KSI Reflects on the Challenges of Boxing and Controversial Loss to Tommy Fury

omidbasir- During his appearance on ‘Beast Mode On,’ KSI discussed his journey from internet personality to professional boxer, characterizing boxing as “arguably one of the scariest, traumatic things a person could do.” As a co-founder of the Sidemen, KSI has enjoyed success in both the music industry and in headline pay-per-view fights, but he emphasizes a critical difference between these fields. He notes that the boxing ring offers no guarantees, regardless of the effort put in.

While his music career allows for a clear link between hard work and success, boxing presents a harsher reality. “In boxing, you can invest tremendous effort into training—literally pushing yourself to the limits each week—only to find that it might not pay off on fight night,” KSI explained.

He acknowledged the psychological challenge of reconciling preparation with outcomes, admitting that the frustration of dedicating months to training only to underperform is a difficult reality to accept. For the 32-year-old, there is no doubt as to which pursuit is more demanding: “I’d say boxing is hands down the hardest thing.”

Beyond the excitement of fight night, KSI candidly described the grueling nature of his training camps. He vividly illustrated the resilience required to step into the gym week after week, fully aware that physical hardship awaits. “You have to be mentally tough to enter training camp each week and give it your all. It involves sparring with the toughest opponents regularly, enduring significant physical punishment,” he stated.

The emotional journey of training is akin to a rollercoaster, with highs stemming from breakthrough sparring sessions and lows resulting from being outmatched. “There are days when it feels like nothing is going right, and you just end up getting beaten up. It hurts, and it’s not enjoyable at times,” he admitted.

Despite the pain, KSI emphasized the importance of persevering through adversity. The ultimate reward often comes in the form of victory, where months of hardship are validated. “It feels rewarding to say, ‘Yes, I worked hard, and I achieved what I set out to do,'” he stated. However, when that validation is absent, the emotional fallout can be intense.

His frustration was particularly evident following his loss to Tommy Fury in October 2023, where he suffered a defeat by majority decision—later amended to unanimous. KSI remains convinced he won the fight, expressing his disappointment by calling the result a “waste of f*cking time,” revealing the anger that caused him to react in the dressing room.

“I kicked the board after the Fury fight due to overwhelming frustration, feeling like those judges had wronged me,” he recalled.

In an interesting twist to the narrative, KSI mentioned that even his rival Jake Paul initially perceived the decision as a robbery in his favor. “Jake Paul was even trying to defend my win initially, but then he deleted his supportive tweet after the result was confirmed, which left me stunned,” KSI said.

Despite the ongoing debate surrounding the decision, KSI claims to have come to terms with the outcome. The bitterness that overshadowed the immediate aftermath has given way to a more pragmatic view of the sport’s unpredictability. “I’m over it now; it is what it is. You can’t win them all,” he noted, emphasizing the importance of moving forward.

However, KSI also took a moment to assert a final jab at Fury. While acknowledging that Fury won the decision that night, he believes he has the upper hand in terms of career trajectory post-fight. “I compare my career to Tommy’s, and I would say I’m still winning,” he concluded, indicating that while the loss is recorded, his commercial and cultural dominance remains undefeated.