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For decades, people all over the world have wondered about which martial art is the best.
One familiar example for the MMA/BJJ fans was the fact that the Gracies stormed other dojos in Brazil, taking on the headmasters there, and thus trying to prove their art was the best. This same scenario had been happening in Japan with different martial arts for decades.
Now, "educated" fans like most of us Sherbros know that the question "which martial art is the best" is one of won't ever be answered, simply because it's impossible. There are too many variables. But casual, uneducated fans don't know this. All these weird crossover fights are just iterations of the old main question.
Let me just say, like most of us on here, I absolutely can't stand Jake Paul. I agree with Ben Askren: he's a fake, cringy adolescent whos fanbase probably has an average age of 14 years old, he's being controversial for the sake of being controversial. But I'll give him this:
But that's not the point. He's capitalizing on the entertainment value of fighting in a pretty unique way. Sure, purists will get annoyed about him shortcutting the traditional route. But what he's doing for the most part isn't boxing: it's providing entertainment under the guise of boxing, with his role being the traditional heel.
Celebrities boxing each other has been established as a legitimate entertainment form. In the Netherlands, the Boxing Influencers brand was established 3 years ago and generated a lot of attention.
What Triller and Jake Paul are doing is warping this by adding a new, yet familiar element to it:
What happens if a semi-professional boxer/celebrity (Martial Art X) competes with a fighter from a different Martial Arts background (Martial Art Y)?
However you feel about it, this phenomenon is here to stay for a good while.
One familiar example for the MMA/BJJ fans was the fact that the Gracies stormed other dojos in Brazil, taking on the headmasters there, and thus trying to prove their art was the best. This same scenario had been happening in Japan with different martial arts for decades.
Now, "educated" fans like most of us Sherbros know that the question "which martial art is the best" is one of won't ever be answered, simply because it's impossible. There are too many variables. But casual, uneducated fans don't know this. All these weird crossover fights are just iterations of the old main question.
Let me just say, like most of us on here, I absolutely can't stand Jake Paul. I agree with Ben Askren: he's a fake, cringy adolescent whos fanbase probably has an average age of 14 years old, he's being controversial for the sake of being controversial. But I'll give him this:
- Even though he's a Youtube/Disney kid, he's shown that with a good amount of focus, good trainers and sparring partners, you can get to a semi-professional level in boxing in about 3-4 years. Of course he's fighting bums, but the kid has become a fairly decent amateur/semi-professional boxer. There's a good chance he could've actually become a professional boxer if he started at a young age, he does have some talent.
- Him, his team and Triller were smart enough to notice two gaps in the (entertainment) market:
- Celebrities boxing each other are interesting to a wide audience.
- Spinning the "Martial Art X v.s. Martial Art Y" debate into a zones where he has the advantage: boxing an athlete from a different combat sport that is known to have garbage striking.
But that's not the point. He's capitalizing on the entertainment value of fighting in a pretty unique way. Sure, purists will get annoyed about him shortcutting the traditional route. But what he's doing for the most part isn't boxing: it's providing entertainment under the guise of boxing, with his role being the traditional heel.
Celebrities boxing each other has been established as a legitimate entertainment form. In the Netherlands, the Boxing Influencers brand was established 3 years ago and generated a lot of attention.
What Triller and Jake Paul are doing is warping this by adding a new, yet familiar element to it:
What happens if a semi-professional boxer/celebrity (Martial Art X) competes with a fighter from a different Martial Arts background (Martial Art Y)?
However you feel about it, this phenomenon is here to stay for a good while.
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the money is in boxing.
