YouTube star KSI will make a pretty penny for his boxing return on Saturday night, but he has reportedly turned down offers amounting to $150million for other endeavours.
The social media star hasn't fought since November 2019 when he defeated Logan Paul in Los Angeles in a professional rematch of their initial white-collar meeting and returns this weekend with two fights in one night. He will open the card against rapper Swarmz before going back for the main event where he will face Mexican journeyman Lucas Pineda.
However, he has had to put his chart-topping rap career on hold for the past few months as he trains for his comeback, including skipping major summer festivals around the UK and Europe. His manager Mams Taylor has now claimed that he turned down nine-figures worth of offers to make his return to boxing happen.
"He's his own man and at the end of the day we've found a really good balance," Taylor said on the broadcast from today's open workout. "He's very happy when he's training boxing and he's very happy when he's in the studio or performing live and honestly life is about being happy, do the things that make you happy.
"If I told you guys how many offers we've turned down - it's over $150million worth of offers turned down completely. That's okay because no amount of money is worth compromising your happiness and I speak from experience with that."
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KSI spent most of his career as a YouTube star managed by Liam Chivers of OP Talent, but made the switch to Taylor's Proper Loud Music when he began to focus more on his rap career. The music mogul had a career of his own in the business before moving into management, with KSI his top client.
"I've been the guy that's sold myself to doing s*** that I shouldn't," he explained. "At the end of the day nothing is more important than feeling good about yourself and looking in the mirror and being happy with who you are. That's our whole brand and our whole kind of moniker with everything."
KSI was supposed to face Alex Wassabi on Saturday night at The O2 arena after watching the American beat his brother at the OVO Arena Wembley earlier this year. But his rival pulled out of the fight on just three weeks' notice due to a concussion and he had to draft in Swarmz and Pineda at the last minute.
