“Anyone can call me a hater. They can say what they want,” Hackett said during a recent interview with MillCity Boxing. “But these guys just want to be famous and make money. They don’t care about being a good fighter. So, we’re only going to see good fights from guys who really want to fight.”
Keyshawn has recently been active with online streaming content, something Hackett said reflects a shift in how some fighters are building their audience. While he stopped short of accusing the lightweight contender of avoiding tough opposition, Hackett suggested that the extra focus on entertainment could send the wrong signal about a fighter’s priorities.
“I’m not trying to say that Keyshawn doesn’t want to fight,” Hackett said. “But when you start spending time doing stuff like that, it means to me that you’re just trying to make money and try to be famous. Your mission isn’t really to be the best fighter in the world.”
Hackett argued that fighters who really want to prove themselves end up facing dangerous opposition, even if those attacks bring less attention than viral online content.
“Because if so, that’s a lot of smoke at 140 pounds,” Hackett said. “That’s a lot of smoke at 147 pounds.”
Hackett added that the sport still depends on fighters willing to measure themselves against the toughest opponents available rather than focusing on popularity outside the ring. In his opinion, attention and followers can help build a career, but they do not replace the value of proving yourself in tough battles.
