t started as a joke. A gimmick. A sideshow. “Influencer boxing” was the unwanted child of social media and combat sports—one nobody in the industry asked for and most wished would disappear. But here we are in 2025, and Misfits Boxing isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving. The very platform that once had boxing purists foaming at the mouth has packed out major arenas, racked up millions of pay-per-view buys, and built a die-hard fanbase willing to travel across continents to scream for their favourite YouTuber throwing overhand rights with all the precision of a bar brawl.

Let’s face it, boxing purists are having a hard time swallowing the rise of influencer boxing. It's the elephant in the room, the big-money spectacle that's dragged the sport into a whole new world. You’ve got YouTubers and TikTokers stepping through the ropes, making more cash in one night than some pros make in a career. The question is, are these influencers bringing new life to the sport, or are they turning boxing into a circus?

On a day when the boxing world was rocked by the news that Dillian Whyte had returned ‘adverse analytical findings’ on a random drugs test with VADA, it was up to the heavily criticised Jake Paul versus Nate Diaz fight to shine a spotlight on the sport for all the right reasons.

As time ticks closer to Jake Paul and Nate Diaz’s fight in Dallas, it also ticks towards the inevitable collapse of the very scene it represents.