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Ricky Hatton warns Tommy Fury that he must knock out KSI in order to separate himself from the celebrity boxing world
Ricky Hatton, renowned British boxer and Tommy Fury's former coach, has issued a warning to the rising star. Hatton believes that Fury must knock out KSI in their upcoming match to establish himself as a serious boxer.
Fury gained fame after appearing on the hit reality show Love Island, where he met his now-fiancée Molly-Mae Hague. His newfound celebrity status led to a high-profile pay-per-view match against Jake Paul, which he won by split-decision. Now, Fury is set to take on YouTube-turned-boxer KSI on October 14 in Manchester.
Hatton calls for a convincing victory or a knockout
In an interview with SunSport, Hatton expressed his belief that a points victory will not be enough for Fury in this fight. He stated, "These are rappers and YouTubers, they’re not professional boxers like you, so I think in this fight he needs to make a bit more of a statement. Tommy must still have visions of doing something in real boxing and if that’s the case I’d like to see him knock out KSI. Or certainly win extremely convincingly, which I think he will."
Hatton advised Fury to go on Love Island in order to boost his profile and make a name for himself. Despite Fury's recent crossover bouts, he still aspires to succeed as a traditional boxer. Hatton believes that scoring a knockout against KSI is crucial for Fury's world title ambitions to be taken seriously.
Hatton's thoughts on Fury's career choices
Hatton defended Fury's decision to pursue opportunities outside of traditional boxing, acknowledging that he had advised Fury to go down that route. He stated, "Tommy’s been getting a lot of stick but you can’t blame him for going down the route he’s gone, I advised him to go down that route and he’s capitalized fully on it."
However, Hatton emphasized that if Fury wants to establish himself as a successful boxer, he must deliver an impressive performance against KSI.
The Box Off: Hatton's new coaching venture
In his retirement, Hatton has taken up coaching and is now a team captain for a new boxing concept called The Box Off. The tournament features four city-based teams competing in a knockout competition. Each team has fighters in different weight classes who will box over four rounds, with the winners progressing to the final.
The winning fighters earn points for their team, with championship winners gaining additional points. Hatton, leading the Manchester team, is on the lookout for boxing's next top star.
