Joe Calzaghe aims dig at Tyson Fury and issues strong plea to boxing star
Boxing news: Joe Calzaghe wants Tyson Fury and other heavyweight stars to step up and save the sport
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British boxing icon Joe Calzaghe has aimed a dig at Tyson Fury by suggesting he should be fighting the big guns in the sport.
The Gypsy King recently beat Francis Ngannou, who was competing in the sport for the first time.
Fury looked uncharacteristically sluggish during the bout and was knocked down in round three.
Though he eventually won via split decision, many have piled into the 35-year-old for the way he performed in the time since.
Boxing news: Joe Calzaghe has bemoaned the amount of YouTubers taking part in the sport
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Boxing has seen more and more YouTubers step up and enter the fray in recent years.
Logan and Jake Paul have both competed, though the former has announced he's retiring after his recent victory over rival Dillon Danis.
KSI, who is one of the biggest YouTubers in the world, recently lost to Tommy Fury.
And Calzaghe wants the heavyweight division to step up and save boxing, while also aiming a dig at Fury for choosing to go up against Ngannou.
Per the Daily Star, the 51-year-old said: “You have young fans who are not boxing fans, they are Jake Paul fans.
“They tune in to watch him.
“I don’t know why, but then I’m a 51-year-old and I don’t go on YouTube.
"Maybe, I’m just old. I just wonder how many kids watching Jake Paul are going to then watch a world title fight?”
He added: “On the one hand, we have unbeaten world champions who are not getting the recognition, and maybe the rewards, they deserve.
"On the other hand, we have YouTubers who are getting millions of pounds for fighting, who don’t know much about boxing.
“From a money standpoint, good luck to them.
"Boxing has to respond, otherwise it’s going to be in trouble.
"One problem is we have way too many world titles and people calling themselves a champion.
"It’s so confusing and I’m a former world champion. So, if I don’t know what’s going on, who does?
"The other issue is that too many fighters want to protect one version of the title rather than earn a legacy by fighting other champions. I wanted a legacy.
“In the heavyweight division, we have [Deontay] Wilder, AJ [Anthony Joshua], Fury and [Oleksandr] Usyk.
"Those four are all big stars. But why aren’t they fighting each other?
“I would love to see that happen. So would every proper boxing fan out there.
"But instead, we have Fury fighting a guy who’d never boxed in Saudi Arabia.”
Fury is now set to face Oleksandr Usyk in February.
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Boxing news: Joe Calzaghe is unhappy with Tyson Fury for choosing to fight Francis Ngannou
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The two men had been due to lock horns in Saudi Arabia next month.
However, Fury needs more time to recover and train after being left bruised by Ngannou following their showdown.
Usyk isn't 100 per cent sure the fight with Fury will happen.
His promoter, however, recently said he expects a date for their duel to be announced soon.