DESPITE a world middleweight title unification in the US and the coronation of a new world champion Down Under being the genuine highlights in professional boxing this weekend, fight fans here in the UK are being nudged towards something else entirely.
Manchester Arena hosts another Misfits Boxing event, where social media personality KSI headlines against TV personality Tommy Fury in a projected six-round contest that will likely generate more views than anything else in a UK ring this year.
RENAISSANCE MAN
KSI puts his YouTube channel, Twitch controller, chart topping microphone, global sports drink businesses and restauranteur endeavours on hold to return to the ring.
A hard working, intelligent and opportunist influencer, KSI – aka JJ Olatuji – has utilised his social media audience to attract a younger demographic to boxing and generate plenty of cash along the way.
He owns Misfits Boxing and partnering with streaming channel DAZN has allowed them to blur the lines between professional boxing and unlicenced white collar boxing.
The 30-year-old steps into a boxing ring for the eighth time against Fury yet to taste defeat. But they are a mix of amateur, unlicenced and quasi-professional contests.
His previous opponents range from the ridiculous to the absurd. But this weekend he’s facing a man who at least knows the difference between southpaw and orthodox.
TNT TOMMY
Tommy Fury had seven British Boxing Board of Control licenced bouts as he harboured dreams of following in the footsteps of his older half-brother Tyson, the king of the heavyweight division.
However, after his first two fights, he joined the cast for reality TV show ‘Love Island’ and emerged not only as the runner-up, but with a soon-to-be fiancé on his arm and also as a celebrity in his own right.
Admirably he returned to the ring, but with paycheques small and the road to the top inhibited by lack of talent, it didn’t take long for the celebrity crossover to become far too appealing.
A procrastinated showdown with Jake Paul – basically the US version of KSI and brother of KSI’s sports drink business partner Logan – finally took place in Saudi Arabia in February.
Fury won. But he had to pick himself up off the floor to do it. He’s found his level.
CELEBRITY BOXING
In truth, this is non-league football with Champions League promotion. Both KSI and Tommy Fury are novices of limited ability. But at least that makes it a fair fight.
Both are simply faking it to make it – cash that is. And whilst much of the promotion this week has crossed over into pantomime, they’re just imitating what fighting sports’ biggest stars do week in week out to sell pay-per-views buys.
Don’t hate the players, hate the game.
Fury should win easily enough, after all he’s been around boxing all his 24 years, whereas it only caught KSI’s attention in 2017 as an avenue to generate views.
But, on occasions like this, the outcome that makes the most financial sense for everybody involved usually transpires.
Never forget; this isn’t sport, this is business.
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