Victor Martinez reacts to the upcoming boxing match of Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather.
Victor Martinez may be a bodybuilder first and foremost but he’s also an avid fan of pro boxing. Admittedly, boxing has fallen quite a bit in popularity from its heyday in decades past. There is one exception – spectacle super fights that have brought in record amounts of revenue. The latest spectacle fight in boxing is Logan Paul vs Floyd Mayweather. But is the spectacle worth it? Or simply diminishing the respect of boxing even further to a sideshow attraction? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Victor Martinez shares his thoughts on boxing super fights, Logan Paul, and the current state of boxing.
Logan Paul is a YouTuber with a massive following and a strong personality. This leads to him being a lover him or hate him kind of influencer. So of course, when he started dipping his toes in to boxing – it led to mixed reactions. Now he’s set to face off against Floyd Mayweather in a super fight expected to bring in record amounts of profits. But is allowing YouTubers special exhibition matches damaging to the reputation of the sport?
We asked this very question to Victor Martinez. A pro bodybuilder who is also a deeply passionate boxing fan. How does he feel about Logan Paul’s entrance into the world of boxing? Victor admits that the fight is pure spectacle. It’s for money and it will succeed in bringing in tons of cash. That being said, Victor doesn’t see this as primarily a bad thing.
If anything, Logan Paul is bringing more attention to boxing at a time when it needs it most. UFC and MMA as a whole has taken a lot of boxing audience into a new direction. MMA is now arguably a more popular sport than boxing. It’s brining in fight fans and fight talent and away from boxing. The Logan Paul might not be a respectable title fight – but it’s still bringing young new energy into a sport that has diminished slowly over the years.
Check out the latest GI Exclusive segment with Victor Martinez above!
In fact, Victor Martinez does not see Logan Paul or any social media influencer to be the actual problem for boxing. It’s simply a reaction to a deeper problem with the sport. According to Victor, the main problem with boxing is a lack of premiere talent – especially in male boxing. There is no Muhammad Ali or George Foreman. Even the last legendary boxer, Floyd Mayweather, has been retired and only comes out for special fights.
Logan Paul vs Floyd Mayweather is a direct reaction to the fact that current title holders don’t hold the same kind of popularity as legendary boxers in the past. Simply put, these super fights are the only way for boxing to get attention. Victor Martinez has no solution to fixing this problem other than hoping that more notable talent comes into the sport in the coming years.
This brings Victor Martinez to a bigger point regarding social media, influencers, and their place in professional sports. Bodybuilding faced a similar intersection of social media and competition over the past 10 years. You now have bodybuilding influencers who hold more attention than actual champion athletes. Is this bad? Victor says no.
In fact, Victor Martinez thinks that those who are angry about social media influencers taking the spotlight away need to start adapting to the new world. The world will not change back to what it used to be. Bodybuilders, or any athletes, that cannot adapt to social media will eventually be left behind (with rare exception). If they don’t want to adapt, that’s fine. But they also shouldn’t be angry about the new influencers gaining attention. If you don’t like it adapt.
You can watch Victor Martinez’s full comments on Logan Paul, boxing, and social media influencers in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
