Current cruiserweight world champion Mairis Briedis attempted to entice a YouTuber into the ring with the most unorthodox plan of action possible.
The Latvian had sunk to the lowest depths by getting a fake tattoo on his leg but passing it off as genuine. Briedis wants to knock the vlogger out and will go to any lengths to do so.
Taking a trip to a tattoo parlor, Briedis didn’t get the affliction for real despite his attempts to hoodwink.
Briedis, a two-time World Boxing Super Series finalist and one-time winner, has only lost to Oleksandr Usyk in his entire career. He holds 20 KO’s from 28 wins and would make mincemeat of the ‘influencer’ if they ever fought.
But the 36-year-old even posting about the possibility shows just how desperate some boxers are to get the payday the YouTuber offers.
It’s a sad state of affairs. A solid professional is simply begging for money in a circus event that nobody would be interested in watching.
The only way any real boxing fans tune in is to see the vlogger put through the canvas.
Hopefully, he never takes the fight for the ‘influencer. Briedis wouldn’t want to get done for murder at this stage in his career.
Boxing is undoubtedly at a shaky stage. It’s probably the most vulnerable it’s ever been at, due to the fact anyone with a mass following can so easily manipulate the sport.
Pugilism was once sacred and was open to allowing celebrity shows. We even embraced them as the fun they can be when genuine. But now, it’s gone too far.
Vloggers with the pulling power only due to their number of followers gained away from boxing are ruining the paid platform.
Taking spots away from real boxers who dream of headlining a PPV is not the way boxing should be heading.
CRUISERWEIGHT CONUNDRUM
Mairis Briedis needs to have a long hard think about what kind of reputation he wants to leave the sport holding. However, there’s absolutely no way on planet earth that the YouTuber would accept the danger that fight poses.
Briedis got that attention he ordered, anyway.
Regarding the vlogger, he’s pretty happy fighting wrestlers or boxing duds with their best days ten years behind him, like Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Let him be Mairis.
The views expressed in this article are opinions of Phil Jay.
Phil Jay – Editor of World Boxing News since 2010 with over one billion views. Follow WBN on Twitter @WorldBoxingNews.
