The world of YouTube and boxing collided once again this week as KSI took on Logan Paul, though the American lost the match after using an illegal move.
The two vloggers, who have more than 40 million YouTube subscribers between them, first went head to head last summer in Manchester, UK.
British YouTuber KSI, whose real name is Olajide ‘JJ’ Olatunji, took the win following the majority draw amateur bout, but the pair decided to head back into the ring for a rematch last night, November 9. In the end, however, the result remained the same as KSI won on a split decision.
See how Paul’s brother Jake reacted to the result here:
The match received main event status on sports subscription service DAZN as the pair drew a huge crowd to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where the YouTubers were commended for putting on a good show.
They underwent a six-round cruiserweight bout, but KSI’s win was surrounded in controversy as referee Jack Reiss deducted two points from Paul for holding and hitting KSI while he was down; a move which is illegal.
The decision made all the difference when it went to the scorecards, with two judges scoring the match 57-54 and 56-55 for KSI while the third had it 56-55 for Paul.
Logan’s brother, Jake Paul, watched the match from the side of the ring. Following KSI’s win, Jake made it clear he was not happy with the result.
In footage caught by iFL TV, Jake ranted about how the match was ‘rigged’ as he accused KSI of dining with DAZN chief Joe Markowski the day before the YouTubers stepped into the ring.
Addressing reporters, Jake said:
With that decision, that’s just b*llsh*t.
At the end of the day, I’ve been in this sport for a year now and, I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but all this sh*t is f*cking rigged.
Jake continued:
You see people wining and dining each other, people at the Staples Center. Who was at the Staples Center last night with KSI? Joe Markowski.
This sport is rigged, that’s for sure.
The short amount of time I’ve been here, I’ve heard multiple stories about people paying stuff off, choosing fights, what time people sign contracts.
Jake went on to say he wasn’t trying to make excuses for his brother’s loss but that he was ‘just saying’.
Speaking to Behind The Gloves, as per Independent, Jake said the commission should ‘contest the two-point decision’.
Paul declared his intention to ‘contest the commission’ following his loss, claiming he thought the illegal move was ‘a legitimate knockdown’.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.