YouTubers have taken over the social media spotlight and have become the ‘new’ celebrities of the moment. One of these YouTubers is Logan Paul, a young man from the United States who rose to fame on the platform and followed in the footsteps of his brother, Jake Paul. Jake has become known for his boxing matches against professional athletes.
From YouTube fame to headline boxing fights
His most recent fight was against professional boxer Anthony Joshua, which he lost, suffering a broken jaw and taking home a purse of $184 million. Opinions vary widely. Some believe these fights aren’t real boxing, as they’re more spectacle than sport, while others think these events elevate the sport’s value, making boxing popular again. In any case, the influencer and YouTuber, who underwent surgery after his fight against the British boxer on Friday, was even praised by Donald Trump. The US president commended the young man in a message on the social media platform Truth.
The money behind the spectacle
Money is one of the main drivers of these kinds of events. Boxing is a sport that has always attracted millions of fans who didn’t want to miss the performances of the world’s best. In fact, this explains the success of films like Rocky, which brought the story of a boxer to the big screen and ended up becoming a multi-million dollar franchise. For example, the Tyson fight garnered 65 million simultaneous connections, for a total of 108 million people who watched at least one minute of the bout.
In contrast, the fight between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua raised the total amount the participants would receive to $184 million. This sum was split equally between them. In fact, the very spectacle that the YouTuber generates led him to flaunt some of those earnings, with bills scattered on a private jet in a photo Jake Paul himself posted on his social media. In any case, that sum ended up almost doubling. The total revenue figure reached $267 million, including broadcasting rights, sponsorships, digital advertising, and ticket sales—figures comparable to iconic fights from previous decades. The anticipation generated by these types of events is demonstrated by these figures, although the exact number has yet to be officially confirmed.
Trump’s praise and what comes next for Jake Paul
Only Floyd Mayweather has managed to surpass the revenue generated by the fight between the professional boxer and the YouTuber. A fight that, as we mentioned earlier, even caught the attention of Donald Trump. “On the plane I watched the Jake Paul fight. He showed himself very well, demonstrating great courage in the duel with a very talented and big Anthony Joshua. Fantastic spectacle. Big respect to Jake for his resilience and, let’s be honest, skill in the duel with a much larger opponent!” Trump wrote on Truth.
The fight was a complete success. And Joshua’s victory was the result expected by sports experts. “It was a great kick in the ass by the best that’s ever been done. I love it,” Paul said after the fight. The YouTuber also took to social media, as any good influencer would, saying: “Great experience. I love this sport. Time to recover and get back to cruiserweight. Who do you want to see me fight?” And names of potential future fights are already being discussed. One of the names Jake Paul wants to face is Canelo Álvarez. The YouTuber knows how this business works, and the bigger the name of the person he faces in the ring, the better show they can put on.