Paul’s bitter feud with Fury was finally set to come to a head at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on 18 December, but the British fighter – the half-brother of heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury – has been forced to withdraw due to a bacterial chest infection and broken rib.
In a video posted on Twitter, YouTube star Paul – who has racked up more than 7 billion views on the platform – revealed Woodley had stepped in at the last minute to take Fury’s place:
“The good news is that Mr. Tyron Woodley, we called him up and we were like, ‘Hey, do you want to take the fight?’ He has been training. He goes, ‘Sure, I’ll take the fight, let’s do the rematch, run it back.’ I’m giving him $500,000 extra if he can knock me out. Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley 2: ‘Leave No Doubt.’ I didn’t knock him out the first time. I’m coming back, and I’m getting the crazy W, the crazy highlight-reel knockout. The show must go on.”
The pair faced off in August, with Paul extending his professional record to 4-0 thanks to a tight split-decision win after the fight went the distance.
Woodley – a former UFC welterweight champion who successfully defended his title on 4 occasions – proved to be the biggest challenge of Paul’s fledgling career, while Paul demonstrated his boxing credentials once again by securing the win over a trained fighter. Paul’s previous bout came against another former UFC star, Ben Askren, which he won courtesy of an impressive first-round knockout.
Woodley will be desperate to avenge his defeat, all the more so because he had to get an “I love Jake Paul” tattoo as part of a bet they made ahead of the fight, and they’ve already proven they’re a good match for one another. Meanwhile, there’s excitement to be had on the undercard with unified featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano also in action.
Tickets start from $37.50 on the upper level, while floor-level tickets are also up for grabs if you want an unforgettable ringside experience.
Click here for more information on this must-watch boxing clash.
