The influencer boxing saga continued in Miami on Saturday night, as several content creators from YouTube and TikTok met in the ring for the first Battle of the Platforms event.
It’s the latest series of fights after vlogger Logan Paul took on world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather last week, where a match which had no official winner.
Last night’s pay-per-view event boasted a handful of heated clashes, including Bryce Hall vs Austin McBroom, Deji Olatunji vs Vinnie Hacker and Ali Al-Fakhri (better known online as AnEsonGib - ‘Big Nose Na’ backwards) vs Tayler Holder.
Here’s a roundup of what happened in Miami, and the latest reactions from fans.
Bryce Hall vs Austin McBroom
The main event between Hall (TikTok) and McBroom (YouTube) ended in the third round, with the YouTuber winning by ‘technical knockout’ (TKO) - also known as a ‘stoppage’.
The TikToker, who has 20 million followers on the platform, was left with a bloody nose during the bought - a look which has since been mercilessly mocked by Twitter users online.
Bryce Hall: I’ve been in street fights.
— sarah (@girlmom544) June 13, 2021
Also Bryce Hall: #youtubersvstiktokers pic.twitter.com/1cn6P0FWAy
Only thing that got knocked was his hairline pic.twitter.com/yIiz67sO9E
— AZ Cards SZN (@k1_GOAT) June 13, 2021
Me going to Twitter knowing that Bryce Hall lost #Tiktokvsyoutube pic.twitter.com/R5PGCBgOX6
— jose (@Joseherna696) June 13, 2021
Live footage from bryce smp,
— Kabz (@Kabzwyd) June 13, 2021
*Hairline has left the world* #brycehall pic.twitter.com/ra0o3umnCy
The streets Bryce fought on: pic.twitter.com/puXSq0xCBz
— IG: Ghettosquids (@Ghettosquids1) June 13, 2021
Someone revive him pic.twitter.com/5FpGXImjLw
— Mohamed Enieb (@its_menieb) June 13, 2021
Ksi Reaction to Bryce Hall after
— D1stJosh (@D1stJosh) June 13, 2021
Austin nearly took his nose off 😂#Tiktokvsyoutube Addison Rae Austin McBroom #ksi #Deji pic.twitter.com/xMBRF86Y0V
Deji Olatunji vs Vinnie Hacker
This wasn’t the first time that Deji had entered a boxing ring, having lost to fellow YouTuber Jake Paul in a match in August 2018.
So, with this being his next match after that defeat, fans were hoping that this would be the beginning of a redemption arc for the content creator. Less than a month before the bout, Deji tweeted “I’m gonna shock the world” - an apparent reference to a post by former basketball player Nate Robinson before he was knocked out by Paul in November.
However, the star lost the fight in the third round, by way of TKO.
The outcome has received mixed responses from fans. Some rallied behind the 24-year-old after he tweeted saying “I’m sorry, I am a failure”:
No you’re not deji. You got in that ring. That’s more than what many could ever do. Ultimately you’re an entertaining YouTuber, boxing or not. So don’t worry about this for real. ❤️ bro
— LORD KSI (@KSI) June 13, 2021
no you ain’t. bounce back from this. shit ain’t over. you put up a great fight.
— Vinnie 😃 (@Vinniehacker) June 13, 2021
— NDL Ringside (@NikoOmilana) June 13, 2021
Don’t worry mate I’m having a kid soon I know how it feels
— aaron (@RETlREDURK) June 13, 2021
fuck off Deji. You fought like a lion. You're not a failure, head up and focus on whats next. You're a champ at heart!
— FaZe Jasper (@jzpr) June 13, 2021
Others brutally ridiculed Olatunji, with many referencing his brother (and fellow boxer) KSI and predicting what his reaction would be:
Ksi when he sees youpic.twitter.com/k4at9orcoT
— Hassan 🪐 (@KingHassan__) June 13, 2021
Waiting for you at home pic.twitter.com/uoAHZHdv1k
— Ibrahim Styles (@StylesIbrahim) June 13, 2021
“I’m gonna shock the world”
— 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙗𝙚𝙫 (@washedbev) June 13, 2021
CardioShortsGamer pic.twitter.com/ocPmcbvOnA
— Scott-Tv (@Scott__tv) June 13, 2021
This is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a while lmao #vinnie #vhacker #deji #youtubersvstiktokers #SocialGloves pic.twitter.com/YQHDKWOJoN
— Lindsey (@Lindseyjsw) June 13, 2021
This what Ksi finna do when he meets deji #youtubevstiktok pic.twitter.com/QoY8tITpFU
— IG: syrupstxck (@syrupstxck) June 13, 2021
AnEsonGib vs Tayler Holder
While the other two fights ended with a clear winner, the match between Gib and Holder finished in a majority draw, with no champion declared.
This is despite many fans claiming that Gib won the contest, with the word ‘robbed’ trending at one point. Gib himself later went on to tweet: “I won and they robbed me.”
He also posted match stats which claimed that he made 38 power punches, in comparison to Holder’s 16. The total punches landed were apparently 47 and 21 respectively.
Fans were quick to back the fighter up in his claims:
Even the ref knew pic.twitter.com/Zofr3h6XOk
— 🦁🦁🦁 (@brfctom) June 13, 2021
Facts
— FaZe Jarvis (@liljarviss) June 13, 2021
racism is alive and well stay safe
— Corn 𖤐 (@snuurid) June 13, 2021
SOCIAL GLOVES ARE PUSSIES
— NDL Ringside (@NikoOmilana) June 13, 2021
The whole of the UK is with you pic.twitter.com/xrrUm9fDDK
— Jack (@jackmallettgfx) June 13, 2021
Holder himself was also surprised by the result, posting on Twitter that “I don’t agree with this at all”. He did not, however, confirm who he thought should have won the fight.
It’s unknown whether the pair will enter the ring again for a rematch, but it certainly isn’t the end for influencer boxing, with Jake Paul set to fight former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in a match in August.
The former Disney Channel star still has KSI in his sights too, after the musician and undefeated boxer took out his brother Logan in November 2019.
