The boxing world is listening to rumors and a report of a potential Amir Khan vs KSI fight that has really come out of nowhere.
While nothing is officially confirmed, discussions are reportedly underway according to the Daily Express and elsewhere.,
The fight could potentially be a crossover event.
Once again that bridges the gap between traditional boxing and the influencer boxing scene.
This has been happening quite a lot recently.
Bringing boxing into the world of pop culture.
Almost boxing meets pop culture, so to speak.
A High-Profile Matchup Indeed If It Happens
Amir Khan, is a seasoned veteran with a wealth of experience in the ring, both amateur and pro.
He has faced some of the biggest names in boxing as a professional.
At just 17-years-old in the 2004 games he took one of the best Cubans of all time (who was in his thirties) nearly all the way.
And then some.
Just losing out on Gold that time.
KSI, on the other hand, has emerged as a prominent figure in the influencer boxing scene, similar to Jake Paul.
To a lesser extent, though. KSI is 4-1 as a pro boxer.
His defeat thus far, like his fellow influencer from across the pond Jake Paul, also came to Tommy Fury.
A fight between Khan and KSI would not just be huge in the UK.
The two would undoubtedly attract massive attention from the younger generation of fans who follow influencer boxing, worldwide.
Another Potential Major Turning Point for Influencer Boxing?
If the fight materializes, it could mark a significant turning point for influencer boxing.
It shows the trend is not only not going away, but growing, all the time, no less.
While the format has gained immense popularity in recent years, it has often been criticized for lacking the legitimacy and skill level of traditional boxing.
Hardcore boxing fans understandably are not fond of it.
In that anyone with a following seemingly can just come in and take on a former big name in pro boxing, or a current big name even, sometimes, in the case of Francis Ngannou of the MMA world coming into to fight Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury at heavyweight in recent times.
To be fair, Ngannou was no ‘influencer’ and at least, like Conor McGregor did against Floyd Mayweather in pro boxing, came into boxing from the UFC and was a top of class world champion in MMA.
As for Khan and KSI.
By facing a former world champion like Amir Khan, KSI would have the opportunity to prove that influencer boxers can compete at the highest level.
Granted Khan has been out of the ring nearly two years following a doping ban that was accepted as an accidental ingestion of a banned substance before his fight with Kell Brook a couple of years ago.
A fight Brook knocked Khan out in back in February 2022.
There’s a few other things to take into account too.
Challenges and Concerns
Obviously Khan’s health following his last fight been such a knockout a couple of years ago.
And the fact KSI is much heavier than him, too.
Likely the fight would happen at some sort of catchweight, if it were to happen.
Khan had been chasing the Manny Pacquiao fight in recent years but that looks to have gone past him, now, at least.
There’s another way to look at it, too.
Some critics argue that a matchup between Khan and KSI would be a mismatch in terms of Khan taking him out quite quickly.
Given their vastly different levels of ability, experience and training in top flight boxing, frankly.
Others question whether the fight would be taken seriously by the boxing community and a bit of a back lash from the sweet science hard core delegation of important, genuine boxing fans.
The Financial Incentive Is Why It’s Being Discussed
From a financial perspective, the fight would likely be a lucrative venture for both fighters and the organizers.
Clearly.
On what platform it would take place on is unknown at this point.
Obviously KSI has huge platforms of his own.
Whether or not a major streaming company could team up with him, and combine their platforms in terms of a YouTube pay per view or done somewhere else, remains to be seen.
The crossover appeal of the matchup could attract a massive audience, deliberately.
Generating significant revenue through pay-per-view sales, sponsorships, and merchandise of all combined avenues of both star names — not just in the UK but globally, too.
Where Do All These Fights Fit In The Future of Boxing?
The potential Khan vs. KSI fight raises questions about the future of boxing. Basically, is it a good thing or a bad thing?
Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua said on Jonathan Ross recently that he thinks it is.
We tend to agree.
Anything that grows boxing but from a matchmaking perspective, is perceived to be at least somewhat competitive, reasonable and/or interesting (or a combination of all three), is, surely, a net gain for the sport?
Will we see more crossover events between traditional boxers and influencer boxers?
Based on current projections, yes,
Will Influencer Boxing continue to grow in Popularity and Legitimacy?
A lot might be said for answering that question in the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul event.
If that goes well, in some way, in that it entertains and no one is seriously injured, expect the trend of social media and influencer boxing to sky rocket.
Potentially this is just the beginning of the trend, that we are in now, in the big picture of things.
For now, the boxing world eagerly awaits official confirmation of the fight with Khan and KSI.
Not something that many real boxing fans will be sold on until it actually happens, mind you.
This would be the type of event again that would combine boxing with mainstream consensus in pop culture.
Whether it happens or not, the mere discussion of it has sparked a debate already, quite animated debate, by the looks of things.
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