KSI has claimed Wayne Rooney messaged him in the early hours of the morning to pitch a stadium blockbuster fight.
Rooney hit the headlines after it emerged KSI’s Misfits Boxing promotion reached out to the Manchester United legend.
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But according to KSI himself, it was actually Rooney who made the first move over a year earlier.
KSI said on the Sidemen podcast: “Alright, I’ve got it, 5th of December, 2022 at 3.50am.
“(Rooney text), ‘Hi mate, what you think on me and you having a boxing fight. I think we could generate a lot of money. You up for it.’
“No question mark, just full stop. He’s not asking! (The text continues), ‘We could sell out stadium with right support and both make good money.'”
It is not the first time KSI has claimed Rooney reached out to him personally.
He said in a December 2022 press conference: “It’s funny – I hope he doesn’t get annoyed that I said this – but Wayne Rooney hit me up being like, ‘Oh, we should fight.’
“And I said no. I just don’t want to do that. If Wayne Rooney is down, of course I think it would be good to have him in this space.”
Rooney, infamously knocked out in a boozy kitchen spar-gone-wrong by Phil Bardsley in 2015, is an avid boxing fan.
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And after he was sacked as Birmingham manager in January, Misfits took the opportunity to table a sensational offer for a boxing switch.
Misfits launched in the summer of 2022 as a home to celebrity-style crossover bouts.
KSI, 30, has headlined four events but lost his last bout to Tommy Fury, 24, via controversial decision to lose for the first time in seven bouts.
Rooney, 38, finally broke his silence on the rumoured boxing offer but insisted he is focused on his managerial career.
He said on The Overlap podcast: “Obviously Misifts have been in, and that’s been all over the news or whatever, but listen: I want to focus on getting back into management. That’s my focus.
“I’ve seen all [the headlines] over the last couple of days, but my main focus is getting back into football.”
Despite Rooney’s revelation, KSI has left the door open to welcoming the ex-England captain to Misfits.
He said: “It would be great to just see him fight someone. And if he annihilates that person, then yeah fine, let’s f***ing go.”
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