Jake Paul to face Gervonta Davis in November
The announcement of Jake Paul’s latest fight – an exhibition match against Gervonta Davis, the former world super featherweight and lightweight champion – again brings the 21st-century phenomenon of YouTube boxers to the fore. The pair clash at Miami’s Kaseya Center on Friday, November 14.
For the record, Davis starts as a -150 favorite, with Paul listed at a respectable +138.
it became very clear how lucrative these bouts are
Something that started as little more than well-known YouTubers taking to the boxing ring to settle their faux feuds soon became a thing when it became very clear how lucrative these bouts are for all involved.
In front of sold-out crowds and massive pay-per-view (PPV) television audiences, it has become a phenomenon in which everyone wins, apart from, arguably, boxing itself.
KSI and Weller kick things off
It all started for real back in 2018, when famous British YouTubers Joe Weller and KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) decided that the best way to sort out a disagreement would be by going toe-to-toe in the boxing ring.
Before that fight, Weller had fought and won his first amateur bout in 2017 against a non-YouTuber, but it was a low-key affair
To the surprise of no one, KSI vs. Weller went stratospheric. The pair had over 50 million subscribers between them, so the 8,000 tickets for the event at London’s Copper Box Arena sold out very quickly.
over 20 million viewers watching the fight online
But, given their route to fame, it was also no surprise that the internet also played its part in getting the fight relayed worldwide, with over 20 million viewers watching the fight online. For the record, KSI won the fight, but that was almost irrelevant. A new type of boxing has been born.
Following that first bout, more and more YouTubers saw the potential to further enhance their appeal – even those who had never boxed before – although it did raise a few questions from the boxing establishment, both pro and amateur.
A gimmick? Or a way to attract a new audience?
Many saw it as a gimmick that undermined those who struggled against the odds to make a living from the sport. It did, however, have its fair share of high-profile supporters like Mike Tyson, who, in addition to being part of it (more on that later), saw it as a way of keeping the sport alive and taking it to a new audience.
But, even with the divided opinion among hardcore boxing fans, there is no denying the increased profile boxing has seen as a result of the YouTubers and how much money it has generated, including for the sports betting industry.
But how good are these people? Can they box? Is it merely a gimmick?
Let’s take a look at a few of the big names and see how they have fared so far. Let’s start with the biggest of the big names:
Jake Paul
The American, who has nearly 50 million subscribers and followers, started his own journey with an amateur bout in 2018 before turning pro in 2020. A record of 12 wins and one loss tells the story of one with a degree of talent, and also one who has taken on some big names in boxing.
Among them was a 58-year-old Mike Tyson, whom he defeated in a lame exhibition bout, and Julio César Chávez Jr, the Mexican multi-time world champion from the 1990s and early 2010s, whom he also beat. He also fought UFC fighters Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley, and former NBA player Nate Robinson
His only defeat came against Great Britain’s Tommy Fury, the half-brother of former World Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
KSI
The London-based Brit, the original boxing YouTuber, has been less prolific than Jake Paul and has had seven bouts, of which five were wins. Ironically, his only loss also came against Tommy Fury, while he drew against Jake Paul’s brother Logan, a fellow famous YouTuber.
With his 25 million subscribers on YouTube and 13 million Instagram followers, KSI has played a massive part in the YouTube boxing explosion, even though he has stepped back from it to concentrate on his many other ventures.
Logan Paul
As mentioned above, the older brother of Jake Paul has played his own part in this YouTube boxing journey, with his 50+ million followers and subscribers.
He began his boxing career by fighting long-time rival KSI – who, ironically, is now his business partner – in an amateur contest, but then lost the rematch, which was a pro bout.
He followed that up with a very controversial (and lame) exhibition bout with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr, which was declared a draw, but secured his first pro win against Dillon Danis in 2023.
Paul was also involved in some non-boxing controversies, and after just four fights and a 1-1-2 record, he stepped away from the boxing ring and became a WWE wrestler.
Deji Olatunji
While generally regarded as a “smaller” player than some of the YouTube boxing fraternity – a mere 16 million followers and subscribers – Olatunji has benefited from being the younger brother of KSI.
