Despite the pushback by hardcore fans, YouTubers and other celebrities in boxing are here to stay.
Due to the unique nature of the fights, influencers have helped bring more eyes to boxing than ever before. The numbers never lie and the steady stream of sold-out shows and massive streaming statistics prove this is far more than a fad. Of course, that influx stirs up the raging and polarizing debate regarding the likes of Jake Paul, KSI, and many others.
Another touchy topic: pound-for-pound rankings.
For as long as they've existed, nobody can seem to agree and 2023 is no different. Is Terence Crawford or Canelo Alvarez the best in the world? What about Naoya Inoue or Oleksandr Usyk? Given nobody can agree about the official belt holders, it stands to make sense that figuring out who reigns supreme among the YouTubers-turned-boxers is a near-impossible challenge.
Challenge accepted.
MORE: The Sporting News: Boxing top 12 pound-for-pound list
The Sporting News presents its YouTube boxing rankings, where we rank the top influencers in boxing. We polled our global team of boxing writers and editors, traded notes, and exchanged angry Slacks and DMs until we settled on our final 10.
The criteria for the list was based on the following:
- Overall record | "What have you done for me lately?"
- Popularity in and out of the ring
- Drawing ability
What did we get right? What did we get wrong? Follow the conversation via @SN_fights on Twitter and Instagram and let us know!
Honorable mentions
- Austin McBroom
- Age: 30
- 1-0 Amateur | 0-1 Pro
- Owner of the Social Gloves promotion
- 1.6 million followers on Twitter, 6.4 million followers on Instagram, 18.7 million subscribers to the ACE Family YouTube page
- Joel "JMX" Morris
- Age: 24
- 1-0 Pro | 3-0 Amateur
- 2.44 million YouTube subscribers, 522K followers on Instagram, 305.8K Twitter followers
- Doctor Mike
- Age: 33
- 0-1 Pro | 1-0 Exhibition
- Doctor with over 10.2 million YouTube subscribers, 5.2 million Facebook followers, 4.4 million Instagram followers, and 1.8 million TikTok followers
- People Magazine's "Sexiest Doctor Alive" in 2015
- Deen The Great
- Age: 22
- 2-0 Pro
- 244K subscribers on YouTube, 62.3K followers on Instagram
10. Faze Sensei
- Age: 31
- Record: 0-1 Pro | 1-0 Amateur
- Signature performance: August 2018 vs. Overtflow (TKO in round three)
Why they are on the list:
Faze Sensei barely cracks the top ten, but it is not without a lack of trying or controversy.
Sensei started his career with a TKO win over Overtflow. In August, he lost to King Kenny but via a controversial majority decision scoring. Sensei is on the list due to the potential he brings to the sport. The idea that a rematch with Kenny could be on the horizon is also enticing.
He has over 813K subscribers on YouTube, 94.5K followers on Twitter, and 364K followers on Instagram.
Sensei will need a big win (either in a rematch or in his next bout) to stay on this list.
9. Jay Swingler
- Age: 27
- Record: 1-0 Pro | 0-1 Amateur
- Signature performance: October 2022 vs. Cherdleys (KO in round one)
Why they are on the list:
Jay Swingler ranks right on the border of this list following his big knockout win over Cherdleys in October. It was his first fight (and his first as a pro) since 2018 when AnEsonGib beat him via unanimous decision.
Swingler has over 1.77 million YouTube subscribers, 837.4K followers on Twitter, and 1.3 million followers on Instagram.
Swingler returns to the ring against Nichlmao on March 4. While he will need more wins under his belt, his dramatic knockout win impressed The Sporting News enough to have him on this list.
MORE: Boxing's 30 most desired fights in 2023
8. Deji
- Age: 26
- Record: 1-0 Pro | 0-4 Amateur
- Signature performance: August 2022 vs. Fousey (KO in round three)
Why they are on the list:
KSI's brother may have started his career on a losing skid, but he ended that with a bang, literally and figuratively. As a result, his stock rose enough for him to compete in one of the biggest fights of his career.
Deji was Jake Paul's first opponent in 2018. Losing via TKO, Deji would return to the boxing scene in 2021. He lost two in a row against Vinnie Hacker and Alex Wassabi, but wouldn't give up. On the undercard of a KSI event in August, Deji knocked out Fousey in the third round. Fans were ecstatic that he won first pro fight.
Deji would win the jackpot after, as he fought Floyd Mayweather in November. While he lost, he'll never forget giving Mayweather a black eye.
