Salt Papi is prepared to carry the mantle for YouTube boxers.
The lovable Filipino southpaw went straight into preparation mode in the immediate wake of fellow content creator Jake Paul’s split decision defeat to England’s Tommy Fury this past Sunday in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Paul (6-1, 4KOs) answered the call to face an experienced boxer for the first time in his three-year career after having faced an assortment of athletes from other mediums.
It resulted in a heartbreaking loss for Paul, although he managed a dramatic knockdown in the eighth and final round of their ESPN Pay-Per-View main event. Still, his performance didn’t overwhelm perhaps the industry’s most beloved influencer.
“He still look like a novice, man,” Salt Papi said in a video interview through his YouTube channel. “Tommy Fury had the better jab, he was just the better fighter. I think I can beat both of them. I’m a more talented boxer than both of them. I probably just have to work on my stamina, endurance and I think I can beat them, man. I have the knockout power.
“I definitely want a shot at Tommy Fury, I may be the only YouTuber to beat him.”
Salt Papi, whose birth name is Nathaniel Bustamante and is also known as Busta Breezie, has rapidly emerged as a cult favorite through his first full year as a boxer. The 29-year-old Filipino—who resides in London—gained fame through TikTok, through which he currently boasts more than 4.9 million followers and whose videos have generated more than 153,600,000 combined views.
His vibrant personality and willingness to enter the ring made for a perfect fit on the Misfits Boxing circuit, which he joined shortly after his May 2022 ring debut. Salt Papi has scored early wins in two appearances on the Misfit Boxing series, including a second-round knockout of fellow social media star Josh Brueckner, who was undefeated in MMA (7-0) and boxing (2-0, 1KO) before running into Salt Papi on the January 14 MF& DAZN: X Series 004 event from OVO Arena Wembley in London.
The win saw Salt Papi’s popularity skyrocket, particularly among hardcore boxing fans, many of whom previously believed he would beat Paul even before the Fury fight. Salt Papi hoped to issue the first loss to Paul.
“I can’t believe it,” admitted Salt Papi. “I was actually hoping for him to win. Seeing him (lose) gave me so much motivation. After he lost, I went straight to the gym. I ran for like an hour. I think I did like ten kilometers.
“It was fair scoring. It was an achievement for Jake Paul to knock down a professional boxer… (but) Tommy Fury is not like an elite boxer. He still looks like a beginner.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox