Jake Paul‘s latest venture, which brought together Mike Tyson, Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, and others, has left the boxing world buzzing. The MVP-Netflix show shattered the live gate record for a fight outside of Las Vegas and set a new milestone as far as streaming goes. But that’s the business of boxing. What about the sport per se? The headliner that pitted a 27-year-old Paul against a nearing-60 Mike Tyson has witnessed criticism across several corners.

Opinions are sharply divided. Many lauded ‘The Problem Child’ for putting up an event that pulled even casual viewers to the sport. However, barring the packaging, some feel a fight between a young YouTuber-turned-boxer and an aging former professional boxer doesn’t bode well for boxing. Dillian Whyte joined those who felt that the sport might as well benefit from the Ohioan’s presence.

Dillian Whyte: Give it a second thought; he might be a good addition to the sport

Following a nearly sixteen-month break, ‘The Body Snatcher’ returned in March this year for a face-off against Christian Hammer. Whyte won the fight following as Hammer decided to retire before the fourth round.

“You know what? I don’t think it’s bad for boxing at all because once Jake Paul’s done well, he brought like a lot of new fans to the game,” said the Jamaican-born heavyweight. He explained that many would have looked at the fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson with apprehension.

However, ‘The Problem Child’ could represent the boost that boxing may need in its current landscape. He reasoned, “If we can keep at least five million of the fans, then that’s five more million new fans for Hardcore, which is great.”

Many seem to hold similar views. Months ago, in his show, comedian-broadcaster Jonathan Ross asked Whyte’s archrival, Anthony Joshua, “AJ, I want to ask you what you think of this trend of YouTubers entering the world of boxing because Jake Paul’s about to fight Mike Tyson. What do you think about this trend?”

Even rivals appear to be on the same page

Joshua joined ‘The Jonathan Ross Show’ following his emphatic win over Francis Ngannou. The Olympic gold medalist and former unified heavyweight champion replied, “Well, I personally think it’s really good.” He acknowledged that hardcore boxing fans and purists may dislike the idea of celebrities and non-traditional boxers entering the sport. Perhaps they feel that such attempts are disrespectful to the established system.

One should contemplate. A traditional boxer often follows a rigorous path. It starts with amateur boxing, where some advance through the Olympic process. Then they move to the ranks of professional boxers. So diehard fans often get surprised when they see a person boasting a massive following, bypassing that whole chain and reaching the summit.

These facts might be true. However,  ‘AJ’ argued that people like Jake Paul and other YouTubers or crossover boxers bring a new audience to the sport. “But I think let’s say we divided this crowd in half and you’ve got half of the people that are hardcore boxing fans and half of the people that love a certain person that’s into YouTubers, but that person brings all of these people into boxing, which benefits everyone else that’s involved,” said Joshua.

The rise of influencer boxing raises an essential question: Is this trend a passing phase, or could it be a lasting force in the sport? While opinions remain divided, one thing is clear: events like Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson are reshaping boxing’s landscape and sparking conversations about its future.

Do you agree with Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua? Can influencer boxing coexist with traditional boxing, or does it dilute the sport’s legacy?