Money makes the world go around – and while this is true in so many sports, boxing and MMA are two sports where this sentiment rings especially true. The internet has reshaped our world in so many ways. While Darren Till is a name that garnered some interest in the UFC, and his recent outburst at a press conference has people talking about Misfits Boxing again, will the Scouser be able to rejuvenate his career now that he is on the wrong side of 30, or it is just a money grab?
The Influence Of YouTube In A Modern World
YouTube isn’t even 20 years old, but it is the second most visited website on the internet and has turned content creators into multi-millionaires without them even having to leave their own homes. It’s a brave new world out there, and such is YouTube’s systemic, engrained influence that its biggest stars have crossed over into pop culture and generated enormous cultural appeal.
Industries like iGaming started highlighting how much money could be made for companies that could capture this gigantic audience, which started to appear online in the early 2000s. YouTube, iGaming, and sectors within them, like slot gaming, can attribute at least part of their success to the incredible rise of video streaming technology.
The incredible innovations have resulted in their customer base being able to stream their casino and slot gaming titles, as well as videos, without any fuss, whether on a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Ainsworth Casino games at Slotsjudge detail just how influential certain providers have been in changing the direction of online gambling and slot gaming. However, no website or social media company has been as influential in changing how we consume our entertainment and media as YouTube has.
Misfits Boxing – A Positive Or Negative?
Many boxing purists resent the idea of YouTube boxing, and others believe it has a place in the sport. The main issue stems from YouTubers who believe they have a say in the upper echelons of their weight class. Jake Paul is the obvious example here, and after outboxing Mike Tyson, a man pushing 60, who recently revealed he nearly died in the build-up to the fight, he revealed that he has aspirations to become a legitimate cruiserweight world champion:
“The cruiserweight division is seemingly open for the taking on that timeline (18 months), and I believe I can become a world champion.” – Jake Paul.
Considering Mexican Gilberto Ramírez holds 2 of the belts and has won 47 of his 48 fights, his only loss being to magical light-heavyweight Dmitry Bivol, he’s clearly a force to be reckoned with.
The man who many believe is the division’s king is an unbeaten Australian sensation named Jai Opetaia. Paul is fortunate that most of his fanbase does not understand the sport. The idea he could ever beat either of these fighters is the stuff of total delusion and fantasy.
Darren Till – A Scouse Indian Summer?
Jake Paul has proved that there’s a colossal market for Misfits Boxing, and there is undoubtedly money to be made. This will be music to the ears of Darren Till, who, despite starting with some initial promise, was debilitated by injuries and issues outside of the Octagon. Out of his last six fights in the UFC, he lost 5 of them, albeit to good names, such as:
- Jorge Masvidal
- Derek Brunson
- Robert Whittaker
- Dricus Du Plessis
Till turns 32 before the fight with Tommy Fury – and while Tommy is one of the lesser threatening Furys to jump in the ring with – the fact remains that this is the first time Till will have faced an actual live professional in a pro boxing bout.
He has faced off against bonafide elite MMA names and has spent years refining his craft in rough Brazilian gyms. He’s not just some YouTuber. There’s every chance he could win this one, as Tommy Fury is a British-level fighter at best. The fact that he beat Jake Paul shows just how deluded the American’s world championship aspirations are.
Mapping The Route To A Career Revival
If you browse Darren Till’s interviews, you’ll understand how much he lives and breathes fighting. But just like any professional fighter, the main goal is money. It would be stupid to think otherwise. Despite Till saying he doesn’t care about purses, this is his key motivation, and nobody can blame him.
“I think Jake is probably the end goal” – Darren Till
If Till wins against Fury, it could set up a fight with other prominent names in the Misfits Boxing scene, such as KSI or the money man – Jake Paul. Darren will fancy his chances against any of them; he is not a part-time combat athlete and doesn’t do it for clicks or social media engagement (although it certainly doesn’t hurt if he wants to promote a fight) – he has been there and done it.
Till, also known as “The Gorilla,” is currently training at the Rotunda ABC in Liverpool, one of the top boxing gyms in Europe. Surrounding himself with former world champions like Liam Smith and former undisputed champion Josh Taylor will stand him in good stead. So if he can get over the line against Fury and do so convincingly, then KSI and Jake Paul seem the logical steps after that.
Final Thoughts
It appeared that Till was on a downward slope after being released by the UFC. His boxing debut didn’t set the world on fire and went viral for all the wrong reasons after Till won when his opponent refused to continue, citing that he was punched to the back of the head before grappling Till to the canvas.
It was all very WWE, as was the incident with John Fury a few days ago, but unfortunately, this is what sells fights. In a modern age of instant gratification, Misfits Boxing and the circus that comes with it often generate more views and bigger purses than legitimate professional world title fights that have spent decades getting to the top of their sport. But that’s not Fury or Till’s fault—the game is the game.
If Till beats Fury, then he will revitalize his career. Still, given how he has looked in the past, the number of times he’s been beaten in MMA, and the fact he’s on the wrong side of 30 with a catalog of injuries that have followed him around – Fury is likely to outbox him here.
