Boxing has often been a circus. It is now ensconced in an era of new ringmasters.
Where once boxers traditionally created a pantomime to help sell a fight, now it is the turn of reality TV stars and social media influencers.
The latest match-up of this ilk in Manchester sees Tommy Fury, who at 24 may yet prove he is a fighter of worth, take on KSI on Saturday night.
Fight fans appear to be putty in their hands. Fury’s fight against another social media influencer Jake Paul in Saudi Arabia in February earned 800,000 pay per views making it one of the most popular fights of the year. The pair pocketed in excess of £8million, roughly a million per round in the ring.
This time, again the PPVs are all that matters, the camps of both Fury and KSI ramping up the pre-fight talk as much as possible to persuade a mostly new audience of boxing fans to part with their cash.
Fury’s father John was the latest with the amateur dramatics this week when he joined the two fighters inside a cage and started punching and headbutting the partition which separated them.
It followed a lengthy period of barbs lasting weeks, Fury Sr starting it off by flipping tables at the initial press conference.
This week, KSI shouted at Fury while he was taking part in a television interview calling him a “p***y” and shouting at him to “look at him”. Fury responded by screaming “three days” in the countdown to the fight.
For his part, Fury at least admitted: “It’s a circus isn’t it? KSI’s got no class, he’s very unprofessional but, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. He can do what he wants, we’re fighting in that ring.
“So, let’s hope he can fight as good as he can talk. I know he can’t and I’m looking for an early night, looking to get him out of there.”
A lot is at stake for Fury, the money rolling in aside. There is the Fury name for one, with big brother Tyson expected ringside. Plus, he needs to do something more impressive than he did against Paul to show he has the makings of being a serious fighter.
In addition, he is fighting in front of his home crowd. He added: “I’m looking forward to this fight more than any other. I’m in the shape of my life as you’ve all seen.”
Such is its mystifying popularity, reality boxing or whatever you want to call, is clearly here to stay.
