iDubbbz sends warning to Alex Wassabi as Creator Clash 2 approaches
Creator ClashYouTube star iDubbbz is gearing up for Creator Clash 2 and has a special message for his opponent, Alex Wassabi, which he released in an exclusive interview with Dexerto.
Creator Clash was the first influencer-boxing event of its kind, sending all proceeds and purses to charities like the American Heart Association and the Alzheimer’s Association of America in a $1 million donation.
The event also featured the first-ever female influencer boxing match between TikToker Yodeling Haley and streamer JustaMinx.
This year, Creator Clash 2 has bigger and better fights than ever before, with four female influencer-boxing matches on the docket and even a WWE star stepping into the fray.
We spoke with iDubbbz about his upcoming event, which he promised will have “more” of what fans want to see in terms of top-tier entertainment from high-profile influencers, and offered insight into how organizing such a massive boxing bonanza actually works.
iDubbbz reveals why he chose Alex Wassabi as his boxing opponent
This year’s Creator Clash features a headline fight between OG YouTubers Alex Wassabi and iDubbbz. When asked about why he chose Wassabi as his opponent, iDubbbz claimed that it was all about finding someone with both the appropriate physical stature and a fitting impact on internet culture — not necessarily about holding an online grudge.
“Naturally what I think I’m looking for, especially when we’re just kind of randomly recruiting people for this event, is people who have an impact on the culture,” he told us. “Alex Wassabi is an OG YouTuber. He might not be familiar to, you know, new-age Zoomers on TikTok and stuff, and I might not be, as well. But I think our goal is to attract people from all different generations. You know, some people aren’t gonna speak to some of the audience, but I think Alex Wassabi definitely speaks to a group of millennials who were heavily on YouTube during a certain time.”
“He’s passionate about boxing, which is great. You know, I want the fight to be competitive. We’ve sort of said like, ‘Hey, if Alex Wassabi drops out, or there’s an injury or something, we gotta replace him with someone who’s gonna bring the heat and is really into boxing.’ So, I mean, that’s the main goal. And Alex has obviously seemed to check enough of those boxes to be like, alright, like, sweet, we got someone who’s going to give it his all for the main event.”
In 2022, Alex Wassabi did drop out of a fight with KSI due to an injury he acquired during sparring. iDubbbz says this is a common occurrence in the sport, pointing out that YouTuber Ididathing had to pull out of Creator Clash 2 after receiving an injury, resulting in the cancelation of his bout against GoodGuyFitz.
iDubbbz explains how Andrea Botez vs Michelle Khare happened
However, this allowed another big fight to happen in its place. On March 16, it was announced that chess personality and streamer Andrea Botez would be facing off against YouTube star Michelle Khare, marking another major female match on the card.
“It was a convenient circumstance,” iDubbbz said of this particular bout. “We were talking to them, and we were like, ‘We’ll definitely put you guys on the next Creator Clash if we do this again, but right now, the card’s really full. So, you know, for this to happen, you guys would have to be really lucky.’ And you know, good for them. They stuck to it and they stayed in shape. So we don’t feel like it’s a mismatch or anything like that. And that’s the main fear with adding a fight so late to the card. I wouldn’t really feel comfortable doing it any other way. But since they’ve both been boxing for a decent amount of time, it’s like, oh, this is perfect.”
Creator Clash has made history for women in the influencer-boxing space and continues to break boundaries in the scene. For iDubbbz, this is a major win on all sides — one he has thanked his wife, Anisa, for helping bring to life.
“Anisa makes it easy because she’s the promoter of the show. I think it’s very easy for women in the space to come and talk to her about it, and know that they’re getting an honest back-and-forth about what to expect, how much training they’re gonna have to do, you know, how serious it is. For us, equal representation is good. If I have an influencer card that’s majority women, that would be super cool, as well.”
