Opinion – Eduardo Ohata: Spider-Paul will serve as a thermometer for the phenomenon of fights between celebrities and athletes

The duel between American youtuber Jake Paul and former UFC champion Anderson “Spider” Silva, scheduled for Saturday night (29), in Arizona (USA), will serve as a thermometer of the public’s appetite for the phenomenon. of boxing matches involving celebrities or athletes from other modalities.

In recent years, there have been several matches involving veteran boxers, former MMA athletes, NBA players and influencers who have gained fame on the internet.

It is no coincidence that the most financially successful card of its kind was headlined in 2017 by two marketing geniuses, multi-champion boxing Floyd “Money” Mayweather and MMA loudmouth Conor McGregor, who was making his boxing debut. It is the second biggest fight in pay-per-view sales in history, with 4.3 million packages sold.

Since then, what has been seen was a flurry of events of the genre. Exhibitions or official fights between retired or active boxers and celebrities, influencers or athletes from other sports. In some exhibitions it was clear that the professional boxer slammed on the brakes. In others there were even knockouts.

With an abundance of such events, the market is starting to be more selective with the news.

In Jake Paul’s case, his most financially successful fight was his duel with ex-UFC Ben Askren in April of last year, which sold 1.5 million pay-per-view packages in the US. Then the fight against former UFC champion Tyron Woodley sold 500,000 packs, and the rematch with the same Woodley, slotted in as a last-minute replacement, only sold 65,000.

Do the numbers show that the public is getting tired of this kind of fight? Or was the latest card involving Paul simply poorly promoted?

The numbers of Paul-Silva, in an official boxing match, that puts face to face one of the most popular figures in pop culture, with 21 million followers on Instagram, more than 20 million subscribers on YouTube and 4.4 million on Twitter, and one of the biggest and most popular names in MMA history, could give a good indication.

Paul himself believes the event has the potential to sell up to 700,000 pay-per-view packages in the US. The fight will be broadcast on the pay channel Combate, starting at 21:50.

But after all, does this type of presentation harm or help traditional boxing?

This type of card attracts an audience that would not normally be watching a boxing match. In some events, the promoters even included presentations by singers and musical bands with great appeal to the young audience and even the participation of the controversial rapper Snoop Dogg.

If one of these events attracts someone from the new generation who does not consume boxing and who decides to follow the more traditional fights, it will have already been a positive thing.

There are those who suggest that this type of exhibition “dirty” the image of boxing. But then it’s just a case of not confusing what is entertainment with sport.

In Jake Paul’s case, even his fiercest critics have come to recognize his respect for the sport because of his avid dedication to training.

Maurício Sulaiman, president of the World Boxing Council, the most important entity in professional boxing, has already indicated that he does not rule out the possibility of including him in the ranking.

Others insist that celebrities or sportsmen involved in the exhibitions “steal” space from traditional boxing athletes. Not necessarily.

The late head of the sports department of the American TV network Showtime Jay Larkin was once asked if he regretted that a significant part of the network’s budget was consumed with Mike Tyson’s fights. “Not necessarily. If there wasn’t Tyson, maybe that slice of the budget wouldn’t exist,” he explained.

And, in the sense of making room for traditional boxers in the “showcase”, that’s what Jake Paul did in his last card. Female multi-champion Amanda Serrano was included in the preliminary, who, months after this exhibition, won the opportunity to face another multi-champion, Katie Taylor, in one of the most important fights in the history of women’s boxing.

Of course, due to the age or possible disparity in technical quality between the fighters, it is essential to supervise these events by an official body or entity, to ensure precautions such as the presence of doctors and ambulances, as it has to be in traditional boxing.

Any serious accident can, indeed, spill over into boxing, making it go back years in relation to its image.