Aside from Ryan Garcia, there’s no bigger boxing draw for tween crowds than a rematch between YouTube personalities Logan Paul and Olajide “KSI” Olatunji. While it’s no Canelo-GGG, the fight taps into an underserved youth market who might think Cassius Clay and Muhammad Ali are two different people. Matchroom Boxing’s streaming-service DAZN is treating is taking their rematch seriously by televising the Staples Center bout live on November 9th. If you’re not a member of the “Logang” or an avid watcher of KSI’s FIFA streams, here’s the 411 on boxing’s most unlikely super fight.
Go Pro, Bro
Despite their highly publicized bout last August, which ended in a draw, both men will enter this fight with a professional record of (0-0-0). That’s because their last match was an unsanctioned “white collar” boxing match. This time, they’re going pro, which means no headgear. Aww, yeah. Is it too much to ask for a double knock out?
Social Media Beef
As a platform, YouTube has made both Logan Paul and KSI into household names for anyone thinks It is a new movie. Boxing purists might laugh it off as purely a marketing ploy and it probably is, but boxing needs to tap into a new, younger fan base, and Paul has 16.3 million followers on Instagram, while KSI has 6.5 million. That’s a big digital footprint, which means a lot of potential DAZN subscriptions that ambivalent parents will pony up come November.
First fight recap
In front of a sold-out Manchester, England crowd of 21,000, Paul and KSI faced off for the “YouTube Championship” in a six-round bout. In the early rounds, Paul showed some surprising skill, boxing on the outside with his height and reach advantage. In the later rounds, Paul seemed to run out of gas and ate several shots from KSI that clearly hurt him. The fight was scored a draw, and the “YouTube Championship” remained vacant. To both men’s credit, they seemed to take the fight seriously as both looked in tip-top shape. While the fight was no Hagler-Hearns, it admittedly provided some entertainment value.
Logan Paul, isn’t that the guy who…?
Yeah, he’s the one who filmed himself a corpse in the Japanese “suicide forest.” The 24-year-old Paul has amassed a huge following through vlogging, prank videos, and television cameos. Aside from his stunt in Japan, he’s also “pretended” to be gay for a month and claims to have lost 15 percent of his testicle performing a joke on the now-defunct social site Vine. Paul is also known for his cool bird, Maverick, a colorful parrot that once had 1.3 million followers on Instagram before it was killed by Paul’s dog this past July. No stranger to combat sports, Paul was a terrific high school wrestler in Ohio.
And who is KSI?
Olajide “KSI” Olatunji is a British YouTube personality that made his name by streaming himself playing video games. His channel caught on and he branched into music and boxing. Before his first fight with Paul, he fought and beat Joe Weller, another YouTuber whom he had a falling out with. After KSI won via TKO, he called out Paul.
How do I watch Logan Paul vs. KSI II?
If you’re already subscribed to DAZN, you’re good. Just tune in on November 9th. New subscribers can make an account here. Make sure you have your or your permissive parent’s credit card ready. If you’re in Los Angeles and want to brave the countless “Fortnite” dances and the constant high-pitched screaming, the fight will take place at Staples Center and tickets will be available soon on the venue’s website.
