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Why is there such a lack of belief in Tommy Fury’s ability?

Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury

It is extraordinary to think that with only a few days left to go before the great Tyson Fury’s brother fights, the expectation is that a YouTuber will beat him. It is a scarcely believable situation and a look at the latest prices for the upcoming bout will prove that this is the general feeling going into the showdown.

The latest odds

As mentioned, this is far from a view held by the minority when you consider that the official Paul vs Fury boxing betting odds price the American at just 4/5 to come out victorious against the Englishman.

Indeed, if you bet on boxing matches regularly then you will know that the odds are not in Tommy’s favor having been allocated a price of 6/5 to win. The question is: how has it come to this and why is there such a lack of belief in Tommy’s ability despite coming from boxing royalty?

The first place to start is that the skepticism that the wider public has around Tommy’s talent has filtered down from his own family. This isn’t to suggest that his father John and WBC champion brother Tyson aren’t supportive but they have, from time to time, wavered in ther backing of him and confessed to having doubts about Tommy’s future in professional boxing. 

Like father like son?

It was in 2020 when his father was fielding questions from journalists about Tommy’s chances of making it and candidly replied that he has to ‘convince me first before he can convince the world.’

Now, given that Tommy would have spent a significant amount of time sparring in the gym with his dad before these comments were made, everyone was understandably taken by surprise that the jury was still out on his talent as far as his own father went.

Admittedly, that was one of the more public shows of uncertainty in his son’s long-term prospects in the fighting world. But even during the build-up to his fight against Paul which will be hosted in Saudi Arabia, this theme reappeared. This time, his father John repeatedly called Tommy out during a sparring session that the media were invited to observe. Unimpressed with Tommy not following his instructions, John corrected his son and appear to be frustrated with the lack of progress being made. 

When you take into account that there is always a time and a place for coaches to double down on mastering certain techniques, you are left with an unmistakable impression following this open training session. Essentially, John is genuinely concerned for Tommy’s chances against Paul and wants to use every moment that they have together to improve, regardless of the message that it may send to those watching on.

Whilst that is a responsible method of coaching, the fact remains that Fury is seemingly yet to prove to his own flesh and blood that he has what it takes to win. 

The jury remains out

When that lack of faith is openly portrayed by those closest to him, then the rest of the world is likely to think Tommy might be an imposter, albeit one with an incredibly influential surname.

Irrespective of what happens against Jake Paul, the reality is that Tommy will continue to try and forge a career in the sport. But if we’re yet to see any significant aptitude by now, will we ever?