Top boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has warned KSI to avoid a fight with Tommy Fury in order to make a deal with Jake Paul later this year.
The Matchroom Boxing boss, who handed professional debuts to both KSI and Paul after watching them compete in white collar boxing, believes that Fury may be a bridge too far for the YouTube star. But he is still keen to see him face his long-time rival later this year, insisting that it is the better fight.
Hearn's promotion share a broadcaster with KSI's Misfits Boxing in DAZN, and will also welcome Paul back to the platform when he faces Nate Diaz in a pay-per-view fight this August. And he is a fan of the influencer space, despite insisting that it be placed somewhere away from legitimate boxing.
"I think KSI is a really smart guy," Hearn told Mirror Fighting in an exclusive chat ahead of Katie Taylor vs Chantelle Cameron in Dublin this week. "He puts everything into boxing and he's improved so much. But I just haven't seen enough of him and I like KSI vs Jake Paul, that's the fight."
And Hearn believes that while YouTube boxing is a good thing for the sport, it is best taken away from the discussion of the legitimate sport, "The whole [Misfits] thing is mental," he added. "But that's fine, let it be mental, put it over there, it does great numbers for DAZN. It's good now because they've become so farcical that they're almost not trying to be boxing, it's just entertainment.
"If we can somehow bring kids who watch it to watch boxing or train in the gyms, great. But keep it away from boxing and we'll do our stuff, it keeps the pressure on us to keep delivering great fights and great events because they're doing great numbers with those fights. It's busy."
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And he believes that the PBA should likely overturn his fellow Brit's latest win; a controversial knockout of Joe Fournier, to a no contest. KSI was comfortably beating Fournier over the two rounds that they fought before appearing to catch his rival with an elbow that immediately ended the bout.
"I spoke to Joe Fournier last night," Hearn said. "He was a bit upset with what I said which was that I felt Fournier was going to get knocked out legitimately, but it was a clear elbow and I know they've got their own commission [the PBA] and normally that fight would be overturned to a no contest or they'd order a rematch.
"But in that world, I don't know. I have big respect for all of them, I said to Joe 'look, you've made that event fantastic and you got in there and fought when many couldn't, but I just felt that he was going to get knocked out, he was hurt and he was going that way."
