1. Tommy Fury
Coming out of Sunday, there could be few talents better suited for Paul than Tommy Fury. At 7-0, he is a more experienced yet still developing fighter himself. At six feet tall and 180 pounds before re-hydrating, Fury is physically more of a match for Paul than Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren, and Nate Robinson. Perhaps most importantly, his experience makes him the type of opponent for Paul to take on at this stage. Despite his hulking physique, Fury struggled to deliver damage to the much smaller and less experienced Anthony Taylor. If Paul is looking to avoid a heavy hitter until he has more experience, then Fury currently fits the bill. A win over Fury would change the conversation as besting a full-fledged boxer would solidify him as a true prospect as opposed to the side-show he has become facing MMA fighters in the ring.
Furthermore, the allure of the bout is that Paul could push to face Fury on the undercard of his more famous older brother: heavyweight superstar Tyson Fury. “The Gypsy King” is currently set to face Deontay Wilder for a third time in October, in a bout once again co-promoted by Wilder and Paul’s promoter Showtime and Fury’s promoter Top Rank. Adding Paul versus Tommy Fury as a co-main event to the trilogy between Fury and Wilder is almost guaranteed to be a pay-per-view blockbuster.
The biggest hurdle to the bout: timing. With Tyson Fury and Wilder fighting in a little over a month’s time in October, the fact that both Tommy Fury and Paul need a quick turnaround may unravel the bout before negotiations even begin. While Paul can certainly fight Fury at any time, having them headline their own card at this juncture may be a tougher sell as opposed to the exposure of having them bolster a bigger event. Paul has proven himself to be as much a businessman as he is a fighter. Is there still an allure to fighting Fury? Yes. But if it does not come with the added exposure of being part of a Tyson Fury event then he may go with another opponent that he feels is a lower risk stylistically.
