YouTube Boxing: How has it impacted the sport and what can we expect from it in the future?

National World - LocalTV

There is no denying YouTube boxing has and will continue to pull ridiculously high numbers when hosting a live show. We wanted to find out how it’s developed and how it’s affected boxing at a grass roots level.

Transcript

00:00 YouTube boxing events have brought in millions in pay-per-view purchases and have sold out

00:07 huge stadiums all over the world.

00:10 Boxer Mike Tyson supports the shift in traditional boxing and believes it has kept the sport

00:14 alive.

00:15 If you had told someone 10 years ago that a random YouTuber would box Floyd Mayweather

00:20 on pay-per-view and survive, they'd say you were simply out of your mind.

00:25 But that's where boxing is today.

00:26 It has been given this new lease of life.

00:29 So how is it affecting boxing at a grassroots level?

00:33 "It's always important for me, the YouTube boxing that you talked about, like you said,

00:38 they do the numbers, there's no doubt, it's entertainment, it really is.

00:42 But the pro game, professional fighters, these guys who are doing the work, and essentially

00:50 everybody knows that the reality is that harsh, but boxing is that reality.

00:55 So it's a bit unfair.

00:57 You can argue that YouTube boxing comes and takes money out of that pot, but that's the

01:01 reality, that's the life we have."

01:02 "We can actually deliver something unique, competitive fights, and it also gives a chance

01:09 for the boxers that are in the competition to showcase what they're all about."

01:14 Many professional boxers who have sacrificed their health and minds and struggled to make

01:19 ends meet, fight after fight, have been vocally critical about this trend.

01:24 From their point of view, characters with no boxing backgrounds casually entering the

01:29 scene and reaping huge rewards can be incredibly frustrating.

01:33 These social media stars also tend to show a level of disrespect when they earn millions

01:39 and flaunt their luxuries that are built off sloppy fights.

01:43 The box-off, a new tournament format, aims to galvanise communities up and down the nation

01:48 by hosting live fights with the entertainment value of the YouTube scene, but with actual

01:53 aspiring talent in the ring.

01:56 Birmingham rapper JK, the captain of the Birmingham team, shared his thoughts on how

02:00 boxing can be used for the good of the community.

02:03 "It doesn't have to just be boxing, but just to have certain places.

02:07 There's no place centres and schemes like that no more, you know what I'm saying?

02:11 There's no little places that kids can go to after school and be away from nonsense

02:17 basically.

02:18 So it's important that they can come down to the boxing gym, not get forced into anything.

02:21 Not every kid that walks through is going to be a world champion, but it's good for

02:24 them to learn."

02:25 "Unfortunately a lot of people think boxing only exists on television, when you see the

02:29 big shows, but the grassroots have got to start from somewhere.

02:32 I wouldn't have the career I had if it wasn't for promoters like this taking the chance,

02:39 putting shows on, putting opportunities on.

02:40 I've packed Brogan out in Stoke and deserve a small time for more than that out and around."

02:46 A critical reminder of the endless work that goes on behind the scenes from local men and

02:51 women looking to make a career in the ring.

02:54 As YouTube boxing continues to show its dominance, it's important that time and effort are still

03:00 valued for the future of the sport.

03:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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