Tommy Fury's former opponent believes the Briton now has no chance of regaining a shot at Jake Paul.
Fury and Paul signed the contracts to settle their rivalry at the second time of asking after Fury was forced to withdraw from their original planned clash last December. However Fury was denied entry to the US when planning to travel for the pre-fight press conference which quickly derailed their planned meeting.
Paul offered to fight Fury in the UK for a fraction of the purse at $500,000, but Fury denied the request and Paul has since moved on to face Hasim Rahman Jr next. Fury's previous rival Anthony Taylor believes the young star was fearful of losing the approval of his fighting family if he lost to Paul.
“If Jake defeats Hasim, you’re not going to see Jake fight Tommy," Taylor told Vegas Insider when discussing the collapsed bout between Paul and Fury. "That would be a step back after defeating Hasim.
"Why take a step back after beating a guy with a great amateur pedigree? Hasim is faster, has more power and experience. If Jake wins there will be no Tommy Fury fight. Tommy is in over his head. He’s not afraid to fight Jake but he’s also not motivated because knows the outcome.
"And he knows the consequences of losing. If he loses, he loses sponsorships, he’ll be disowned from his boxing family - why go through the headache? He’s not scared, there are just a lot of circumstances behind it."
Fury was looking to finally settle his long-term feud with Paul on foreign soil, without having any of his family alongside him after his father John confirmed he and Tyson were unable to attend the fight. However despite begging Paul to delay his plans to move on in a bid to revive the fight, Fury was left empty handed after declining his counter offer.
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It remains unclear if any bid to challenge Paul for a third time will come after the YouTube star has faced Rahman Jr. A fight against Paul would have been arguably the toughest examination of both fighters' short careers with both men undefeated.
Fury's brother Tyson was already heavily involved with the rivalry having made a £1 million bet backing his sibling to win the showdown. And the 'Gypsy King' had already claimed that his brother could not call himself a fighter if he lost to Paul. If Tommy Fury can't win against Jake Paul he has no right in being a fighter," he said during a previous interview with iFL TV.
"I think Tommy knocks him out and he has got to believe in himself and go over there and put on a show. He has to enjoy it as he's getting paid a lot of money to fight a guy who hasn't fought on an actual boxer. He wouldn't have won any title belt in England ever if he can't beat Jake Paul."
