In his innovative fight with polarizing influencer Logan Paul, British content creator KSI would smash a certain record set by Canelo Alvarez just a month later.
Featuring in an exhibition boxing match against his now-business partner, pioneering YouTuber KSI would put his world championship on the line against former bitter rival Logan Paul in Manchester.
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And having won that YouTuber world championship against fellow content creator Joe Weller earlier that same year, KSI would launch influencer boxing later that annum.
Pitted with the above-mentioned Paul, the duo would take a rather sizable scalp before the year’s end when compared to current undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
KSI vs. Logan Paul sold more PPVs than Canelo Alvarez’s return
Featuring above a rather impressive undercard, KSI and Paul featured after another matchup of opposing brothers, with Jake Paul taking on the Brit’s younger sibling Deji in his boxing debut.
Turning in a fifth-round knockout win over ComedyShortsGamer, Paul would launch a boxing career afterwards — booking a super showdown with current WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis last week.
Fighting to a majority draw against Paul in the night’s main event on this day in 2018, KSI and the American would smash the PPV record as the highest-selling non-professional amateur fight in the sport’s history, landing an impressive 1.3 million pay-per-view buys.
And in another scalp, a month later, Canelo would rematch three-fight rival Gennady Golovkin — falling short of KSI’s numbers against Paul, turning in just 1.1 million pay-per-view buys for their HBO Boxing clash.
KSI’s rematch with Logan Paul
The following year, KSI and Paul would make their professional boxing debut in a high-stakes rematch — this time from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
And featuring above another sizable undercard, the YouTuber duo took main event honors above the title return of Billy Joe Saunders, as well as a lightweight title win from Devin Haney against Alfredo Santiago.
Emerging with a split decision win over Paul over the course of six rounds in their cruiserweight clash, KSI would once more turn in another impressive pay-per-view run, selling in the region of 2 million PPVs worldwide according to Matchroom Boxing leader Eddie Hearn.