Normally a novice male boxer would be preparing to fight a journeyman for a nominal fee in his 10th pro fight.
Anthony Joshua might have been a rising star by the time he knocked out Michael Sprott in one round in Liverpool in 2014, but there was no million-pound pay cheque waiting for him at ringside.
Briton Sprott was well over 10 years Joshua’s senior at the time, with 22 defeats on his record. That was a mere learning fight for future unified heavyweight world champion Joshua, on the undercard of Tony Bellew’s rematch against Nathan Cleverly.
On Saturday night in Manchester, Tommy Fury will fight YouTuber KSI in his 10th bout. Fury will headline in a six-round cruiserweight bout.
The fight is not licensed by the British Boxing Board of Control. KSI, real name Olajide William Olatunji, does not hold a pro licence in the UK.
Despite this, Fury will earn at least seven figures for the fight, which will be sold on pay-per-view and is expected to be one of the biggest contests of the fight calendar.
“I don’t even think Floyd Mayweather was making the kind of money I’m making in my 10th fight,” Fury says.
Fury, 24, wants to be a world champion but has taken what he calls a detour into the YouTube crossover boxing world. He fought Jake Paul in a professional fight in February in another massive money-maker in Saudi Arabia.
Why has Fury, the brother of arguably the greatest boxer of a generation in Tyson Fury, decided to take these fights?
“It’s easy money. Anybody else in my position wouldn’t turn it down. Even world champions,” Fury says.
“Normally I’d be fighting these big old scary Russian guys, who have got about 30 knockouts on his record.
“If you’re going to ask me to fight KSI, a YouTuber, or Jake Paul, no problem. Sign me up.”
Fury does hold a pro licence and was fighting before KSI, Logan Paul and Jake Paul made an industry out of settling internet beefs in the ring.
His brother Tyson is the WBC heavyweight champion. His entire family boxed and he followed in their footsteps.
Appearing on reality TV series Love Island in 2019 and coupling up with influencer Molly-Mae Hague sky-rocketed Fury’s profile. With a pro experience background, he was a natural fit for the growing world of crossover boxing.
His narrow win over Jake Paul in February set up the KSI fight. Fury has been cast as the genuine boxer coming to wreck YouTube boxing.
“It’s one of these things where you’ve got to take advantage. I look to capitalise on everything that’s in my way. One fight at time,” Fury says.
“This isn’t my final destination. I’m not going to beat these guys and that’s it. I will beat these guys and go on to achieve what I always said I would achieve.”
The ultimate objective for Fury, he insists, is to become a world champion.
“These YouTube fights are not my highest point in life. I’m here to do a lot more than that,” Fury says.
“Tyson first fought for a world title at 27, I’m still years off that. So I don’t know who is going to be around and whoever does have the belt, I want to challenge for it. 100%. I’ve not trained all my life [to stop now].
“Don’t forget I was a boxer before this YouTube stuff came about. I’ve not trained all my life to get in the ring with a YouTuber and get a good pay day.
“I’ve trained to be world champion. When all these fights have been and gone, I’m still going to pursue that.
“Because I couldn’t live with myself being 70 years old, if I make it that far, [and say to myself] ‘you know what I should have gone and did that’.”
Crossover boxing has faced criticism as its popularity has grown. The British boxing board has urged the KSI-led Misfits promotion to come under its governance, rather than that of the Professional Boxing Association, which is overseeing the events.
While KSI insists his fight with Paul is “very real”, Misfit’s promotional partner Wasserman Boxing sees Saturday’s show as sports entertainment rather than pro contests.
American Paul fights with a pro licence in the US, but he had fought ex-MMA fighters, basketball players and rival YouTubers before he faced Fury.
Fury says he is under no illusions about the reality of the fights he currently competes in, and he denies intending to make a career in influencer boxing.
“My first crossover fight I fought Jake Paul,” he says.
“If it’s not people of that calibre, I don’t really want to mess with them.
“After all these fights are done with Paul and KSI and stuff like that, you won’t see me doing much crossover boxing fights really because I don’t want to cheapen my brand.”
