Following the brutal bout between content creators PointCrow and DisguisedToast during Ludwig’s Chessboxing event, Eric recounts what it was like to face one of his greatest inspirations in a match of brain and brawn.
Influencer boxing has become quite the spectacle over the course of the last year or so. With social media titans KSI, Logan Paul, and Jake Paul pioneering the sport some years ago, now, influencers large and small are putting on their gloves to give fans a show.
There’s something gratifying about seeing two vaguely familiar socialites going to blows with one another in front of an audience numbering in the thousands. It’s even more so when both boxers are responsible for creating content you’ve consumed for years.
While watching amateurs punch their way through rounds of boxing is good fun, Ludwig found a way to put a spin on the sport. On December 11, 2022, the first influencer Chessboxing event was held with gamers PointCrow and DisguisedToast headlining the card. Two content creators known for their entertaining gameplay on-screen would face off in a competition of physical and mental aptitude.
However, divulged in a promo video before the fight, PointCrow would express how DisguisedToast inspired him to start streaming. In an interview with Dexerto, PointCrow details what it was like to train for a sport he had never played, what happened after the fight, and what it was like to step into the ring for the first time.
Training for Chessboxing and stepping into the ring
PointCrow was not only in Ludwig’s Mogul Chessboxing event, but he was fighting in the main event match with all other fights leading up to his bout with DisguisedToast. If there were pressure on any combatants to perform well, it was on Crow and Eric.
Training for a main event is demanding enough, but this would also be both fighters’ boxing debut. As such, PointCrow devised a strategy he would carry out over the span of six months.
“I generally knew that DisguisedToast didn’t practice too much chess and went all-in on training for boxing. I knew that we were around the same chess skill level/ELO, too, by stalking his chess.com account and all the matches he played on it prior to the event. So, for the chess portion–I had some idea of what his opening was and practiced a little against that.
“On the boxing side of things, I know that when Toast puts his mind to something and gets comfortable with it, the man is unstoppable. He’s incredibly smart and will take advantage of whatever he can–so the goal of mine was to come out swinging as aggressively as possible to get him off his rhythm early. The more uncomfortable I could make Toast in the ring, the better chance I thought I’d have at winning.”
Eric revealed that he put none of his time into chess or chess theory and instead went all in on the physical aspect of the event, a fatal mistake that could have been why he fell to DisguisedToast via checkmate.
He also stated that while he enjoyed the boxing portion of the event more, boxing training was much harder. “Getting up at the crack of dawn every morning, getting headshots and body shots for an hour or two before you even start your day? Brutal. Hey, but at least it really wakes you up!”
Of course, athletes can train as hard as they want, but it will never fully prepare them for what it’s like actually to step into the ring. The nerves, excitement, and opponents are there for months of sparring.
“I was incredibly nervous right before the fight!” PointCrow admitted, “Would I do well? Will I fall for a gambit? Is the fight going to live up to the name of ‘main event’?”
“So many thoughts were swirling through my head, but the moment I walked out was the moment those thoughts went away. I mean, at that point, there’s no use in worrying–I put in 6 months of effort and laid it all out for millions to see. More importantly, I was having too much fun to care!“
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The aftermath of a brutal matchup
For professional boxers, a match rarely gets as brutal as the one between PointCrow and DisguisedToast. Saying they put it all on the line might be considered an understatement, as entering the final round of boxing, Eric had to win via knockout, or the match would be won by Toast.
Both fighters landed blow after blow with the burning intent to knock the other unconscious. Blood would spill, but neither would fall to the mat in time.
“Toast and I were pretty much destroyed at the end of our card. He was bleeding, I could barely focus. I wish I could remember more about what happened immediately after the last round, but unfortunately, both Toast and I were diagnosed with mild concussions in the locker room.
“There was a splitting head pain, and it was all I could do not to rip my brain out of my skull–I felt like puking, and there was a haze all around my thoughts,” Eric stated. DisguisedToast would later reveal he has had issues sleeping following the fight, whereas PointCrow has faced the opposite.
“I think it’s harder for me to stay awake! Maybe I stole the sleep from him. But for real, my concussion symptoms have definitely faded, I hope Toast can keep healing and rest up.”
Comparing Influencer Boxing to “real” boxing
Despite these events capturing the attention of hundreds of thousands of viewers, a stigma still follows the term “influencer boxing.” This mindset that – despite training for six months for a single fight – these events aren’t on the same level as professional boxing. PointCrow believes that’s a disservice to this subgenre of boxing.
“I think influencers breaking into boxing is a fantastic way to bring in new blood to the sport, and it puts on a fantastic show. The content that spawns from these high-octane events is unparalleled,” he stated. “In terms of considering these ‘laid back events,’ I think Chess Boxing and Creator Clash are anything but laid back, and to call them such is a disservice to the sheer production quality and entertainment value that these events bring forth. My coach was shocked at the venue and viewership itself, citing it as similar to the professional fights he used to be in.”
He warned those watching influencer boxing who might think the fights aren’t as competitive as a professional match. “Content or not, it’s a serious sport with serious injuries–so it’s not something the average person should jump into without research.”
PointCrow’s future in the sport of boxing
Like clockwork, as one fight ends, spectators are eager to know if their favorite influencer will step back into the ring and who with – but for PointCrow, his future in the sport is uncertain.
“I’m unsure if I’ll try it again! It was incredibly fun to be a part of, and I fell in love with the sport itself. For the short term however, I won’t be doing any contact sports, I’ll just stay boxing to keep in shape and healthy.”
However, he stated that he’d like to see how he would fare in a regular boxing match. “It would require much more stamina–but the brainchild of chess boxing has my heart. There’s an incredible nuance of brain and ‘brawn’ that goes on. The mental battle of chess boxing is definitely underrated.”
In terms of who he would face, he already had the perfect opponent. “I think I got lucky that my first card was with DisguisedToast. In my opinion, the fight we had was some of the best content in influencer boxing to date. We were super evenly matched. I’d say with the fun I had, our respect for each other, and how everything went down, he was my ideal opponent!”
Will PointCrow step back into the ring? Will he get another chance to claim victory over DisguisedToast? Or will his idea for hybrid Knitting-Boxing become a reality spawning a new sports craze?
