A lot has been made of the KSI vs. Logan Paul six-round amateur boxing match of last year, but the one thing that cannot be denied was its massive appeal. In the modern-day, these two YouTube stars are classed as celebrities, and so an event that pits the two against each other would have traditionally been a philanthropic occasion, but this instead raked in a reported sum of around $194 million across all involved.
The second fight was always said to be on the books, but this time Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has stepped in to help make the fight bigger. His efforts and those of the two protagonists appear to be working as the 21,000-seat venue for the November 9 rematch, Staples Center in Los Angeles, has already sold 7,000 tickets according to Hearn via IFL TV.
The infamous promoter is also there to ensure that the sport of boxing stands to benefit from what he has already deemed to be “a circus.”
The biggest circus in the world is coming to town
Eddie Hearn has been in and around professional boxing for the majority of his life, and many credit him with helping the revival of the sport, particularly in the UK. So, it should come as no surprise that the scenes he’s witnessed in the run-up to KSI vs Logan Paul, which he’s trying to sell as boxing event, have shocked him.
Speaking to The Sportsman, the promoter said: “I think it will be good for [boxing], but it’s a circus.” He continued: “I was stood at the press conference thinking ‘What the f*** is going on here?’” Hearn then said that despite his own impressions, the event racked up millions of views, saying that the global audience on fight night might be over 50 million.
The viewership figures and money earned from the first fight has every party involved in boxing wanting to get involved, including betting companies who are offering KSI vs. Logan Paul betting odds, which include match odds, method of victory, and even round betting. To his credit, Hearn has been very vocal about wanting to utilize the wide-ranging appeal of this contest to expand boxing’s audience.
From a show to real boxing
As noted by most outlets, the first fight had precious little to do with boxing and was more about seeing the physical culmination of an online dispute. But as it was performed in the arena of boxing and earned astronomical numbers, it makes sense that the sport it was drawing from would want a piece.
So, in stepped Eddie Hearn, who told the two that the second fight would be done properly and professionally without head guards, with 10oz gloves. It turns it from the spat of the first fight into a real sporting event, which can then be molded into boxing in the right way.
The Englishman recognizes how difficult it will be to achieve his goal, but he’s going big to make it happen. Already announced on the undercard is WBO World super middleweight champion, Billy Joe Saunders, defending his title against Marcelo Esteban Coceres and rising superstar Devin Haney is also said to be in line for the billing.
KSI vs. Logan Paul II is a circus, but at least Hearn is trying to turn the bulging popularity of the event into something sustainable for the sport that many saw the two YouTube content creators as mocking in their first bout.
