How Big Boxing Events Have Changed Today
By
Richard Janvrin
Contributor Updated: 29 January 2025
Richard Janvrin Contributor
Richard has been writing about sports since he was a teenager. Still, his first professional role came in 2015, covering all things NFL and fantasy football-related. From there, in December 2018, he started in the sports betting industry, covering sportsbook reviews before arriving to where he is today.
The Big Boxing Match
The sport of boxing has evolved in such a way that if you told fans and athletes of the sport 20 to 30 years ago, they likely wouldn’t believe you.
Events like Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier and Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield were not only massive boxing moments, but these had a massive impact on culture.
Seemingly, all sports fans, whether you were a fan of boxing or not, understood the reign and pedigree of the greats.
Today, those stars are gone, and the sport has evolved into something almost a novelty.
Sure, there are still top-rated boxers like Tyson Fury and Canelo Alvarez, but even boxers like Floyd Mayweather Jr. aren’t around.
The biggest draws now—and matches you can bet on at the best online betting sites for boxing—include a lot of unsuspecting personnel.
Below, I’ll examine how today’s big boxing match has changed, including celebrity boxing and more.
- The Rise of Celebrity Boxing
- Introduction of Streaming Platforms
- Saudi Arabia Involvement
- MMA and Boxing Crossover
The Rise of Celebrity Boxing
What was once perhaps a single novelty act on the undercard has become some of the most-viewed and highest-grossing boxing matches today.
Nowadays, the big boxing match isn’t so much professional boxers with impeccable records as events like Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson.
Celebrity boxing started to ramp up in the late 2010s. It received much attention due to the influencer’s social media following.
One of the first I can recall was in 2018 between Logan Paul and KSI.
This was also one of the first times a Twitch boxing stream exploded, drawing about a million users who watched coverage of the event.
Following this, Logan’s brother, Jake, dove headfirst into boxing as both a competitor and a promoter.
Since then, he’s fought MMA stars like Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz and recently took on Mike Tyson.
Jake, known as “The Problem Child,” is 11-1.
His only loss came via a split decision against Tommy Fury.
The problem that boxing “purists” have is that, especially in the early days, there was little technique but rather a spectacle. It’s unclear if it’s more of a legitimate competition or if boxers are preserved for later fights and strictly do this for entertainment.
The build-up to fights is mostly based on hurling insults and trash talk on social media.
Purists also claim this takes away from the top athletes in the sport that are more “legitimate.”
However, as mentioned, these events draw.
Logan Paul boxed Mayweather JR. in 2021 and drew millions of pay-per-view buys. Paul earned $10 million.
These events also draw sponsors that boxing hasn’t had before.
It’s unclear how this will hurt or improve boxing over time, but one thing is certain: this is the hottest type of boxing provided to fans today.
Like it or not, Jake Paul represents a lot of the big fights coming up in boxing now.
Introduction of Streaming Platforms
Long gone are the days of a traditional pay-per-view. Today, ample streaming services like ESPN+, DAZN, FITE TV, and more exist. This has allowed for flexibility and affordability for fans to access their favorite fights more easily.
There’s also plenty of Twitch boxing stream content, whether it’s actual events or coverage of noteworthy ones.
So, now, instead of paying $50, $75, or $100-plus dollars for a single event, these services have a subscription model that offers other events outside of what you want to watch and can even archive them for you to rewatch.
This has also allowed for a global reach. Fans from different countries can now watch events much more easily, making boxing a bigger sport.
DAZN has become a massive sports streaming service, signing deals with Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin, and more.
These services also integrate stats and numerous camera angles for a unique viewing experience.
Streaming doesn’t come without its issues, though.
It can sometimes be hard for fans to keep up with what fight is where. This can alienate fans because it becomes too confusing.
Saudi Arabia Involvement
As you probably know, Saudi Arabia has seemingly never-ending resources, and as a result, it has become a major player in many industries, including boxing.
Their involvement is part of their Vision 2030 campaign to diversify themselves to be a global destination for sports.
The first attention Saudi Arabia received from boxing came in 2019 in a fight between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr.
Titled “Clash of the Dunes” and live from Diriyah, the Saudi government spent about $40 million in fees.
Over time, top boxers like Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, and Deontay Wilder have been linked to potential big events in the country.
There are detractors of the rise of Saudi Arabia, though, claiming they’re sportswashing, also known as using sports to improve their public image despite human rights issues.
MMA and Boxing Crossover
Other boxing trends have also emerged.
While celebrity boxing has become prominent, we’ve also seen events where professional MMA stars and boxers clash.
For example, the biggest came in 2017 with Conor McGregor of the UFC taking on Mayweather Jr.
McGregor wasn’t a boxer but a bonafide superstar in MMA. His charism and ability to engage with fans drew great interest to the event.
It drew about $600 million in total, making it one of the most lucrative events in boxing today and all time.
Another recent example was Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.
Again, no, Ngannou isn’t a boxer, but he had extremely powerful knockout potential in the MMA.
So, while celebrity boxing often lacks technique, this crossover has different skill sets but still legitimate fighters.
Purists also don’t care for this, as the MMA stars aren’t boxers, but there’s undeniable intrigue generating many “what if” scenarios.
There was legitimate discussion of McGregor beating Mayweather Jr. While it didn’t happen, it wasn’t totally outside the realm of possibility like some big boxing match celebrities participate in.
