It was gone midnight when Tommy Fury and KSI wrestled their way through six truly ugly rounds to end the night in Manchester on Saturday.
Fury got the nod over KSi, nearly 20,000 traipsed away in the rain and the journey of boxing’s so-called “crossover” fighters continues. The night was a sell-out, the pay-per-view numbers on DAZN will be impressive, but the reality is that the stars of the circuit, which operates under the promotional name of Misfits, are novices. And, they will never get any better.
The men and women under the Misfits canopy might want to fight, but they are so far short of grade that their fights are just boring to watch for traditional boxing fans. They are, mostly, harmless, but the limitations of the men and women involved mean that action happens by mistake and not design. They have the moves, but not the technique; it is style over content. The crowd did actually boo and hiss quite a few times during Saturday’s ten-fight bill when there was no action. Sure, there is a grand pantomime element at play.
Also on Saturday, several fights went on too long and the referees were guilty of putting the health of the boxers at risk. The men behind Misfits, including KSI, must take a long, hard look at the poor and dangerous refereeing. It was a brutal reminder, in the middle of the slapstick, that this unforgiving sport too often ends in death or serious injury.
It has to be said that in most ways, Misfits run their business smoothly; they have top safety protocols, the shows are slick and they have a lot more transparency than the promoters operating under British Boxing Board of Control licences.
The men behind Misfits are not here to take over, they are just doing their extravagant thing in their lane. The fighters from the Misfits circuit are not going to end boxing as we know, relax.
So, the truth is that Fury v KSI, which was for the Misfits World Cruiserweight title, was a bad fight; two raw novices, holding, missing, swinging and both fully neglecting some of boxing’s most basic but essential principles.
Obviously, the capacity crowd loved every second of it. They would both benefit from learning the most basic of basics again; had either thrown a jab, they would have won easily. Fury should know better and will be disappointed with his performance.
The fans kept up their roar, screaming as Fury missed wildly and screaming louder if Fury hit and held. However, the loudest noise was for KSI, who has a combined total of just over 22 million followers on social media. When the boxers are introduced, their name, their weight, their city and then their total social media reach is given. It was a hard night for the iconic Michael Buffer.
Fury won for the 10th time and his previous nine fights were all under the rules and regulations of a recognised and respected governing body; the fight on Saturday was a blatant and understandable cash grab on a circuit outside of boxing’s jurisdiction.
It is, let’s be honest, a long way back to regular boxing for Fury, who was on Love Island before following the family tradition and taking up the noble art. On the Misfits circuit, Fury is the enviable champ and is highly paid, but in real boxing he is Tyson’s little brother and the son of John. In real boxing, little Tommy is just a novice, not an adored, multi-millionaire world champion.
KSI created and owns Misfits and is at the very heart of the crossover boxing scene; he was unbeaten in six before the maul with Fury. In the fiery aftermath, KSI called for an investigation into the sanctioning body about the decision. It was finally a touch of humour - KSI set the body up!
In the fight before Fury’s win, there was a riot and ring invasion when a man called Dillon Danis (four million followers on social media) tried to choke Logan Paul (33 million on social media). It was chaotic and predictable. Danis and Paul hate each other in real life - whatever that is for them. Paul won by sixth-round disqualification. Incidentally, Paul and KSI own Prime, the drink.
The carnival will continue, there is no revolution, it’s just a bunch of high-profile dreamers in novice scraps. And Tommy Fury is their new king.
