Boxing
KSI vs Logan Paul: YouTube stars meet in highly anticipated rematch
The YouTube boxing phenomenon takes off into a new stratosphere on Saturday in Los Angeles as social media stars KSI and Logan Paul go toe-to-toe for the second time.
But on this occasion there’s a twist, as they take the headguards off to fight in 10-ounce gloves in a professional boxing bout. We preview the big fight.
Bad blood between KSI and Logan Paul
To understand the roots of this rivalry, we have to revisit KSI’s first televised boxing fight. Held at the Copper Box Arena in London, KSI agreed to fight Joe Weller, a YouTuber who he had previously had ‘beef’ with, going back and forth over YouTube videos, before finally settling the dispute in the ring.
KSI won that fight and proceeded to call out Logan Paul, one of the largest 16-25 target audience YouTube influencers in the world at the time. The build-up was brutal, with both stars laying bare their opponent’s personal flaws, but when it came to fight night, for the first three rounds, only one fighter looked like winning.
An amateur wrestler at high school, Logan Paul made his height and reach advantage count, while his power was clear to see; KSI looked in deep water. But as the fight wore on, Logan Paul tired badly and KSI began to dominate the ring with relentless energy, catching the American with quick flurries of punches on the inside.
It ended a draw. Neither fighter satisfied. Preparation for the rematch had already begun.
All eyes on Los Angeles for rematch
When it was announced that the rematch would be promoted by Matchroom Group Managing Director Eddie Hearn under professional boxing rules, both fighters stepped up their preparation.
KSI’s long-time trainer and friend Viddal Riley would remain his trainer but the Brit has since trained at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas for several weeks in order to gain the edge over his opponent.
Logan Paul, meanwhile, has been training solidly since the first fight, bringing in former heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs – one of boxing’s deadliest knockout artists – hoping to hone the power shown in the first fight and refine his punch output.
This fight has become much more than just a gimmick in recent months and adding some of boxing biggest names into the equation has only fuelled fans’ anticipation.
Logan Paul set to edge fight
If Logan Paul has managed to control his punch power and engine, it wouldn’t be surprising if the fight lasts all but two rounds, with KSI on the floor. You can get Logan Paul to win in the second round at 12/1, and KSI to be knocked down in the first round at 10/1.
If you fancy KSI to win, it’s unlikely that the fight will go the distance between the two fighters, so a nice bet here would be KSI to win in rounds three to four, which you can get at 11/1.
Billy Joe Saunders out to impress on undercard
Elsewhere on the bill in Los Angeles, Billy Joe Saunders will defend his WBO world super-middleweight title against the relatively unknown Marcelo Esteban Coceres on the undercard.
After enduring a turbulent couple of years in boxing, which included being stripped of his WBO middleweight world title after failing a drug test in late 2018, Saunders became a two-weight world champion in May, defeating Shefat Isufi in a homecoming fight at Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium.
It’s a second coming for Saunders, as potential monster fights with Callum Smith, Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez seem plausible, so he’ll be looking to make no mistake on Saturday against Coceres, and you can get the Brit to win at 1/100, with a shock defeat priced at 16/1.
