Ricky Hatton says boxing ‘has to pull finger out’ as YouTubers dominate sport

Ricky Hatton has slammed boxing and urged the sport’s biggest stars to ‘pull their finger out’ as YouTube events threaten to take over the sport.

The former world champion sent a warning to boxing’s biggest and best to put on the fights that fans want to see as YouTuber influence threatens to take centre stage. The boxing world has opened the door to influencers who look to push their fame further and even take on the sport’s professionals and former world title winning fighters.

Undefeated five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather fought Logan Paul in an exhibition bout, whilst his YouTuber brother Jake was defeated by Tommy Fury – who now prepares to take on fellow internet celebrity KSI on Saturday, October 14.

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Speaking to Mighty Tips, Hatton said: “We’ve been waiting for so long for AJ-Tyson, Tyson-Usyk and for Crawford-Spence. Now we’ve had Crawford vs Spence and now Fury vs Usyk has been made and there’s a trade fight in Wood and Warrington. This is good for boxing – don’t point the fingers at YouTube boxing, boxing has got to pull its finger out.

“To see that fight (might) be made in January, obviously Tyson can’t take his eye off the ball in Saudi Arabia. This is positive for the sport – I don’t see why both arts can’t exist. Boxing will always have their fans, MMA will always have their fans but we are in the entertainment business. I don’t mind these fights happening as long as the real boxing fights are taking place – that will help boxing.

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“Thankfully the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world – the first one since 1999 – has to be good for our sport, I didn’t think it was going to happen.”

Hatton, who has trained and been ringside with good friend Tyson Fury, last fought as a professional in 2012 when he was knocked out by Vyacheslav Senchenko after a three-year exodus from the ring. But Hatton returned to the ring last year as he took on fellow retired pro Marco Antonio Barrera in an eight-round exhibition fight.

Exhibition fights in the sport have become common place of late with Fury set to take on MMA star Francis Ngannou in the ‘Battle of the Baddest’ with the two giants coming toe to toe on Saturday, October 28.

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