On the media side, Deji has over 10.7 million YouTube subscribers, 2.4 million Twitter followers, 3.1 million Instagram followers, and 1.2 million Facebook followers.
7. King Kenny
- Age: 25
- Record: 2-0 Pro | 0-1 Amateur
- Signature performance: November 2022 vs. DK Money (knockout in round one)
Why they are on the list:
In 2022, King Kenny took on two Faze’s. He would lose to Faze Temper in an amateur bout via unanimous decision. In August, King beat Faze Sensei via majority decision. The Sensei contest was deemed controversial.
In his last fight, Kenny beat DK Money via knockout.
MORE: Jake Paul net worth: Purse history, career earnings for YouTube boxing star
King Kenny has over 2.08 YouTube subscribers, 302K Instagram followers, and 81.7K followers on Twitter.
Kenny’s drawing power could make him a big name in boxing as time goes on.
6. Logan Paul
- Age: 27
- Record: 0-1 Pro | 0-0-1 Amateur | 0-0-1 Exhibition
- Signature performance: June 2021 vs. Floyd Mayweather (majority decision draw)
Why they are on the list:
Yes, Logan Paul has not won a fight he has competed in. And yet in a ranking of influencers, that doesn't entirely diminish his impact.
The brother of Jake Paul helped make the influencer boxing movement popular by facing KSI in an amateur bout. Taking over the Manchester Arena, the two fought to a draw. Eddie Hearn, initially dismissive of YouTuber boxing, eventually saw potential in the idea. Inside a sold-out Staples Center, KSI and Paul fought in a rematch, this time as pros. KSI beat Paul via split decision, but his stock rose due to the impact of the event, and the idea of YouTubers boxing blew up to what it is today.
While his brother has had a successful pro career, Logan can take credit for the fact that he went the distance with boxing Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather when they fought in a non-scored affair in Miami.
MORE: Why did Logan Paul spend $3.5 million on fake Pokemon cards?
One of the original YouTube influencers on this list, Paul has over 23.6 million subscribers on his YouTube page. He also hosts a podcast called IMPAULSIVE that has over 4.32 million subscribers on YouTube. Paul has 6.6 million followers on Twitter, 24.2 million followers on Instagram, and 16 million followers on Facebook.
Some expect Paul to be lower on the list. Paul is injured but is rumored to return to action sometime in 2023. If he can get his first win, whoever his opponent may be, the current WWE star's placement may end up being justified.
5. AnEsonGib
- Age: 26
- Record: 1-1 Pro | 2-0 Amateur | 1-0 Exhibition
- Signature performance: September 2022 vs. Austin McBroom (KO in round four)
Why they are on the list:
His most recent performance, a comeback knockout win against Austin McBroom, elevated AnEsonGib in the rankings. However, his inactivity has dropped him down a few spots.
The “Seven Figure Gibber” won his first two amateur bouts against MaxPlays and Jay Swingler before getting knocked out by Jake Paul in 2020. A pro bout, this was the start of the rise of Paul. Gib wasn't done. At the first Social Gloves event in 2021, AnEsonGib beat Tayler Holder. Initially a draw, the fight was overturned, and AnEsonGib ended up getting the win.
Blaming McBroom for the draw, AnEsonGib got a chance to fight him at the next Social Gloves event. While the bout was delayed due to medical issues on the side of AnEsonGib, when the two finally faced off, AnEsonGib came back from multiple knockdowns and took out McBroom.
AnEsonGib has over 982.K Instagram followers, 938K followers on Twitter, and 2.31 million subscribers on YouTube.
4. Slim Albaher
- Age: 28
- Record: 3-0 Pro | 3-0 Amateur
- Signature performance: August 2022 vs. FaZe Temperrr (KO in round two)
Why they are on the list:
With five wins via knockout, The Sporting News cannot deny Slim Albaher's place as one of the top YouTubers in boxing. He started his career beating Fousey, N&A, and 3bidaan. It wasn't until he faced FaZe Temperrr in August that he got some respect. With Blueface taken out of the fight against Temper, Slim was right there to take advantage. He knocked out Temperrr in the second round in his first pro bout.
Slim followed it up with a unanimous decision win over Ryan Taylor in October. In his last fight this past January, Slim continued his impressive run with a unanimous decision win over Tom Zanetti.
