“Influencer boxing” has risen in popularity over the last few years, and even though many predicted it would be a fad and fade away, it has done the opposite. Influencer boxing varies in its participants from streamers and TikTokers to YouTubers who get into the ring to try and entertain audiences. In my opinion, it has brought numerous negative effects to the sport of boxing, such as one-sided fights, unfair matchups and the potential for safety concerns.

The athletic activity is taking the stage away from boxers who have trained their whole lives and are far more talented. It shows that just because someone has more talent and skill doesn’t mean they have fans who are willing to watch every fight. Audiences complain about not getting a quality fight out of influencers, but are passing up the opportunity to watch trained professionals with over 15 years of experience.

Many professional boxers spend their lives learning how to fight and in turn, are compensated with just enough to pay their trainers, gym costs and other fees, in addition to living expenses. Influencer boxing includes large payouts for the athletes, just for showing up. Even if they lose the fight in the first round, they are still walking away with millions. Seeing influencers with minimal training get paid much more than what a pro boxer gets paid is infuriating to many in the sport and fans alike.

This has brought about ethical questions regarding influencer boxing and ruined the legitimacy of several fights. With that much money on the table for influencers to fight each other or professionals, many believe the fights are staged. It doesn’t come as a surprise to me, since most publicity stunts leading up to a fight are all for show and to get a larger audience such as the Paul and KSI matchup in 2019. Now, more than ever, people are questioning the authenticity of boxing, which shows that the sport’s recent negativity has been derived from influencer boxing. 

Many of the fights are matched up based on what will get the most views, not size or skill. YouTuber Jake Paul is notorious for boxing retired fighters or people he knows he will win against. On July 20, Paul is scheduled to fight former professional boxer Mike Tyson, who is 57 years old. Personally, this is something that I never thought I would see.

Safety is also of concern because boxing can be very dangerous, especially if one or both fighters aren’t properly trained. During influencer fights, I have seen countless punches to the back of the head or punches while the athlete is down. These are both very illegal moves that can cause serious injury. When fighters don’t have proper training, the sport becomes all the more dangerous.

Whether it be safety concerns, questioning the fights’ legitimacy, or opportunities being taken away from other boxers, it is becoming more prevalent to see influencer boxing as an issue by boxing fans. These fights are focused on publicity and money, and while they bring a spark of media attention to the sport, influencer fights take away from the actual art of boxing.