Boxing has been around as long as time. We’ve seen mega stars like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, Tyson Fury and many more be born from the sport of boxing. But now, we’re in a new age. The age of cross-over boxing. Four years ago, KSI and Joe Weller, two fellow YouTuber’s had sons internet beef and decided to make an event out of it and step into the ring for a boxing match that was exclusive to YouTube. Was the fight technically good? No, not at all. In fact, many Boxing purists would see that fight and think both men should never step into the ring again. But, somehow, this fight packed out an area and garnered over 22 million views on YouTube, indicating that despite the fight not being what many would call “good boxing,” they had something. Something special that could be taken to new heights and it did. KSI defeated Joe Weller that night and decided he wanted more. Well, what’s a better way to sell tickets than a Brothers vs. Brothers event where KSI took on Logan Paul and Deji, brother of KSI, took on Jake Paul just 6 months after KSI’s first fight. Once again, the arena was packed and sold out, views by the millions online and buzz like no other. Jake defeated Deji that night and decided to take boxing seriously, moving on to big things in his own right, outside of the YouTube space, even fighting a legend like Anderson Silva. Meanwhile, KSI and Logan Paul went to a draw that night, indicating that it must be ran back. And they did. In November of 2019, KSI defeated Logan Paul in the rematch and it was clear, were just getting started. Before we move along, it’s worth mentioning that while these fights were going on, there were other influencer boxers trying to run events such as the YouTube vs. TikTok event that took place with the help of YouTuber Austin McBroom that proved to be a failure after many fighters ended up not being paid, events such as McBroom vs. Gib that could barely sell out half of an arena and many more. They didn’t have the recipe. But during the pandemic, KSI along with Mams Taylor, Kalle and Nisse Sauerland starting cooking up the secret sauce that we now know as “Misfits Boxing.”
What is it?
Misfits boxing is an influencer cross-over Boxing promotions that hosts fights between YouTubers, TikTokers, MMA Fighters and even some pro-boxers all in one space. The difference between them and other “freak show” events is, they do it properly. Everyone must commit to train, everyone must come in on weight and they’ve even struck a deal with popular fighting streaming service DAZN to air their events. When you hear Boxing purists call it a “freak show”, well, it is. Kind of. There’s events such as Barstools “Rough N’ Rowdy” that host legitimate freak show boxing events with “fighters” that are fresh off the streets, no training, big or small, it doesn’t matter. A true freak show event. Where as MisFits is a much more regulated and has a much more professional feel about it. Plus, they’re selling out arenas and not just bars.
Why it works:
Influencers own the world. You can’t escape it even if you want to. TikTok is one of the biggest apps ever, which sees people from all ages getting paid to make short videos in the most creative matter they can, wether that be comedy, physical art or even reviewing food. And same goes for the likes of Instagram and YouTube, which sees young kids blowing up and becoming near, and in some cases full-on, millionaires just based off of the video content they create. There’s internet influencers that are more well known than some sports players and actors now-a-days and it goes even further when you realize that the influencers are crossing-over to become said athletes and actors or even musicians. The influencers bring in the fans to generate a revenue and it just works. KSI, for example, has garnered over 62 million subscribers over four channels on just YouTube alone. That’s not to mention his twitter, Instagram and TikTok following, which boosts the number by much more. The fans find KSI’s content entertaining and can’t get enough of his videos, so what happens when they want to see more? They tune in to watch him Box. And that goes for many, many other influencers in the space. Having a previous following from a different scene and then hopping into a boxing ring is a recipe for success to bring more eyes on the sport. That’s why nowadays you’ll see the Football and Basketball players start to make YouTube channels to Vlog their life in order to possibly gain fans that maybe didn’t like football, but now they see you on social media and suddenly, they’re tuned in to see you play. It’s a recipe for success. Social media has changed lives.
Purists:
Boxing fans or “purists” as they say, that tune in to watch professional fighters have this ideology that there’s no place in the scene for influencer boxing and to that I say, you’re dead wrong. Now that influencer boxing is a proven success money wise, we’re starting to see the effect it has on regular pro-boxing. Influencers are bringing in fans who previously may have had no idea about boxing. Now, they see their favorite Youtuber Box and suddenly, they’re a fan of the sport, they want more. Now they’re tuning in to see Tank Davis, they want to see Canelo preform, they’re paying to watch pay-per-views just because they want to see more of the sport itself. Everyone wants a piece of the pie. That’s why while purists on social media complain, the actual pro’s are doing anything they can from live tweeting about the Misfits events or even getting tickets to the shows, just to be seen by some new eyes. Not to mention, Misfits Boxing’s deal with DAZN gives fans direct promotion to other boxing and mixed martial arts leagues that also run on the DAZN service. Influencers are influencing.
It’s Showtime:
Misfits has long said that they want to be as big as any promotion out there, using UFC as an example but adding in a WWE twist and that’s exactly what it is. Boxing with a mix of entertainment. A lot of young Pro’s can box, but have a hard time in the spotlight trying to promote theirselves. We’ve seen it time and time again. But, with Misfits, they’re bringing in influencers who already know how to market themselves. They’re already entertaining millions on other platforms so they know how to sell fights. They know how to curate beef that translates into social media videos or even “Diss Track” songs that catch the eye of the consumer who then tune into the event. Even on the shows alone, it’s a spectacle. This Saturday on MisFits 004, we saw the undefeated ‘Slim’ make his entrance to the ring with breakdancers and theatrics on his ring-walk. We saw ‘BDave’ battle a “mystery opponent” who ended up being Luis Pineda, who entered the ring to the Undertaker’s music in what really does seem like a WWE-esq event. Fighting is fantastic, we all love it, but, entertainment sells. And they’re doing it right.
