David Price expects pro boxer Tommy Fury to defeat Youtuber KSI
David Price spoke to Betway Sports about the KSI vs Tommy Fury fight
Unbeaten pro Tommy Fury (9-0, 4KO) clashes with Youtuber KSI (1-0) over six three-minute rounds at the AO Arena in Manchester this Saturday night, October 14, 2023, live on DAZN PPV.
Now aged 40, former Olympian and British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion, David Price, gave his views on the fight, which were surprisingly complimentary on such a divisive subject, with many others disapproving of crossover boxing events.
Here's what the Liverpool hero, known affectionately as 'Big' Dave, had to say, "I think that's a good fight, to be honest. I watched the Jake Paul fight with Tommy Fury, you couldn't not watch that because there was that much of a big build up and you would have had fear of missing out if you didn't watch it – and they’re the fights that make the most money, obviously. With KSI, I have seen bits of him boxing, I don't know if he’s at the same standard as Jake Paul or if he’s better than him.
"The pressure that was on Tommy Fury and the Jake Paul fight was immense. He had the entire boxing world's pressure on his shoulders, never mind his family's pressure. He could not lose that fight. Would he have been able to show his face in public again? Losing to a YouTube influencer boxer when he’s from a fighting family and he's an unbeaten pro would have been devastating. He's a good boxer, but you could see that the pressure may have been getting to him in his performance. He was stiff, he was tense, and it took him a few rounds to start landing his shots… but I think the monkey's off his back now.
"I think he should go into this fight a lot more relaxed and take someone like KSI to school. I definitely think that Tommy Fury should walk away with the win from this fight."
The 6ft 8in giant then paid his dues to both boxers putting the work in behind the scenes, "As far as influencer boxing goes, you can look at it both ways. You can say it’s detrimental to the sport, for example some of the fights I have seen, they're just a big circus act and some of it is just embarrassing. But with that being said, the likes of KSI and Jake Paul, they take it seriously. They do training camps and put in the effort, so you have to respect that they're boxers now to be fair to them. They are YouTubers but they’re boxers as well. A lot of pro fighters are plumbers and joiners by day, but they have a professional licence, so you have to respect that. You can also talk about the crossover appeal. Are they bringing new fans professional boxing? It’s difficult to say really.
"Because with boxing, it's the only sport in the world where, someone who's never done it before can put a pair of gloves on and get in the ring, and people will watch it. If Jake Paul and KSI were having a game of tennis against each other, not many people would want to watch that, but because it's boxing and it's gladiatorial, it's human nature to want to see humans fight against each other. It's like a sick thing that humans like to see. That’s why boxing is unique, and that's why influencers and whoever can do it, they know people will watch it and they'll make a lot of money in doing so. So overall on this fight between Tommy Fury and KSI, I think Fury will take KSI to school this time."
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