The Evolving Ring: Influencer Boxing's Impact on the Modern Boxing Landscape
Image Credit: BBC World Service
The sport of boxing has changed tremendously over the centuries of its existence. It is one of the most popular sports in history. There is something about a massive clash for a world title, no matter the weight class. It is the ultimate competition, as it is just the fighters in the ring, and that's it. The sport has always had a solid following, but we have seen a shift in the boxing landscape over the last few years. The emergence of influencer and crossover boxing has shown to be very popular. It has produced many different opinions on whether it's a positive or negative for the sport.
It’s Changed The Way Boxing Is Promoted
The way promoters advertise boxing has stayed the same for multiple decades. A fighter works his way through the ranks to earn a shot at a title whilst hopefully amassing a following in the process. Then, if they win a world title, that's when an athlete makes their millions. Whether you are Muhammed Ali, Mike Tyson, or Anthony Joshua, you will have those seven figure paydays once you start defending the belt. It is because people will be more willing to pay for tickets or the pay-per-view if a championship is on the line. It means that in the past if a competitor was average, they were most likely making little money. However, this is beginning to change thanks to a massive shift in the sport. We now see MMA and social media stars joining boxing and making money.
How It Started
It all started with a couple of YouTubers going toe-to-toe in front of a camera. Of course, that was when Joe Weller and Theo Baker met in the ring. The video was a massive success, which led to KSI getting involved. Weller and KSI met on a spectacular night at the Copper Box in London, which did very well in numbers. Furthermore, it showed a tremendous market for this type of boxing. The success of the KSI and Weller fight was just the start of what was to come.
After defeating Weller, KSI called out Logan Paul. The rivalry between the two social media stars propelled this type of boxing to another gear. There was a sensational amount of hype around their first meeting. Both Paul and KSI have a massive following, and they built a card with many famous YouTubers on it. For example, Jake Paul versus Deji was the co-main event. They were amateur contests but were still very entertaining. The fight between Paul and KSI ended in a draw that perfectly set up the rematch. The numbers were awe-inspiring and attracted legendary boxing promoter Eddie Hearn.
The rematch was the catalyst that made influencer boxing more legitimate. It is because Hearn promoted the second fight between the two. It gave the whole scene a significant amount of credibility due to his experience. The second contest was a sanctioned professional fight. There were no head guards and ten-ounce gloves, just like every other professional fighter. It was the first pro-fight of its kind. A special night in Los Angeles was the perfect storm, as it was an excellent compilation of hype and controversy. The fight was somewhat controversial because Paul was deducted a point from a strike on the floor. At the time, Hearn thought influencer boxing was a positive for the sport. However, since social media boxing has grown, the British promoter has changed his tune. Speaking to IFL TV in February he talks about the negatives of influencer boxing.
"We need to remove ourselves as a sport, as much as possible, from influencer and YouTube boxing. As in, we are not them, and they are not boxing. Go away over there."
Quotes via Essentially Sports
What Makes It Unique
What makes influencer boxing unique as a business is its humongous following on social media. The fact that KSI, for example, can put a video on his YouTube and get millions of views is incredibly beneficial. In addition to this, they have a separate audience compared to traditional boxing. It means that not only can influencers market the contest very well, but they also don't have to worry about converting classic boxing fans because they have their own.
Positives And Negatives
There are positives and negatives that this space brings to the sport. It could get a completely new and younger audience into boxing. If a card is built right, then it allows professional boxers to gain a sensational amount of exposure. An example is when Billy Joe Saunders defended his belts on the KSI and Paul 2 undercard. The direction for a grassroots boxer could be fantastic. In 2020, former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua spoke about influencer boxing in an interview with Hot Ones.
"What excites me the most is that it's bringing a whole new audience to the fight game. I think that's important," Joshua explained to Hot Ones' Sean Evans during the September 17 episode of Truth or Dab. "So, I'm happy that they're doing it."
Joshua then went on to say,
"And what annoys me the most is there's so much talent from the grassroots level that are trying to get their name recognised by the bigger audience, and they're struggling.
"So, it's a world of who's popular and who can just do it versus who's talented and trying to get their name recognised but needs to get a look in. So, it's a catch-22, but the benefit is more eyes on the sport will give the grassroots talent more opportunity to expose themselves to a new audience."
Quotes via Dexerto
A prime example of this is Tommy Fury, who was already well-known. It was due to his last name and an appearance on Love Island. He has a perfect professional record of 10-0 with four knockouts. Fury never really faced any high-level competition, as many of his opponents had a losing record. However, since Jake Paul called him out, his popularity has gone through the roof. His most recent contest was on a Misfits card against KSI. The amount of money Fury would earn now before entering the influencer world is night and day. Fury reportedly has made six figures in his fights with KSI and Jake Paul. It shows how much fighters could make if they compete on these cards.
A negative of this section of the sport is that the quality of action on the Misfits cards could have been better. It contradicts the point that it will attract an audience. For example, the Prime card didn't produce entertainment. It means if somebody watches boxing for the first time, they might not return. Speaking on his YouTube channel, former UFC Middleweight champion Michael Bisping says on the issue.
"It was one of the worst robberies we have ever seen in combat sports," Bisping said. "Yeah, because everyone that paid 20 quid and anyone that bought a ticket, they all deserve to get their money back. They paid for a night of action, they paid for boxing, and what they got was an absolute sh*t show. So, yeah, it was a robbery. It's one of the worst robberies I've ever seen. If you bought a ticket, appeal now because you have a good chance of getting it. You've got a better chance than KSI has of getting an appeal on that fight. My God."
Quotes via Sports Illustrated
There are many reasons why social media boxing is good and bad. Yet, it isn't going away anytime soon, and we may have to accept it for what it is.
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