My crossover boxing P4P list
Welcome back to my blog, and today I will be diving into unfamiliar territory with my first article on influencer boxing. I came across this niche genre of combat sports through KSI, and since then I have been hooked. Sure, it may not be the purest form of combat sports, but I feel it certainly is the most entertaining, especially since some of my favorite content creators are able to transform themselves and jump in the ring. Recently, I came across DAZN’s P4P list of crossover boxers, and I couldn’t help but disagree. Therefore, let’s take a look at my own and see if I can come up with a more accurate and unbiased list.
10. Deji
Talent-wise, Deji is probably one of the best crossover boxers, but unfortunately, he lacks the work ethic that has made his brother one of the best. He has fought six times, losing four of those fights and three by knockout, and the two fights he has won have been against lesser opponents, Swarmz and Fousey. However, he has also fought Floyd Mayweather and even gave him a black eye, which gives him the edge over other fighters who missed out on this list, like AnesonGib or Logan Paul. It has been rumored that he will fight Bryce Hall or Whindersson Nunes next, and if he beats either of them, he will probably be in the conversation to be ranked higher.
9. Ashley Rak-Su
Ashley Rak-Su is often hard done by in these lists, as many forget that he has taken hard fights and even won against King Kenny, who I believe is technically the best influencer boxer. He also fought Anthony Taylor in his first fight, something extremely commendable despite him losing. While some might debate whether AnesonGib deserves this spot over Rak-Su, I believe Rak-Su rightly clinches a top-10 spot ahead of him due to the caliber of opponents he has faced. Ashley would definitely beat Jarvis or McBroom, but there is a relatively high chance Gib loses to Kenny or Taylor. The only reason I have not ranked him higher is due to the skill and activity of the boxers below him, but he will definitely have to be ranked higher if he takes on and beats someone like MyMateNate, Salt Papi, or Slim.
8. Salt Papi
Salt Papi would have been in my top 5 influencer boxers six months ago, but unfortunately he has to settle for eighth after taking two losses in a row. He struggled to adapt to Anthony Taylor’s awkward style and then became overconfident when he steamrolled Slim in the first two rounds of their fight, leading to him hitting the canvas in the 4th round. Technically, he is one of the best crossover boxers and probably the best southpaw. His weight-loss journey has been inspiring too. However, until he redeems himself with some major wins, he will have to settle for 8th place.
7. King Kenny
King Kenny has had a meteoric rise in crossover boxing, considering his first fight was just a year ago against Faze Temper. While he has had 3 losses, his 4 wins were in emphatic fashion and showed us the potential Kenny has to be one of the best in the scene. His win against Whindersson Nunes was one of my favorite fights in influencer boxing, as Kenny styled on the Brazilian and gave Nunes a boxing lesson. Ability-wise, he is the best influencer on this list (in my opinion), but unfortunately, his inability to adapt against opponents who pressure him has led to some humbling losses. I was rooting for him to defeat Anthony Taylor, but unfortunately, the high intensity and clinching of Pretty Boy Taylor led to Kenny looking confused and frustrated in the ring. If he had beaten Anthony Taylor, he would definitely be in my top 5, but unfortunately, he has to be ranked 7th on this list.
6. Anthony Taylor
Anthony Taylor is another crossover boxer who has risen to the very top in a short amount of time, but that unfortunately means he has become the gatekeeper of influencer boxing. Taylor has one of the best fight IQs and some great game plans in the scene, but that is simply down to one factor: he has fighting experience. Despite being a former professional MMA fighter, he has somehow been allowed to steamroll multiple influencers and, for some reason, has been set as the benchmark for influencers. Personally, while I disagree with him being involved in Misfits, I have to say that I do admire his smart fighting, even if it may not be the most entertaining 90% of the time. In the end, considering that his being the metric for influencer boxers is not really his fault, he has done well in the fights he has had and deserves a solid 6th place.
5. Slim
I have been a fan of Slim for quite some time now, but he truly proved himself as one of the best influencer boxers after he knocked out Salt Papi Stone Cold on October 14th. It was the best knockout I have seen on Misfits, considering how the fight had been going so far. For someone who has been discredited for so long, it’s great to see him rightfully gaining plaudits from everyone in the scene and the fans. He now has an astounding 7 wins and 0 losses in the influencer scene, rightly placing him in the top 5 boxers of this scene.
4. Deen the Great
Another influencer boxer I am a massive fan of is Deen the Great, who has truly been great as an influencer boxer and has built a legacy over the past year. Deen has won all four of his fights now and beat Walid Sharks twice, despite Sharks being the best technical boxer in their weight class. His tenacity, stamina, fight IQ, and phenomenal improvisation have allowed him to surprise the haters time and time again with some phenomenal boxing displays, which is why he deservedly clinches 4th place in this list.
3. Jake Paul
Jake Paul has been a pioneer in this scene, setting up huge fights and beating some incredible opponents like Tyron Woodley, Nate Diaz, and AnesonGib (who just missed out on this list alongside Jake’s brother Logan), but he struggled immensely against Tommy Fury despite scoring a knockdown. He tried to outbox the boxer, which unfortunately led to him losing. While he deserves credit for what he has done for the scene, the quality of opponents he has fought and the age at which they were do discount his progress a bit, which is why he ranks third.
2. KSI
This may be a bit biased, but I’m giving JJ the nod ahead of Jake solely because he beat Logan Paul and nearly beat Tommy Fury despite being the massive underdog both times. KSI was able to draw with and beat Logan Paul, someone much bigger than him, despite lacking the skills he has now, which is truly commendable and shows his spirit and power. He has knocked out multiple influencers as well and even knocked out Pineda, showing that he truly is levels above the rest. His karate stance and his right overhand are his biggest weapons, and while they have led to some clowning KSI, they have proved to be somewhat effective, especially against Tommy Fury. While he had his first loss against Tommy Fury, I believe he should have won that fight due to the point deduction, but that is a conundrum for another day. In the end, while KSI may lack some fundamentals, his unique fighting style, tenacity, and power make him the best influencer on this list.
- Tommy Fury
Tommy Fury is number one on this list solely because he has beaten the two best influencer boxers. While he is undoubtedly the ‘best’ boxer (in terms of skill, experience, and fitness) out of everyone on this list, I’ll try to keep this segment short and sweet since he really shouldn’t be dabbling in influencer boxing since he alleges that he is a ‘pro boxer’. He failed to impress in both his fights against influencers and struggled to beat KSI despite claiming he would knock him out. The fact that Jake knocked him down and KSI should have won their fight is enough proof that Tommy Fury is, put simply, quite an average boxer. Despite being a Fury, he has shown no killer instinct and seems to have regressed in terms of fight IQ and skills, but in the end, he is admittedly levels above most influencers. Therefore, he comfortably ranks first despite not really belonging in the influencer boxing realm.
With that, my article has come to an end. What do you think about my list, and do let me know if you all are interested in more articles about the influencer boxing scene. Do note that I am a relatively new fan and have just started to learn the technical aspects of the game, so do excuse me if I have overlooked any aspect or misjudged anyone. I will be publishing more football articles as well over the next few months, so do look out for those too, and till next time, adios!
