YouTube star Vitaly Zdorovetskiy is promising a knockout inside one minute of his boxing debut next month after coming back from a broken neck, substance abuse and "losing it all".
The Russian-American social media sensation claims he "lost everything in two years" after gaining millions of followers online, and wants to return to relevance with a big win.
He faces fellow prankster Kristen Hanby on the Showstar Boxing event at the OVO Arena, Wembley on March 5 and is plotting an explosive performance after moving to Russia for a Rocky-style training camp.
Zdorovetskiy, known mostly by just Vitaly, rose to fame on YouTube with his outrageous pranks and stunts, including streaking at the World Cup final in 2014.
He made millions from his videos, but has since faded from the spotlight after an April 2020 arrest for aggravated battery in Miami and a skydiving accident that left him severely injured just months later.
And after returning to YouTube in recent months, he is plotting a major comeback in 2022.
"I've learned from my mistakes," he told Mirror Fighting in a candid interview. "It's definitely been a hard two years of my life.
"I've been depressed, had substance abuse, but I'm sober and healthy now, my mom is doing well, I'm happy which is the most important part.
"I lost everything because of my legal trouble, and then I broke my back and neck, then I lost a loved one.
"I also lost my Instagram, which I know might sound petty but that was my biggest source of income, and all this happened in one year."
He has said that he considered suicide after his series of controversies and injuries caught up to him in one fell swoop, but he has now vowed to return "bigger than ever".
The 29-year-old has quit drugs and alcohol, not just for training camp, he says, but for the rest of his life, and he is planning to stick around in boxing.
"Most people wouldn't handle that type of thing," he continued. "I had suicidal thoughts, it's been really hard for me.
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"But I'm back now, bigger than ever, stronger than ever and I'm staying sober for life, I've made myself a promise, I'm not doing this for anybody.
"I want to show the world who's back."
Vitaly has been working with unbeaten Russian boxer Vladimir Myshev in Moscow, and knows that a win on the major pay-per-view event could signal big fights in the future.
And he feels that Hanby, a former friend with whom he is now feuding, is a stepping stone to forging a boxing career for himself that will see him travel the world taking on influencers.
"He's a little b****," the YouTuber said of his rival. "He's a little toothpick.
"There are a few people who said no - I'm happy that Kristen took the fight and respect to him but I'm going to knock him out.
"It's not going to be much of a fight, I'm expecting a first minute knockout."
Tickets are on sale now at showstarboxing.com and via AXS for Showstar Boxing 2022, which will be headlined by Deji vs Alex Wassabi.
