On Nov. 9, Los Angeles hosted the sequel to the much-anticipated battle between two social media stars: KSI and Logan Paul. Bringing in different fans than the ordinary boxing crowd, Staples Center was electrified to see the conclusion of the two YouTubers’ beef.
Compared to a tie resulting from their first match, fans were surprised when only one hand was raised as the victor this time around.
Going into the fight, KSI had a key trainer assisting him in his training: Jeff Mayweather. Being the uncle of Floyd Mayweather, surely he had some insightful tips for the social media star. Despite having trained the YouTuber, Mayweather commented in an interview earlier in the week following the fight that KSI was “not a real fighter.” After causing a stir on social media, Mayweather then explained that his intentions behind the comment were not to be taken as derogatory. He stated, “When I say KSI is not a real fighter he’s not a person who’s doing this to make a living… He’s not a guy who started at eight or nine years old and then became a fighter. He became a fighter last year at 25,26 years old. Basically, he’s not a real fighter because he’s not fighting legitimate professional fighters, he’s fighting other YouTube guys like him… At the end of the day I got hired by his team and I’m doing my job and I want what’s best for KSI.”
On Paul’s side of training was retired professional American boxer, Shanon Briggs.
At the weigh-in, KSI came in at 193.2 pounds while Paul weighed in at 199.4 pounds. The two shared some words as it was the last time they would see each other before the fight. In one instance, when Paul was asked if he had any words for KSI, he stated, “Make sure you come down to Staples Center, watch me beat this man repeatedly on his giant forehead.” KSI responded, “You don’t understand the levels bro… you are surface level. You are surface level when it comes to boxing.”
What makes this sequel fight so different than the last is the key rule placed: no headgear. With both men entering the ring having the same reach, a balanced fight would be prompted. At the beginning of their match, KSI was throwing haymakers as opposed to Paul’s light jabs. Catching Paul off guard in round three, KSI landed a vicious right overhand near the back of his head, resulting in a knockdown and further causing pandemonium from thecrowd. By far the most game-changing moment of the fight came from when Paul scored a knockdown as a result of a stunning uppercut. Even though he knocked KSI down, he landed two blows to the back of the YouTuber’s head on the way down, causing the referee to dock two points off Paul’s scorecard. Perhaps being the end all be all, by unanimous decision, KSI’s hand was raised as he jumped with excitement and hugged his trainers.
In a short interview after the crowd settled down, KSI was asked whether the beef between the two had concluded and if respect for one another had formed. KSI, thinking hard, said, “Alright,” as he brought it in with Paul for a crowd-pleasing hug. Then, when asked about the possible whereabouts of a third fight, KSI confirmed that he was done and recommended that Paul take on mixed martial artist CM Punk in an MMA fight.
All in all, the journey of boxing amongst the YouTubers, despite concluding, may have created a trend in YouTube boxing due to its high popularity. The boxing world may see more appearances from YouTubers in the inevitable future.