The fact that influencer boxing has its own pound for pound rankings is a testament to its growth as both a sport and a business. But only one fighter can come out on top, and with the likes of Jake Paul, KSI and Salt Papi all competing to be the very best, it is a very competitive list.
Influencer boxing has taken off in the past five years. What was once dismissed as just another attempt to create more content, has become a beast of its own with millions tuning in worldwide to catch the latest fight.
Professional fighters – be it MMA, boxing or otherwise – have been discounted from the list for the sake of fairness, but there are a few big names included in our honorable mentions.
With that in mind, we have taken a look at the best influencers making waves on the boxing scene and put them in our very own pound for pound rankings.
Pound for pound influencer boxing rankings
10. Walid Sharks (3-2-1)
Walid Sharks caused people to sit up and notice his boxing talent at the age of just 17 during his first ever fight. Taking on the much heavier Adam Saleh, he boxed his way to a majority draw – a result that many onlookers believe the TikTok star should have won.
Two defeats to Deen the Great (more on him later) stain his boxing record, but wins over Ayye Pap (twice) and Darius Frazier have shown the knockout power he has at his disposal.
9. Deji (2-4-0)
Deji, younger brother of KSI, is without doubt a talented boxer. His record might suggest otherwise, but anyone who can go six rounds with Floyd Mayweather Jr is worthy of a spot in this list.
His two victories over Swarmz and Fousey prop up an otherwise lackluster record, but if he can manage to best a big name or two in the near future there is no doubt he will find himself in the conversation to be higher up the order.
8. Ashley Rak-Su (3-1-1)
Anyone brave enough to take on a professional boxer in their debut fight has my respect. Although he lost, Rak-Su deserves a commendation for taking on someone like Anthony Taylor straight off the bat.
Three wins on the spin would follow, as Big Tobz, King Kenny and Halal Ham were brushed to one side. A draw with OJ Rose in his last fight brought that momentum to a halt, but there is no denying his talent inside the ring.
7. King Kenny (5-3-0)
If we are talking about pure technique, it is hard not to throw King Kenny’s name into the mix. Despite having a loss to Rak-Su (a split decision defeat) on his record, he edges ahead of him due to his raw talent as a fighter.
Yet his victory over Adam Brooks at Misfits X Series 14 reminded the word of the threat he poses, as a possible fight with Salt Papi now seems likely for the 27-year-old.
6. Salt Papi (4-2-0)
Salt Papi has risen up the ranks of the influencer boxing scene, with knockouts against the likes of Andy Warski and Josh Brueckner along the way.
He suffered back-to-back defeats against Anthony Taylor and Slim Albaher, but bounced back with victory over Amadeusz Ferrari at Misfits 14.
Salt is technically one of the best fighters on this list, but needs a big name victory under his belt to move higher up the list.
5. AnEsonGib (6-1-0)
Having beaten every opponent he has faced aside from Jake Paul, it is hard not to include AnEsonGib in the top five.
Gib’s progression as a boxer is clear to see, as he has transformed into a lean, mean, fighting machine with a relentless attitude to try and dominate his opponents in the ring.
He has come a long way since his defeat to Paul and has proven that with six wins under his belt so far. He would give almost every fighter on this list a run for their money.
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4. Slim Albaher (7-0-0)
Slim’s knockout victory over Salt Papi proved that he is a serious boxer. Without a single defeat to his name, that seemed to all be about to change as he found himself under serious pressure against Salt.
But the 29-year-old stunned the crowd in the fourth round with sensational knockout to defy the odds and claim the win on the night.
Regardless of who he fights next, Slim has made a name for himself in the influencer boxing scene.
3. Deen the Great (5-0-0)
Although he might have flied under the radar to the casual viewer, Deen the Great has proven himself worthy of a top three spot in the pound for pound rankings.
A versatile fighter who is not afraid to adapt to his opponent, Deen has yet to be bested inside the ring.
Two victories over the technically sound Walid Sharks have helped him build his reputation as one of the best influencer boxers on the scene.
2. KSI (5-1-1)
It is hard to write an influencer boxing pound for pound ranking list without mentioning KSI and Jake Paul, the only question is in which order do you put them.
For me, KSI just slips into second behind Paul due to the calibre of their opponents.
‘The Nightmare’s’ only defeat came at the hands of Tommy Fury, a fight that many believed he should have won, while a draw with Logan Paul would be the only other time he would fail to win a boxing match.
KSI would avenge that decision over a year later by securing a split-decision win over Paul, but the Godfather of influencer boxing comes in second overall.
A win in an eventual fight with Paul, or in a rematch with Fury, would certainly see him rise up the rankings.
1. Jake Paul (9-1-0)
Love him or hate him, Paul is, for my money, the best boxer on this list by some distance. And that is mainly in part due to his dedication and commitment to the sport, so much so that it is easy to forget sometimes that he is actually a social media star by trade.
Yes a lot of his opponents have been past their prime (no pun intended) and he has been called out for “buying scalps“, but you don’t get a to a 9-1-0 record by chance.
With six knockouts to his name, Paul’s punching power is frightening. It is telling that only a split-decision loss to Fury has stopped him from making it a clean sweep across the influencer scene.
A win over Mike Tyson in his next fight would reaffirm his place at the top of the rankings
Honorable Mentions
Tommy Fury – The family name known around the boxing world. Fury would top this list if he were not a professional boxer by trade. On the two occasions he has stepped into the crossover scene he has got the job done.
Idris Virgo – Another former Love Islander, but Virgo, like Fury, grew up as a professional boxer. It would be unfair to rank him alongside the likes of Salt Papi and Slim, but his 14-0 record speaks for itself.
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