KSI vs Tommy Fury predictions – Who wins colossal crossover clash?
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.
Tyson Fury's younger half-brother, Tommy, fought YouTuber Jake Paul and was knocked down in the eighth and final round, scraping past with a split decision win, despite being in control for most of the contest. It shows that the novice pro is still learning and slightly susceptible at this fledgling part of his career, so someone as wild, awkward and confident as KSI could pose problems.
BBN asked their panel of boxing experts what they make of this controversial, divisive fight coming up:
Anthony Taylor Former Tommy Fury opponent
"Tommy has the technical ability to win, but if KSI makes it an ugly fight, he can potentially overwhelm Tommy and he will break.
"He's got to take him into those deep waters, to places that the pretty playboy has never been before. I've said before, he's not cut from the same cloth of Tyson Fury. Tyson is indestructible, we saw that against Wilder. Tommy though, when the going gets tough, he has a soft core. He's a marshmallow in a weightlifter's frame. KSI has just got to make Tommy feel uncomfortable.
"It's a 50-50 fight because of Tommy's grounding in boxing, he's been doing it far longer than KSI. But KSI has that power, and if he can keep the pressure on, Tommy will crumble. I think the knockout will come. And I expect Dillon Danis to crumble too, but not by KO. Logan wins that battle on points."
Anthony JoshuaTwo-time World heavyweight champion
"Tommy Fury vs. KSI, it’s a real 50/50 fight.
"I would sway towards KSI, but then if I value experience, I think Tommy should pull it off because he’s coming from a fighting family, but KSI’s been banging people out though.
"He beat Logan Paul who’s big and strong, went the rounds with Mayweather as well, Logan did.
"It’s a real 50/50 fight, for this one I’m sitting on the fence."
David Price Former British & Commonwealth heavyweight champion
"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.
"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."
Tony BellewFormer World cruiserweight champion
"KSI vs Tommy Fury is set to be a huge event, there’s no denying that the organisers have done a great job in making it a huge spectacle.
"Earlier this year, we saw Fury get the biggest win of his short career when he beat Jake Paul with the whole world watching. The win showed me that Fury’s extra experience in the boxing ring and the pedigree he has through his family will always give him an advantage in these crossover fights and I expect that to happen this Saturday night too.
"Fury should always be the favourite when he appears in these types of contests. He’s been ranked as a professional, has fought as a professional, and he’s prepared like one since turning over. KSI has done a lot of good things since deciding to become a fighter and you can tell he doesn’t cut any corners, but that pro experience will always be an advantage to Fury when he’s competing against guys who are just starting out.
"One thing I like about KSI is his confidence. Believe me when I say this, he’ll have no fear of Fury whatsoever and he’ll let his hands go from the opening bell. That was the one main criticism I had of Jake Paul when he fought Fury earlier in the year. He had opportunities to stamp his authority on the fight, but he was nowhere near busy enough. KSI won’t make that mistake.
"I’ve seen that KSI is a big underdog for this but him winning wouldn’t shock me at all. This is still Fury’s fight to lose because a lot of things are in his favour, but if KSI can make a good start and get Fury’s respect, we could be looking at a big upset and one that Fury would find it hard to recover from.
"The safe bet is for Fury to get the job done. The Jake Paul win should have given him a lot of confidence when it comes to fights of this nature, and he may even consider this an easier fight. I don't think it’ll be easy for as long as KSI stays busy and take chances, but it’ll be Fury who picks up the win as he completes a huge year by defeating two of the biggest influencers on the planet."
Tim RicksonBBN Editor
"I don't think I have ever watched a MisFits Boxing show because it's not professional boxing, so I have little interest in it. However, some of the clips I've seen with these YouTubers or celebrities getting punched with their chins in the air and their arms flailing around, I really question it's safety, because many of them should not be allowed in a boxing ring. But, I assume, everyone is there just to make money off their huge audiences they've built up, so I have no problem with it… until they talk about fighting Canelo, that winds me up!
"So, I've since seen the KSI vs Joe Fournier fight; he landed a good overhand right, which didn't put him down, but it was definitely a forearm that knocked him out. So that was not a vaild KO or a win, because an elbow to the face is illegal.
"However, KSI looks the part, he obviously trains and conditions himself well, so fair play for that. He is bouncy on his feet, twitchy, awkward, unconventional, but stands with his hands down, lacks fundamental boxing skills and jumps in from well out of range, which makes him utterly predictable, so Tommy Fury should knock him out with very little trouble. He leaves his head lingering on the line every time he rushes in with his jab, which he throws from too far away, so he is always overreaching and there to be hit cleanly all night long.
"Tommy Fury is not a high-level boxer; he's 9-0 prospect, a fledgling pro, and one that you question actually how dedicated he is to boxing, with these crossover fights, sabbaticals in Love Island, modelling work, and TV appearances.
"He has ambitions to become world champion, but if you put it into context that the British light-heavyweight champion is Dan Azeez, and Mikael Lawal is at cruiserweight, you couldn't match either of those champions with him right now as it would be dangerous. Could Tommy Fury reach that national level someday? Perhaps, but it's too early to tell whether he could become as good as Azeez or Lawal. I'm doubtful right now and I question if he could ever reach British level at all. But he's young still, Azeez didn't win the Southern Area title until his ninth fight, so Fury isn't too far behind really. Plus, these shows are on big platforms, doing big numbers, so this pressure will put him in good stead for the future. I'm sure he learned a lot from the Jake Paul fight, which I consider a harder opponent than KSI.
"However, this fight is still just a professional prospect with a limited amateur background against a novice amateur, with no experience, so it should be an easy Tommy Fury win, either by decision or knockout. It should be totally one-sided and hopefully send a warning that these MisFits celebs should not be calling out professional boxers. But let's not forget that Fury has only fought one credible pro boxer in the last 28 months – Daniel Bocianski, who has only won once in his last four fights… so it's not a foregone conclusion."
Jonathan GorrieEvening Standard
"It is difficult to look past Fury, even if he did not totally convince against Paul. He boasts a much broader boxing background and is a major step up in class for KSI, there’s little getting away from that.
"While the first-round knockout he is predicting seems unlikely, a points decision should be achievable for him.
"Fury to win via points."
The Sportster
"Tommy Fury and KSI went face-to-face after the latter's no-contest with Joe Fournier in May. 'The Nightmare' has long stated that he wanted to face 'TNT' because he wanted to do what Jake Paul couldn't. In February, Fury famously defeated KSI's longtime rival by a split decision in Saudi Arabia.
"Unfortunately for the YouTuber, he's also badly outgunned going into this matchup. While KSI arguably has solid power and a gas tank, that won't matter against a boxer as capable as Tommy Fury. Expect the former Love Island star to dominate on fight night, and likely get a finish. If he can get through Jake Paul, who is the far more dangerous YouTube boxer, he'll be able to get through KSI."
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