He has followed his brother’s path of becoming a YouTuber-turned boxer, and his first bout was against Jake Paul, which ended in defeat. There is talk, however, of a rematch.
He, too, fought the legendary Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition bout, but lost in round six by virtue of a technical knockout (TKO). His current record is two wins and four losses.
Slim Albaher
New Yorker Albaher (aka Sulieman) is modest in terms of subscribers and followers (just over one million), but is arguably the most successful of all the YouTube boxers with seven wins and no defeats.
He began his YouTube journey back in 2012 with a daily vlog, but has also dabbled in music, releasing a single in 2019, the same year as his first amateur fight.
It was a charity bout with proceeds going to the victims of war in Yemen, which he won convincingly, and since then, he has not looked back. His first pro bout saw him take on another YouTuber, N&A Productions, in Dubai in an exhibition bout, and he won by a TKO in just 44 seconds.
He has built himself a reputation as one of the most dangerous fighters in YouTube boxing.
AnEsonGib
By 2019, AnEsonGib (aka Ali Loui Al-Fakhri) had over 750k subscribers from his online gaming exploits, but this number increased dramatically once he’d entered the YouTube boxing arena.
Unlike most of his peers, Ali has not ventured beyond fighting fellow YouTubers, but has beaten MaxPlays and Austin McBroom, while losing to Jake Paul. As a Saudi Arabian who was brought up in the UK, Ali has broken new ground and has demonstrated plenty of skill in the ring. In his seven fights so far, his loss against Paul is his only one.
Alex Wassabi
Wassabi (aka Alex Burriss), who grew to fame with his vlogs and challenge videos and amassed 15 million followers in the process, began his boxing journey in 2022 when he defeated fellow YouTuber Deji.
The Montana-born YouTuber followed that victory by winning his first pro bout against IDubbbz by a points decision after four rounds. Most recently, he drew in an exhibition bout with BDave. While his boxing career currently stands at a modest three fights, there is talk of more fights in the future.
Dad (aka Nathan Barnatt)
Barnatt is an American YouTuber who made his name by playing comedy characters online. To date, his boxing career is just two fights old.
He fought under the guise of his character “Dad” when he beat Matt Watson in an exhibition fight in 2022, landing a TKO in just 22 seconds – a YouTube boxing record!
In his second bout, which took place just over a year later, he beat AB Starkilla, who was forced to retire in the first round. In total, his boxing career has lasted less than three minutes, but his half-million subscribers loved every minute of it.
Where does YouTube boxing go from here?
What the above has shown is that, for all its detractors, YouTuber boxing looks to be here to stay, and it’s clear that more famous names will be making the transition from the gaming chair to the boxing ring.
purists also question the weight differential in some of these fights
But what it also demonstrates is that very rarely has a YouTuber been good enough to beat, pound-for-pound, a pro boxer, aside from those who are way beyond their best years. The purists also question the weight differential in some of these fights, such as Paul vs. Davis, and how, in the professional realm, they would not be deemed legitimate.
That’s not to say that some haven’t shown some considerable skill and crucially, the appetite for training hard. Only one, though, Jake Paul, has come close to bridging the gap between YouTube boxing and professional boxing. But fair play to him, he has given the crossover a sense of legitimacy.
But it’s only Paul. No other YouTuber has beaten a pro of any note, not one who is in prime condition.
Let’s not forget, though, that not all of the bouts in this genre have been about personal gain, either monetary or to grow a following. Some have used the platform to raise money for charity and good causes.
Money vs. Popularity
It’s also a given that these fights have had an impact on the popularity of boxing, particularly among the younger audience, some of whom will be watching boxing for the first time.
On the flip side, the fact that world title-winning boxers and mixed martial artists, like Mayweather Jr and Anderson Silva, have been willing to participate in these bouts does little but portray how much money there is to be made in this sporting genre.
TV channels, like DAZN, are all competing for the rights
The PPV figures are astronomical – up there with the number for world title fights in some cases – and the top-level boxing promoters and TV channels, like DAZN, are all competing for the rights to host and show these fights
Love it or loathe it, YouTube boxing is here to stay.
