Boxer-cum-Internet-personality Tommy Fury improved to 11-0 (4 KOs) with a sloppy, chippy, six-round unanimous decision win over Kenan Hanjalic in Budapest Friday night. The ring announcer did not specify any of the judges’ scores afterwards, and given the lack of texture to the bout, it was hard to blame him.

This was Fury’s first fight in 18 months, following hand injury and tussles with alcohol. The ring rust showed as he fought tentatively, choosing to box off the back foot even after his best work appeared effective.

But Hanjalic (pronounced Ha-loo-litch) proved incapable of rattling Fury. Despite his 5-1 (4 KOs) record, he is slow of fist and foot, and the 26-year-old Fury landed the more effective shots.

Fury worked his jab to the belly in the first round, mixing in a couple big rights to Hanjalic’s flanks. Hanjalic tried to press forward but his aggression was ineffective.

Early in the second, Hanjalic appeared to land a heavy right hand but Fury didn’t react. Moments later, Hanjalic crashed onto his back, not from a visible punch. Fury rattled his opponent with a combination in the second round and Hanjalic landed a sharp jab. But both were largely inactive and clinched frequently.

Hanjalic’s left flank turning an angry pink from the body shots was the only evidence that either fighter felt the sting from each other’s punches. Hanjalic, a 27-year-old living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, spent at least as much time smiling and showboating as fighting.

“He’s slowing,” the mountainous John Fury said to Tommy in the corner after the second round.

Fury burst forward with a series of power punches midway through the third, but missed almost all of them. Both men landed the occasional glancing shot in the clinch.

At the end of the third round, Fury hurled a huge right below the belt, then, as his opponent sank to the ground in agony, reached around the back of his opponent’s head to land a couple rights to the face. Blood dropped from Hanjalic’s nose as he knelt on the canvas, howling in pain.

Hanjalic was given time to recover — though nowhere near five minutes, as Oleksandr Usyk received to shake off Daniel Dubois’ low blow in 2023 — and Fury did not suffer a point deduction or even a warning. Fury pressed his (unfair) advantage and landed a hard straight right hand to the breadbasket. A furious Hanjalic tried to headbutt Fury at the bell.

The referee did, however, take a point from Hanjalic. It was seemingly for mauling in the fourth round — despite Fury being the one who threw a jab on the break. The B-sides never do seem to get the rub of the green in this sport. Hanjalic landed a flush left jab in the round.

Clinches grew more frequent still in the fifth round; members of the crowd pleaded for the fighters to hold less. Rather than do so, both began gesturing theatrically during clinches to indicate that the opponent was to blame for the lack of action, not him.

Fury landed a big right hand to the side of the head in the final round that seemed to momentarily freeze Hanjalic, before the underdog again beckoned at Fury to come at him. Fury then landed a clean body-head combination, his best series of the night, and sent Hanjalic wobbling backwards.

Rather than press his advantage, Fury continued to fight in retreat. Hanjalic landed a glancing right hand in the final seconds before the bell mercifully rang. The fighters then embraced as if they’d taken part in a classic, or perhaps provided each other with a nice payday.

After the fight, Fury paid tribute to his family and Jesus Christ.

“I’ve been through a hell of a lot these past two years,” said Fury, referring to his struggles with injury and the bottle. “I’ve been through things that tear a man down. Drunk, alcoholic. Even lost me family for a little bit. But everything’s come back together.”

Fury then thanked “Budapest and the whole city of Hungary.”

Asked about a rematch with Jake Paul, who Fury decisioned in 2023 in a similarly clumsy affair, Fury said that “Jake Paul’s a bitch, and he’s running scared … Jake Paul wants to step inside this ring, I guarantee you, next time, I’ll knock you spark out.”