HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Dakota Olave, who is a professional skateboarder and TikTok influencer, is preparing to participate in an exhibition boxing match through Bare Knuckle Boxing against another influencer by the name of “Evil Hero.”
“I was lucky enough to be invited. I’ve been training really, really hard these past couple weeks in preparation for this fight. I’m not going in for a pay check, I’m going in for a fight,” Olave explained.
What You Need To Know
- Show business boxing is returning with the rise of influencer boxing matches
- Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather's fight generated one million pay per view buys
- Dakota Olave, a TikTok influencer, was invited to fight against "Evil Hero," also a TikToker, with Bare Knuckle Boxing
- Olave, traditionally a skateboarder, has been training at Mayweather Boxing and Fitness in Hollywood, and credits the discipline and community around the sport, as the most meaningful part of the experience
Even though the TikToker has never formally entered the ring before, he is not the only social media influencer who has made the most of the new trend of exhibition matches.
Recently Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather’s fight reportedly generated one million pay per view buys. At $50 dollars each, that adds up to $50 million.
However, despite the cash and fame the match may provide for Olave, he said, the discipline and community have been the most meaningful part of the journey.
“What I’ve learned, that I’m holding so close to my heart, is that its hard work and dedication. Without that, you don’t have it,” Olave said.
He trains at Mayweather Boxing and Fitness in Hollywood with his coach Patricia Domingo, who teaches him not just how to hit but also how to protect himself. It is a concern that professional boxer Wale said is an important consideration when young, fresh influencers are excited about the possibility of boxing.
He believes they need to make sure they are extra careful.
“Boxing is a dangerous sport,” Wale emphasized.
Still, in showbiz boxing, the rules are gray, and Domingo said she is happy to take on the role of being one of the few females in the scene empowering men in the sport.
“You know it’s funny because at the end of the day, it’s all knowledge. Boxing is an art. We are all people. I am a person. It should not matter if I am a woman or I am a man. Although it has been like that for many years,” Domingo said.
As for Olave, he is just happy to take on a new challenge, and hopes to defeat his opponent "Evil Hero," who he described as a bully.
“It’s this weird thing of overcoming these challenges, or things that you’re like, 'oh but I’m not naturally good at it.' But you persevere through it anyway. As they say here, you’re not running into walls, you’re breaking through them," Olave said.
Dakota Olave hopes to break his own barriers through his match on July 23.