KSI v Logan Paul rematch: ‘I don’t know who they are’ promoter Bob Arum says
- Legendary promoter claims he doesn’t care about the YouTube stars’ hugely anticipated rematch
- ‘There are things in life to get excited about and this is not one of them’
YouTube stars KSI and Logan Paul are stepping back in the ring on November 9 for a hugely anticipated rematch. But not everyone is excited about it.
“Let me tell you, I don’t know who the f*** those two guys are, and I don’t give a s*** about them,” legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum told Ring Magazine.
Britain’s KSI – real name Olajide Olatunji – and American Paul have a combined online following of 40 million people and are expected to split around US$185 million for the fight at LA’s Staples Centre.
“If they make a buck in the ring, who the hell cares? There are things in life to get excited about and this is not one of them. Who gives a s***?” Arum added.
The two YouTubers drew over a million pay-per-view buys and a crowd of 18,000 to the Manchester Evening News Arena for their first bout last August, a white-collar amateur match which ended in a majority draw.
“People wanna pay to watch them, I take no issue. Now, I never heard of them, but that shows how far removed I am from popular culture,” the 87-year-old Arum said.
KSI, 26, and Paul, 24, have agreed to fight under professional rules for their rematch, meaning they will not have to use headgear and can wear 10-ounce gloves.
The fight will be shown on YouTube’s pay-per-view channel, and is being promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing with streaming service DAZN controlling the broadcast.
“On the undercard, we want world championship boxing,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “We don’t want other YouTubers and celebrities – no, this is a chance for boxing to bring in new fans, and if we’re gonna bring them in, we need to show them the greatness of our sport.”
