Tommy Fury left the ring as the victor, but KSI was the moral winner following their six-round boxing bout at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday night.
An evening of entertaining Misfits boxing saw Logan Paul’s co-main event against Dillon Danis descend into a brawl involving security personnel, before reaching its crescendo as KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) boosted his stock, and that of his company, with an unorthodox yet effective performance against the professional boxer.
From the first-round bell Fury was hurried by KSI’s punching speed and sharp footwork, too often enticed into coming forward aggressively to attack the openings left by the 30-year-old’s low guard. A quick overhead right from KSI clipped Fury on the neck in the first round and he looked shocked having not seen the punch coming.
That was just one of KSI’s impressive moments during the opening rounds, as he utilised a pacey double-jab with a combination of uppercuts and right hooks to build up some early momentum.
His gameplan worked and repeatedly frustrated Fury who drew him into clinches attempting to exert his extra weight onto the lighter man, much like brother Tyson does during in his heavyweight bouts.
From the inside, Fury twice landed punches on the back of KSI’s head, earning himself a deduction in the second round and leaving him facing an uphill battle to claw back the point – preferably through a knockdown which never came.
Fury, who was calmly composed in his previous fight against Jake Paul, seemed scatterbrained and off kilter. He hardly threw a jab and missed out on a lot of punches. The post-fight stats showed he landed more, just, with 39 of his finding the target compared to KSI’s 38. Those statistics are too alike to give Fury any edge, but his intent was clearer.
He strode forward frequently, looking for the knockout he’d promised to deliver in the build-up, though it never truly seemed likely. Both men took hits, both dished them out, neither dominated nor looked in real trouble.
Clinching was the overwhelming visual across the six rounds, with KSI using it as an effective tool later on to nullify the chances of a knockdown as his team assured him that he was ahead on the points.
The duo performed scrappily with neither fighter taking control— (PA)
Fury had no answer for it. He complained to the referee but was drawn back into close quarters before he could do any damage. When the bell sounded to end the fight, Tyson and the Fury corner looked worried.
They needn’t have been. The judges scores of 57-57, 57-56, 57-56 sent the young Fury leaping into the air in celebration. Tyson gave it the old double fist pump. Everyone else was dumbstruck.
KSI went so far as to call it a ‘robbery’ and the watching fans agreed, jeering Fury during his post-match interview. This is his home city, and a friendly crowd knew that justice hadn’t been served.
Fury didn’t care. He believed he’d done enough, labelling KSI a ‘sore loser’ before exiting the ring with his unbeaten record intact, though slightly less pristine than it was before.
Fury was judged the winner by majority decision in a controversial ending to the night— (PA)
Crossover boxing events such as this are no strangers to controversy and this result was controversial.
Yet, it sets up the possibility of a heated rematch, which KSI says he’s up for, or the chance for Jake Paul to re-enter the game against either of the headline acts, who knows where it may yet lead.
The result may have put a dent in Fury’s reputation as a professional (despite his win) but it’s boosted the legitimacy of the genre itself and raised the level of intrigue for what will inevitably come next.
And for the entrepreneurial YouTubers-turned-boxers who thrive in this space that’s the bottom line.
KSI might have lost the fight, but he’s winning the war.