“We’re very welcome to that, because to be honest, like there’s a lot of female influencers who are so ready to try something new, and I don’t think there’s as much insecurity about winning or losing. They just wanna have a new experience and challenge themselves. So I think it’s super worthwhile, and all the women that we’ve worked with have been so easy to work with. Creator Clash 2023, we’re gonna try to do the same.”
iDubbbz calls boxing a “complete life change”
iDubbbz says that boxing has made a major change to his life, essentially forcing him to pull a 180-degree turn from his previous lifestyle. In fact, it’s forced him to confront some issues of his own, which he says has been “good” for him.
“It’s given me a lot of self-confidence and it’s allowed me to… I don’t know, I’ve learned more about different dynamics, like me and my coach,” he explained. “We’ve really had some tough moments because I get kind of defiant with authority sometimes. So it’s been a big challenge, but, it’s been good for me.”
“I think it’s been good for a lot of aspects of my life. I never really did a sport, so this whole thing is completely new. I’ve pretty much had to redo everything. I used to play video games all the time. Now, I’m not playing any video games. I used to hang out with friends more, and now I’m very rarely doing that, or my friends are basically my sparring partners and other people on Creator Clash. So it’s a complete life change.”
iDubbbz reveals why John Morrison wanted to join Creator Clash 2
This year’s Creator Clash features some huge names in the influencer space — and even some mainstream personalities like WWE star John Morrison, who will be facing off with Epic Meal Time’s Harley in a Heavyweight bout. iDubbbz explained how Morrison got on the card, and says he’s more than happy for the worlds of wrestling and influencer-boxing to cross over, specifically referencing Logan Paul’s contract with the WWE.
“Thankfully, and this is how everything’s been going on, [it’s all] mutuals. He walked out with Dad, Nathan, last year. And they’re good friends. They’ve worked on a lot of projects together, but I think just because he was there and he saw how amazing the crowd and the fans are, he was just like, ‘This is awesome.’ Like, ‘What a cool experience.’ And he just wants to try new things.”
“He’s been wrestling forever, so it’s like, what a cool path for him to take. I think part of that, as well, is seeing people like Logan Paul entering the wrestling space. And it’s like, well, hell, let’s do it in reverse! I feel like that’s the first time that we’ve seen the reverse happen, so far. I feel like there’s so much room for possibilities, after this.”
iDubbbz sends a message to Alex Wassabi: “Protect your spine”
iDubbbz is the first influencer to face off with Alex Wassabi following Wassabi’s fight against KSI’s little brother, Deji, in 2022. Wassabi notably trounced Deji, prompting some back-and-forth between him and KSI.
When asked if iDubbbz was prepared for some possible trash talk from KSI or Deji, the YouTuber said he was “open” to playing on the dynamic — but says that at the end of the day, there has to be a balance between entertainment and being a good sport.
“I mean, we might build on some of that, because Alex and I are very different people,” he answered. “I’ve had a much more edgy history and he’s a little bit more clean cut, and he’s wholesome, you know. I like the idea of playing with that dynamic a little bit more and seeing where it goes. I think what makes the show different is just being able to appreciate the combat sports side of things, and seeing how two people who, you know, aren’t trying to strangle each other on the street will actually go in there and fight their hearts out, and it’s still an entertaining fight. You know, people still like it.”
To end, iDubbbz promised “more” entertainment for viewers at this year’s Creator Clash, citing major influencers like Jacksepticeye, Markiplier, and even Amouranth, who will be hosting the event as talent.
“This is a very serious and dangerous sport, which is why we have the Florida Athletic Commission involved,” he said. “We’re going super hard in making it as professional as possible. We’ve given all these fighters like nine plus months, so everyone’s gonna be super dialed in for their fights.”
“It’s gonna be much more dialed in than last year. And we also so much between, and in front of, and behind all of the fights — so much more tertiary entertainment. We have Jack and Mark for a pre-show, and Amouranth will be there.”
“If anyone feels like they wanted more out of last year’s show, this year is going to just be more. It’s more fights, it’s more influencers that you wanna see, it’s just a lot more of what people liked last year. I’m super excited about that.”
When asked if he had a message for Alex Wassabi, iDubbbz gave a single and succinct reply: “Protect your spine.”
Creator Clash 2 is taking place on Saturday, April 15, at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. For more information on how to tune in, check out our hub right here on Dexerto.