MORE: What's next for Andrew Tate following arrest in Romania
Slim has over 641K subscribers on his YouTube page, 138.1K followers on Twitter, and 326K followers on Instagram.
Creeping up the rankings, Slim is someone to keep an eye on.
3. Salt Papi
- Age: 28
- Record: 2-0 Pro | 1-0 Amateur
- Signature performance: August 2022 vs. Andy Warski (KO in round one)
Why they are on the list:
One of the things Salt Papi has been known for is his charisma. That has been put into overdrive since he joined the boxing scene. The southpaw from the U.K. beat Halal Ham in March via unanimous decision. A few months later, he gifted fans with one of the greatest knockouts in influencer boxing history.
In August, Salt Papi faced Andy Warski on the undercard of KSI’s boxing event. He didn’t disappoint, as it took 29 seconds for him to take Warski out. Papi followed that up with a knockout win against Josh Brueckner in January.
He has over 257K subscribers on YouTube, 391K followers on Instagram, and 23.5K followers on Twitter.
Salt Papi's colorful personality and impressive skills sees him sliding into the top three of the YouTube boxing rankings.
MORE: What does KSI stand for and how did he get famous?
2. KSI
- Age: 29
- Record: 4-0 Pro | 1-0-1 Amateur
- Signature performance: August 2022 vs. Swarmz (KO in round two) | Luis Alcaraz Pineda (KO in round three)
Why they are on the list:
KSI's fight against Joe Weller inside a sold-out Copper Box Arena was a starting point for YouTube boxing. It was an amateur bout against Logan Paul which swayed Matchroom Boxing Eddie Hearn into making their rematch a pro bout. Main evening the Staples Center in 2019, the influencer boxing revolution took off following that bout.
While he didn’t fight for two years after, KSI’s name still loomed large in boxing. It all came together with the MF & DAZN: X Series, a collaboration with Misfits Boxing and DAZN. The first event was KSI vs. rapper Swarmz and boxer Luis Alcaraz Pineda. KSI beat them both via knockout. That took place in a sold-out O2 Arena, an accomplishment in its own right. While FaZe Temperrr was a replacement fighter in his next fight, KSI still looked impressive, knocking him out in the first round.
Thanks to boxing, YouTube, and music, KSI has one of the top social media followings in the world. KSI has over 40 million YouTube subscribers, which is a combination of his regular and music page. He also has 8.2 million followers on Twitter, 12.2 million followers on Instagram, 5.2 million followers on Facebook, and 9.6 million followers on TikTok.
With a potential fight with Jake Paul on the table, KSI is ready to take, by force, the status as the king of YouTube boxing.
MORE: Ranking Jake Paul's best fights
1. Jake Paul
- Age: 25
- Record: 6-0 Pro | 1-0 Amateur
- Signature performance: October 2022 vs. Anderson Silva (unanimous decision)
Why they are on the list:
You could not rank YouTube boxers without one of the most successful influencers out there.
Jake Paul may not have fought in the early part of 2022 heading into his October 29 bout against Anderson Silva, but that should not discredit his reasons for being on the list. Paul has knocked out Deji and AnEsonGib, two YouTubers on this list. He has also taken out former NBA star Nate Robinson, former Bellator champion Ben Askren, and former UFC champion Tyron Woodley twice.
During this time, he has helped bring a new audience to boxing thanks to a deal with Showtime and Most Valuable Promotions. As a promoter, Paul has also helped increase Amanda Serrano’s profile, resulting in the 2022 Fight of the Year against Katie Taylor.
“The Problem Child” was supposed to fight Tommy Fury and Hasim Rahman Jr., two actual boxers, at one point in 2022. Both fights were nixed due to visa (Fury) or weight issues (Rahman). Instead, Paul fought one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time in Anderson Silva. Paul won via unanimous decision, and even knocked down Silva during the bout.
MORE: Tattoos and cash-stuffed gold briefcases: Inside Jake Paul's KO guarantee
Paul finally gets his hands on Fury on February 26. A win against an accomplished boxer would secure his hold over the top of the list. After that, KSI could be next.
Due to his creative social media posts, Jake Paul's following (whether they are fans or not) has dramatically increased over time. His YouTube page has over 20 million subscribers. He also has 5.7 million Facebook followers, 4.5 million Twitter followers, over 21 million Instagram followers, and 16.6 million TikTok followers.
Will Jake Paul be considered one of the best influencers-turned-boxers when all is said and done? Or will someone step up and dethrone him?
