The torch atop the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was lit above the green carpet on Tuesday as the stadium played host to a different kind of athletic endeavor—the new digital series, Speed Goes Pro.
The iconic venue and national historic landmark—which has held USC games, Rams games and multiple Olympics over its history—showcased the premiere of the first series featuring Darren Watkins Jr., or IShowSpeed, the 20-year-old streaming sensation that boasts a Youtube following of over 44 million subscribers.
Produced by OBB Media, Speed Goes Pro follows Speed as he goes up against a legend from a different sport in each episode to determine if he could become a professional athlete. Over the series, Speed will be pitted against seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant, two-time Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee, hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut and WWE icon Randy Orton, who will each determine if Speed could go pro in their sport.
"I can pretty much do everything, and y'all will see in this series, I pretty much did everything," Speed told Sports Illustrated.
So how did this internet star capture the attention of not only millions of fans worldwide, but championship-winning athletes, gold medalists, stars and producers alike?
"He's an infectious personality," showrunner Eric Pankowski told Sports Illustrated. "... He's a likable guy, he's very authentic, he's comfortable in his own skin. I've produced a lot of shows with a lot of different talent, when you can find one that's authentic and enjoys life which he does, I'm all for it. ... he was a pleasure to work with."
Executive producer Michael D. Ratner said, "I always joke when you see him internationally it's like he's a Beatle. The crowd's chasing him. It's like Beatlemania, Speedmania. I just think he's tapped into a really unique moment and authenticity, and there's very little between him and his audience. He lets them along for everything, there's no unnecessary polish to him."
"Seeing his charisma, seeing how he talks to his audience, I see why men, women, children of all ages follow him and are drawn to him," Randy Orton said. "He's a hell of a guy and I'm very proud of him."
Not only does this authenticity and personality shine through as Speed competes in the series, but so does his unmatched confidence and competitive attitude. Despite never competing in college or pro sports, Speed is supremely confident in his athletic abilities, which has brought several of the best athletes in the world to take him seriously.
In Episode 1 of the series, Speed worked with trainer Clif Marshall and Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, attempting to quickly pick up the techniques for both the NFL combine drills and playing corner against Tom Brady. Though Speed's 40-yard-dash attempt fell short of his gaudy proclamation, he did leave the legendary quarterback impressed with both his natural athleticism—especially his 40" vertical jump—and work ethic.
.@TomBrady was in disbelief that Speed has a 40-inch vertical 😳
— NFL (@NFL) October 1, 2025
(via @ishowspeedsui) pic.twitter.com/8jaRiiD7zK
After the drills, Speed then set out to defend former Patriots receiver Danny Amendola as Brady threw passes to him. Initially, he got humbled. Amendola smoked Speed on his first route and Brady easily completed the pass to his former teammate while Speed fell straight to the grass. Even so, he got right up ready to "run it back." On the ensuing snaps, Speed's coverage of Amendola quickly improved.
Brady was unable to attend the premiere in person, but he congratulated Speed in a video and said, "Even while getting burned, you made some plays that surprised me and you kept competing. That effort, that fight, that energy, that's what I respect the most." Brady couldn't help but add in a joke, "Still, I've seen better footwork in a seventh-grade gym class."
That strong impression was shared among the other world-class athletes that competed and trained with Speed—including in gymnastics, which Speed said was the most challenging of the sports for him.
"He definitely exceeded my expectations because gymnastics especially, it takes years to learn anything even simple," 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin said.
Olympic bronze medalist Fred Richard, who previously taught Speed a double backflip before he began this series, said, "He really did impress me. ... He went four straight hours trying to learn a double backflip. Did not take any breaks in between. Our sport is hard, but he almost got it. No one almost gets such a hard skill in one day."
Richard added, "Man's athletic, he's dedicated, he put in the work and he almost got a double backflip in a day."
Episode 1 of the Speed Goes Pro is out, and the series will air on his Youtube channel, IShowSpeed.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as IShowSpeed Competes With Tom Brady, Suni Lee In New Series 'Speed Goes Pro'.
