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

Local TV Sport

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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