John Fury made a pointed public accusation against Jake Paul and KSI in a Playbook Boxing interview on March 19, claiming both owe him money from public bets and have refused to pay up — while also revealing that a major fight for son Tommy Fury is close to being finalized.
Jake Paul: ‘A Welsher’
John was characteristically unfiltered when the topic of Jake Paul came up, accusing the influencer-turned-boxer of failing to honor a £3 million public bet. He added that KSI — who fought Tommy Fury in October 2023 — is guilty of the same.
Jake Paul bet me 3 million quid. He didn’t pay us. KSI bet me 200 grand. Never got that off him either. I’ll never let it go. I’ll tell everybody — Jake Paul’s a Welsher and so is KSI. Keep your money. I don’t need it. But you’re Welsh, the pair of you.
On the long-awaited Tommy-Paul rematch, John said his side has been willing to do a deal — but Paul’s team keeps backing away. “We tried to do a deal. They run when they get near a deal. I said, ‘Okay, I’ll meet you in the middle.’ Radio silence. That’s the truth of the matter.”
Tommy Fight ‘Imminent’
Despite the rematch impasse, John said something significant is in motion for Tommy’s next fight. He stopped short of naming the opponent but made clear a deal is close.
There’s something big in the pipeline, but I can’t discuss it. Let’s just say the ink’s on the way to the contract. It’s not there yet. But it’s imminent — we’ll see Tommy in the ring again in a big fight.
He credited Tommy’s continued success to one key difference between his two sons: Tommy still listens. “Tommy’s at a stage where the difference is — Tommy will listen. I’ve not steered him wrong. He’s made loads of money. He’s unbeaten. He’s not been hurt. He’s been in some good positions. That’s good business.”
Five Years With One Hand
John also offered some important context for Tommy’s career record, revealing that his son has been dealing with a serious hand injury throughout his professional run — one that required major surgery.
Tommy had one hand for five years. He’s had a major operation. And yet, they still won’t want to fight him.
John also claimed credit for the broader crossover boxing model that has since been adopted across the sport. “We open the door. Saudi Arabia — first ones there. And they all thought, ‘Oh no, it’s a mismatch.’ We got no end of flack for it. ‘Oh, they’re bringing boxing into disrepute.'” He added that he now believes traditional boxing is losing the entertainment battle — “it’s sad to say because I’m a purist — I think it’s on its way out.”
The Jake Paul and Tommy comments came in the same wide-ranging interview in which John declared his relationship with Tyson Fury completely destroyed and said he will not attend the April 11 fight. He also gave a detailed breakdown of Tyson’s physical decline since the Wilder trilogy, including a never-before-revealed detail about Tyson breaking down in sparring before the first Usyk fight.
