The world of influencer boxing takes another surreal turn on Saturday when former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall faces reality television star and professional boxer Tommy Fury in Manchester.
The heavyweight contest at the AO Arena is understood to be an exhibition bout, meaning it will not count towards either fighter’s professional boxing record.
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It is scheduled for six two-minute rounds, bringing together two Britons from entirely different worlds.
The event is promoted by Misfits and is the latest example of a boxing show that increasingly blurs the lines between professional sport, entertainment and social media celebrity.
Fury’s professional resume includes high-profile victories over influencers-turned-boxers KSI and Jake Paul.
He insists his ambitions remain tethered to world-title aspirations. In reality, however, the 27-year-old has cemented himself as the poster boy for the influencer boxing boom.
Hall, 38, headlined what was billed as ‘The Heaviest Boxing Match in History’ in 2022 against rival Hafthor ‘Thor’ Bjornsson.
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After losing to the Icelander in the exhibition bout, Hall transitioned into MMA and scored a knockout victory over fellow former strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski last year.
The undercard perhaps best illustrates the unusual crossroads at which modern boxing now finds itself.
Sharing the bill is social media personality ‘The Ibiza Final Boss’, real name Jack Kay, who became an internet sensation in 2025 after videos of his confident dancing, distinctive bowl haircut and gold-chain-wearing persona went viral on TikTok.
Also appearing on the card is two-time Olympic taekwondo gold medallist Jade Jones.
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A family feud and 100lb size difference
The origins of this unlikely pairing lie in a simmering family feud better suited to the scripted world of World Wrestling Entertainment.
Tensions began when John Fury – father of Tommy and Tyson – took exception to comments Hall made about wanting to fight Tyson.
Hall accused John Fury of being a bully and Tommy eventually stepped forward to settle the dispute.
Although there is no upper weight limit at heavyweight, Fury is still expected to give away significant size.
Fury has spent the majority of his boxing career competing around cruiserweight and weighed 14st 4lb (94kg) for his most recent outing.
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Hall, meanwhile, tipped the scales at more than 28st 8lb (181 kg) during his strongest-man peak.
The 2017 World’s Strongest Man winner is expected to weigh around 5st lighter than at Friday’s weigh-in, but it could leave as much as a 7st weight disparity between the two men when they step into the ring.
The theatre of influencer boxing draws the crowd
But the sheer eccentricity of the event extends beyond the size difference.
Influencer boxing has become a polarising development in combat sports over the past decade.
While some celebrate the audience figures and attention it brings to boxing, others argue it diminishes the traditions of the sport.
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To add to the theatre of it all, former UFC fighter Darren Till claims he has been barred from attending the contest and has suggested he may attempt to enter the arena in disguise.
Till and Fury have their own history after a proposed bout between the pair collapsed in 2024 when Fury pulled out when Till suggested he could resort to MMA tactics.
There is also speculation Fury – who found fame on reality dating show Love Island – could reveal his new daughter’s name on fight night.
Yet despite all the questions surrounding the contest and whether it makes a mockery of traditional boxing, thousands are expected to fill the arena.
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For all its critics, influencer boxing continues to draw crowds and Saturday night in Manchester will be another reminder of that.
