Former world champion George Groves has torn into the recent rise of YouTubers taking up boxing to settle online beefs, describing the trend ‘horrific’ and ‘abysmal’.
Logan Paul and KSI fought under amateur rules in August 2018, turning professional for a rematch that headlined a Matchroom show in Los Angeles last November.
Last week, two more Internet personalities met in the boxing ring in Jake Paul and AnEsonGib. Jake Paul, the younger brother of Logan, secured a win before calling out KSI – a sign that the trend is going nowhere just yet.
Former WBA super middleweight champion Groves is eager to see the back of it, however, telling After The Bell: “It’s horrific, it’s abysmal. It makes my skin crawl.
“I could get on board with the entertainment value but why is it called professional boxing? It’s so demeaning.
“How do you distinguish between Logan Paul and Demetrius Andrade? They’re both professional boxers, both undefeated.”
Groves continued: “It was billed KSI against Logan Paul as a laugh and a one-off but everyone knew it wouldn’t be and where now does it end? That fight at the weekend [Jake Paul and AnEsonGib] was a complete joke, I watched it.
“Even if you want to put them on a pro show, great, but don’t call them professional boxers. It’s scary because people soon won’t be able to tell the difference.
“I don’t find any of it genuine. I’ve never been a fan of soap opera or wrestling and this is on par with that, none of it is real.”