Stars In The Making:
MisFits Boxing is creating stars. For me personally, I knew who KSI was before all of this. I know the SideMen, I know FazeClan. But, who the F is Salt Papi?! I had no idea that some guy by the name of “Salt Papi” was blowing up on the internet for dancing and putting salt on his food. No, seriously. Now that same guy is knocking people out inside of the ring and fans can’t get enough of him. Other celebrities are taking notice, pro-boxers are suggesting that he goes pro and that Salt Papi wave is taking over. Not to mention the likes of Slim, King Kenny, Deen The Great and many more who everyone is clamoring the see fight because their outlandish personalities bring them eyes and their ring skills blow minds. Young stars are being born and it only helps their social media, which in turn sells tickets for the boxing events. Win-win scenario for the promotion and performers.
Lovable Losers:
Speaking of stars being made, many have been made in different ways. Everyone loves an underdog story. Everyone loves a David vs. Goliath fairytale. But in this case, that fairytale is a reality. We take it back to earlier when we spoke about Deji vs. Jake Paul, and Deji lost. Coming out of that fight, Deji wanted redemption. He took on another influencer, VinnieHacker and he lost. Deji then picked himself up because they’re times the charm, right? Well, no. Deji took on fellow YouTuber Alex Wassabi in yet another losing effort. It seemed like his cardio continued to fail and his skill set seemed below everyone else’s. Meanwhile, his brother KSI, was looking monstrous, Deji was not. Deji went from being a laughing stock to someone that people just genuinely felt bad for. But, he gave it one more go. Deji vs. FouseyTube. Misfits 001. Deji came out looking like a new man. He dominated Fousey. He made Fousey’s corner throw in the towel after an absolute one-sided beat down that left Fousey with broken bones in his face. The crowd ate it up, the love online and in person was unlike anything before, everyone loved Deji. He did it. And his win led him on to fight one of the greatest boxers of all time, Floyd Mayweather. Deji did lose against Floyd, but he lasted rounds with a GOAT and made everyone proud. Plus, he wants more and says he’s far from done. He’s just getting started. You also can’t talk about lovable losers without talking about Swarmz and Luis Pineda. Originally, the main event of MisFits 001 was supposed to be KSI vs. Alex Wassabi. But, Alex pulled out due to a “concussion” that he couldn’t prove was real and then went silent on social media. He has now been dubbed “Alex Pussabi” from many in scene. Due to this, KSI scrambled to find a new opponent. What was he supposed to do for the first big official Misfits event on DAZN? Well, how about fight two opponents in one night. KSI started off the night by defeating fellow YouTuber and rapper “Swarmz” in the opening bout of the card. He made it look easy. Then, he went on to fight Luis Pineda, a pro-boxer from Mexico in the main event. KSI also beat him. KSI got a lot of flack and backlash after this from many fans saying that KSI just beat up two no names with zero ability. But, Swarmz and Pineda didn’t take the indirect shots kindly. Swarmz admitted to getting his ass beat by KSI, but promised that with a proper training camp, he’d get himself in shape, train his ass off and come back to win a fight. So, MisFits gave him a chance this past Saturday at MisFits 004 when he got the chance to take on YouTuber Ryan Taylor. Well, it didn’t last long because Swarmz came out in shape and with a new coaching staff and defeated Ryan with one punch. Swarmz nailed Ryan with a hard jab that had Taylor immediately complaining that he couldn’t see and everything turned black, he complained of the shot making the back of his head hurt and the ref called the fight. The once “zero ability” man was now being deemed “one punch man” and had the crowd on their feet cheering, as well as trending online with tons of fan love. Swarmz is now a fan favorite with just one shot. Speaking of fab favorites, Luis Pineda made his return as the “Mystery Opponent” against influencer “BDave”. The Undertaker music hit, the lights went dark, but when they came on and Luis was revealed, the crowd went absolutely wild. “VAMOS!” Many screamed from the top of their lungs. The pro that KSI made look like an amateur was back and he looked good! He noted that he switched coaches and has gotten even better and he looked every bit of it in that ring. Luis Pineda picked up the win to what was probably the biggest crowd pop of the night aside from KSI. From Zero to Hero, MisFits made some stars Saturday Night.
In Conclusion:
Much like pro-wrestling, MisFits Boxing is the perfect mix of combat and entertainment, just in the boxing space. From the likes of Anthony Taylor and Idris Virgo, two legit fighters battling on the card, banger fights from women like Elle Brooke vs. Faith Ordway who threw caution to the wind and threw bombs until one dropped, to KSI training with pro-fighter Michael ‘Venom’ Page, this isn’t just some throwaway “Freak-show.” No, this is fun. This is entertainment and most of all, this is the new age of boxing wether you like it or not. It may not be for everyone, but MisFit’s Boxing is surely making a difference in the combat sports world and it’s only up from here. Get on the hype train now or get left behind.
MisFits 005 is set to take place in Milton Keynes, England on February 25th and will be headlined by Jay Swingler vs. Nicholai Perret.
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