The first influencer boxing fights arrived in 2018. YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul settled their long-term social media feud in the ring, over a couple of bouts.
The two went on to form a strong partnership in the following years, as they sought to enter several joint business ventures together.
KSI was one of the founders of Misfits boxing in 2022, and Paul has regularly featured on the promotions fight cards.
KSI's got a big announcement on the way... 👀#XSeries009 I @misfitsboxing @KSI pic.twitter.com/tx27LI6eGi
— MF & DAZN X Series (@MF_DAZNXSeries) September 23, 2023
In just over a year since the promotion burst onto the scene, it has accumulated worldwide support, with each pay-per-view event being purchased by millions of viewers. But how has the YouTube boxing scene made such huge strides in such a short amount of time? Misfits fighters sell fights themselves KSI and Paul's fights of the past were very much born from social media demand.
Fans of boxing and of the online stars were desperate to see the pair face off in combat, due to the rivalry that they created themselves. The same trend has continued since Misfits' inauguration, as huge highly-anticipated fights have been put in place. An upcoming example is the co-main event in October that will feature Paul. In the Logan Paul v Dillon Danis odds, the former is a huge -800 favorite. But while the fight may seem one-sided it has promoted itself with a lengthy social-media feud between the opponents.
Danis has shown himself to be a massive personality in Misfits ever since he signed with the organization. He has consistently aggressively called out the biggest fighters but had to pull out of a huge fight with KSI back in January. Fans were eager for Danis to eventually enter the ring for a significant fight, however, and against Paul the promotion scheduled just that. Danis has emerged as a huge social media presence since the October fight was announced. The upcoming bout has allowed him to build on a long-held rivalry with the older Paul brother, which has left huge anticipation around whether he can back his talk up in the ring.
Dillon Danis says he’s been beefing with Logan & Jake Paul for 10 years 😳 pic.twitter.com/wxzznKhnsR
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) September 24, 2023
Paul of course is one of the world's biggest YouTube creators who has also extended his global reach with multiple commercial successes such as with his hydration drink Prime. As long as he is involved, his name itself will continue to sell fights. Misfits is focused on a wide target audience Misfits boxing of course caters to general boxing fans, and as mentioned previously tends to regularly schedule the biggest and most exciting fights. It perhaps offers a more appetizing alternative to the current professional boxing scene.
The most in-demand fights in pro boxing generally happen too late in the careers of the leading fighters or simply do not happen at all. The YouTube boxing scene is of course never going to compare to the professional promotions in terms of the quality it offers. But it certainly attracts many boxing fans as it ensures that fuelled rivalries are settled in the ring - big personalities and heated exchanges are what make combat sport so exciting and Misfits have recognized that. The promotion also vitally targets casual boxing fans or even people who are not at all interested in the sport.
The YouTubers and influencers consistently involved possess huge followings that will purchase pay-per-view shows in order to follow their favorite online stars, even if boxing is not a general interest of theirs. YouTube icons like KSI and Logan Paul have almost unlimited marketing potential. Any offering with their individual brands attached will always be successful, which has allowed their boxing scene to cater to a much wider audience than already existing boxing fans. Much of Misfits' success so far was perhaps inevitable. They have signed some of the YouTubers with the biggest online followings across the globe.
However, one strategy that has allowed them to further their global reach is ensuring that exciting fights are always put in place. The organization has consistently matched the biggest stars with huge personalities in the ring. They have regularly gone on to create viral social media clashes which have promoted Misfits all over the world.
