just over one year, Paul has generated $38 million in earnings.

One of the reasons he's drawn such criticism is because he has seemingly avoided competition with little to no training. Additionally, his lucrative deal with WWE has enabled him to earn millions of dollars through appearances at their pay-per-view events.

Was the fight rigged?

When it comes to boxing, there's often skepticism regarding whether fights are legitimate. Yet Jake Paul has managed to score some impressive knockouts, leading some people to believe his fights are legitimate.

Paul recently took on former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and was able to knockout the 47-year-old Brazilian in the final round.

Though many fans were thrilled by this victory, there are still those who believe it was rigged. One fan even shared a TikTok video of the fight which claimed Anderson Silva's knockdown punch didn't actually land!

Paul McManus had some success during his fight with Anderson Silva, landing some devastating uppercuts and even getting knocked down in the last round. Despite these impressive results, some fans claimed the match had been fixed; Paul's trainer Paddy Pimblett believes this also occurred.

Paul has experienced criticism of his boxing wins before, yet he takes them seriously nonetheless. After his recent victory against Anderson Silva, Paul was even slightly dismayed by the reactions.

He was shocked to hear some people believed the fight was rigged, and it's something he would never do. That's because he believes he has the skillset to compete against professional boxers, which is why he takes boxing seriously.

Paul will be fighting Tommy Fury in his next fight. Though this man has had limited success so far, with amateur experience and a half-brother named Tyson Fury, Paul should find this opponent formidable.

Some fans believe the fight was staged and Paul lost because he picked the wrong opponent. While Paul managed to defeat Tyron Woodley, some feel he shouldn't have faced Fury at all.

According to TMZ report, there was a leaked script circulating online. This one-page document purports to explain what will occur during Paul and Fury's fight.