Celebrity Boxing: Revolution or Ruin?

Jake Paul’s boxing career has split opinions once again, as the former Youtuber sauntered his way to a unanimous decision victory against 58-year-old Mike Tyson. With the former champion well off the pace and Paul hardly breaking a sweat, the integrity of the sport has been brought further into question.

Jake Paul hasn’t had a conventional route into boxing, but that hasn’t stopped him from fighting some big names on the way to Mike Tyson. Since making his professional debut in 2020, Paul has beaten a variety of athletes from different disciplines, few of whom had previous boxing experience. Notable bouts include former basketball player Nate Robinson and Mixed Martial Arts fighters such as Ben Askren and Anderson Silva, leading Paul to amass a dubious career record of 11-1. His sole defeat came against fellow boxer Tommy Fury, who himself is not particularly well-regarded by his peers, leading critics to suggest that Jake Paul can only perform against newcomers to the sport. It was this vulnerability that, for some, gave Iron Mike the upper hand in the fight. Whilst hindsight may be a wonderful thing, there was more than enough evidence to suggest that Paul would walk the fight, which he did in an unspectacular, monotonous fashion. Remember that Paul is 31 years Tyson’s junior, and the so-called ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ hadn’t fought professionally in nineteen years. Skill is, of course, essential to boxing, but no amount of technique will make up for the stamina and explosiveness that dwindle with age.

The fight may have been lacklustre entertainment, but it still became the most streamed sporting event of all time. 125 million people logged into Netflix to watch it, with a peak of 65 million concurrent viewers. These numbers meant nothing to the 70,000 bored fans in the AT&T Stadium though, who made their feelings known with boos reverberating around the arena. It was clear to viewers that the fight lacked any animosity, with both fighters seemingly happy to walk out of the ring unscathed after eight rounds, paychecks in hand. In fact, Paul shocked fans by claiming that he pulled punches out of not wanting to injure the former heavyweight champion of the world. “I didn’t want to put too much hurt on him,” Paul revealed in the post-fight interview. It’s all well and good to respect a legend of the sport, but a professional bout should necessitate doing everything you can to win. Along with the extra padding in the gloves, it was painfully clear to all involved that this fight was a cash grab, rather than a battle for the glory of winning.

Boxing fights of this nature have been increasingly common since YouTubers KSI and Joe Weller first fought in 2018, as public interest no longer equates to the skill of the boxers. For many long-time fans of the sport, the recent influx of ‘influencers’ entering the ring has brought boxing into disrepute. The skill disparity between the best fighters in the world and the likes of Jake Paul is unfathomable, yet it’s those with the largest followings and the deepest pockets who have become the face of the sport for many young people. The idea of meritocracy in boxing, that you earn each fight with your previous wins, has completely gone out the window. There is an argument, however, that this development is actually in the interest of the sport, as each gimmick brings it more eyes and more money. Before the arrival of famous names to boxing, controversies regarding scoring and doping marred each event, and many fans started to see more promise in the rising world of Mixed Martial Arts. The reality for the sport is that the younger generations are now interacting with boxing far more than previously as a direct result of their favourite celebrities’ presence. There is a fine line between the sport being appreciated and abused for profit, but both options are better than being forgotten entirely.

Only time will tell if celebrities are to benefit boxing, but figures like Jake Paul have had an undeniably seismic impact on the sport thus far.

Image from Wikimedia Commons