Tommy Fury breaks silence on 'abuse' he received after Jake Paul fight was cancelled

Tommy Fury has opened up about the torment he endured after withdrawing from his highly-anticipated bout with Jake Paul in 2021. The 25-year-old admitted that his 'whole world fell apart' following intense preparations for the fight against the YouTuber-turned-boxer.

After publishing his biography, 'Lightning Can Strike Twice: My Life as a Fury', Fury touched on several subjects just two months after his split from Molly-Mae Hague. The confirmation of his match with 'The Problem Child' in December 2021 was conditional on defeating Paul's sparring partner, ex-MMA fighter Anthony Taylor.

After securing victory by unanimous decision, it seemed inevitable that Fury and Paul would finally face off after a long period of exchanging taunts online. Nevertheless, a mere weeks before the scheduled fight, Fury had to cancel due to "a severe chest infection and a broken rib".

READ MORE: Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois rematch latest with new fight venue named as 'big decision' awaits

READ MORE: Joshua told why he must avoid Dubois rematch by his former opponent

He expressed his devastation: "I am absolutely heartbroken that I have been forced to withdraw from my fight with Jake Paul. The beginning of my camp was going so incredibly and I never expected anything to come in my way from a victory on December 18.

"I can't express how disappointed I am and I really do hope we can get this fight rescheduled in the New Year, I want this fight to still happen more than anything. I'm now regretfully putting my focus on recovery and a further rescheduled date."

In his recently published memoir, Fury has opened up about the aftermath of pulling out of the fight. "My whole world fell apart," he penned, reports the Mirror.

"I was this kid from Salford with no money and a big dream. I may have done well financially after Love Island, but the fee I would have earned from this fight was something else."

He added: "I didn't think it could get much worse, but once the news of the fight cancellation hit the press, everything kicked off. I received a torrent of online abuse, my accusers saying I was 'scared of a YouTuber,' 'not a Fury', 'a fake fighter', 'embarrassing my family', and much worse."

Molly-Mae stood by his side, trying her best to support Fury. However, the Brit admitted he felt himself spiralling into a dark place, and there was nothing Molly-Mae could do to pull him back.

The vitriol directed at the boxer was so severe that he claims he barely left his home. "I came off social media, and I rarely went out in public because I would get heckled in the street,'' he continued. "When I did leave the house, all those things were said in person, to my face.

"I'm not sure how people would have the audacity to do this, but they do. While it was a red rag to a bull, there was nothing I could do about it."

After the highly-anticipated bout was cancelled, Fury and Paul finally put their differences to rest in 2023. The British boxer emerged victorious, winning by split decision against the American in a closely contested match in Saudi Arabia.

Following his victory, 'TNT' expressed relief, stating that a massive burden had been lifted off his shoulders. "Everything flashed before my eyes,'' he added. "The broken ribs, being denied access to the States, the online abuse, depression, drinking, hard graft, not being around enough for Molly and leaving my new baby - and, in that moment, it all paid off."

".