Elon-Zuck Cage Fight Showcases Emerging Trend In Sports Started By Jake Paul

The proposed cage fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg has become water cooler conversation and it is just the latest high profile example of a growing cultural trend. It even was front and center in the Wall Street Journal today. Welcome to the world of the influencer wars— the newest trend in sports.

WSJMark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk Aren’t Going to Fight. Wait, Are They Going to Fight?

Competitive sports have always been about fans tuning in to watch the best in the world competing for a prize that these athletes have worked their whole lives for. Whether it is the Olympic Games, the World Cup, The Super Bowl, The NBA Finals, or the MLB World Series, winning these events represent the pinnacle of athletic achievement.

However, today we are seeing a new trend of attracting sports viewership and it involves mano a mano competition among influencers and pop culture icons. As our communication platforms have become dominated by social media and the cult of celebrity, traditional sports have become an unexpected battleground for these influencers seeking to exploit their notoriety for personal brand or financial gain. We are entering an era where the lines between genuine athletic achievement and shameless self-promotion have become increasingly blurred.

Influencer Wars Are The Newest Trend In Sports

Th concept of influencers competing against each other in traditional sports is a new formula designed to attract large viewing audiences solely due to stunts that leverage their social media following and their promotional reach through social platforms. Some view this as a profound insult to the rich heritage and essence of the sports fan experience and has really created another category of sport base upon a formula hatched long ago but now supercharged by social media. If you remember The Superstars or Battle Of The Network stars pitted great athletes against each other in different sports. Now influencers are the ones that people are interested in seeing compete. Plus these influencers are media companies in and of themselves and can promote the heck out of the competition directly to their followers.

Enter Elon Musk challenging Mark Zuckerberg to an MMA battle as the latest example of this trend and social media is eating it up. Shockingly, as a Pay Per View Event, it would likely generate hundreds of million of dollars in revenue. It might be viewed as shameless exploitation of sports, unless all the money goes to charity, and if so, kudos to them.

This proposed battle comes on the heels of influencer turned boxer Jake Paul’s string of fights starting with retired athletes and ultimately with retired boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. That fight generated tens of millions of dollars and Floyd Mayweather arrogantly said: “I am the only person who can do a fake fight and make $100M.”

When the competition goes from best of class to influencers with less than top tier athletic prowess, the integrity of the sport might be compromised but people don’t seem to care. Never mind that the focus shifts from the celebration of genuine talent and hard-earned achievements to a voyeuristic spectacle that panders to the lowest common denominator. Instead of authentic athletic prowess, popularity, followers, and fleeting fame take precedence, leading to the disillusionment of the sports purist and disintegration of traditional values based appreciation of those who have worked so hard to become the best at their craft in sports. Unfortunately, this trend also siphons money and media out of the sports ecosystem, in this case the sport of boxing.

As social media’s influence continues to grow, so does the allure for influencers and pop culture icons to exploit their massive online followings by stepping into the realm of traditional sports. With carefully crafted stunt, a few flashy posts, choreographed videos, and an army of loyal followers, these individuals suddenly find themselves headlining sporting events, relegating true athletes to the sidelines.

The proposed Elon Musk versus Zuckerberg cage fight proves that there is no end in sight. Influencers and pop culture icons have hijacked real sports reduce sports competition to mere spectacles. What is next up? Perhaps that Donald Trump versus Joe Biden cage fight that was floated long ago. That might even outdraw Elon Musk versus Mark Zuckerberg.