Joey Essex targets future fights with Jake Paul and Tommy Fury ahead of boxing debut

Joey Essex is less than a month away from his Misfits boxing debut, and has already set his sights on the biggest names in the crossover boxing world

TV personality Joey Essex (ITV)

Reality TV star Joey Essex is targeting the biggest names in crossover boxing as he prepares to make his boxing debut on Misfits 22 in Manchester on 30 August.

Essex will take on Portuguese influencer Numeiro, but said that he has one eye on the likes of Jake Paul, Tommy Fury and KSI for the future.

Essex told Sky Sports: "You've got Jake Paul, who's the golden boy. There are a few others. You've got the likes of KSI, you've got Tommy Fury. It depends how far this goes.

"I'm going to get the 30th out of the way and then we'll see from there. I've got a big name myself. Joey Essex vs Jake Paul, Joey Essex vs KSI, Joey Essex vs Tommy Fury, it makes sense. But I have to get there first.”

Jake Paul has become boxing’s biggest disruptor and has recently taken on Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr since Tommy Fury defeated him on points in 2023.

Love Island graduate Fury only recently returned from injury and mental-health struggles, after beating Paul and KSI in 2023, to claim a lacklustre win in Budapest.

Subscribe to DAZN now to watch over 185 fights a year

(AP)

Essex admitted that it was premature to try to align himself with those big names right now based on his current ability, but believes he holds enough name value to be an attractive proposition.

Essex said: "That doesn't make sense right now. The names make sense, but the fight doesn't make sense right now because no one really knows how good I am. I couldn't even tell you how good I am. But on 30 August, we'll all know how good I am."

The 35-year-old comes from a fighting family, with his dad having boxed and his uncle being the famous trainer Tony Sims. It seemed perfectly set up for Essex to become a boxer, but he instead chose to pursue TV opportunities.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

He has appeared on The Only Way is Essex, I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and Love Island.

But since agreeing to appear on the Misfits card, he has employed the services of his uncle to prepare him for this fight.

Sims is a world-class trainer and has overseen the development of big-name fighters such as Anthony Joshua, Joe Cordina and Conor Benn. For this reason, Essex said that he had to prove to his uncle that he was serious about fighting before entering his gym.

Essex explained: "Tony is so serious about what he does. He hasn't got time to mess around. He said to me, ‘If you're going to take it seriously, I'll train you.’

"I feel like I have proved to him that I'm doing what it takes. He wouldn't just take on any Misfits boxer. The only reason he's taken on me is because we are family. He obviously fully believes I'll put the effort in."

Watch the biggest fights and best fighters with a DAZN subscription

A DAZN subscription provides access to over 185 fights a year across a range of combat sports from the world's best promoters.

For pricing and more information, click here

(Dazn)