When Mikhail Varshavski steps in the ring for his first professional boxing fight on Saturday, his biggest fear will be hurting his opponent — he knows that’s what boxers are supposed to do, but it still feels unnatural to him.
Varshavski, mostly known to the world as the internet personality Dr. Mike, is a family practitioner in New Jersey who gained fame on social media in 2015 for being named the sexiest doctor alive by People Magazine. His celebrity morphed as he became a go-to medical voice while the coronavirus pandemic escalated, through informative videos and interviews on his various social media accounts. So, naturally, Varshavski’s popularity has earned him a spot on the undercard of the Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva boxing pay-per-view event on Saturday night in Glendale, Ariz.
Boxing is a sport that rewards athletes for pummeling opponents with 10-ounce gloves until they are unable to stand, something that most doctors would not advise. Varshavski says he recognizes the risk and is entering the ring in the hopes that he will inspire his followers to stay fit and pursue their passions in a healthy way. He also has faith that modern medical staff will protect the face that is the foundation of his fame if needed.
“I do suspend the oath to do no harm when I step into that boxing ring,” Varshavski said with a smile.
Varshavski is but one circus act in a card filled with notable names in everything but boxing: There’s Le’Veon Bell, a former N.F.L. running back; Uriah Hall, a retired U.F.C. fighter; Silva, 47 and one of the most popular U.F.C. fighters of all time; and Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxing-sensation. The fights can be watched in the United States via a pay-per-view that costs nearly $60 through Showtime, a stage that many boxers work their entire careers for an opportunity to reach but that Paul gained quickly because of his celebrity.
Paul has been the most successful fighter riding a recent influencer-to-professional-boxer trend. Saturday’s bout will be Paul’s third fight on Showtime, with the previous two selling out arenas, and it is being promoted with his management company, Most Valuable Promotions, which includes other fighters. One of his most recent signings was Ashton Sylve, a top boxing prospect with 500,000 Instagram followers, who will fight on the undercard.
“It’s just a fascinating development in the sport and really sort of boxing’s equivalent of ‘American Ninja Warrior,’” said Stephen Espinoza, the president of Showtime Sports. He described the card as a place “where you can see people from all walks of life take on a challenge that a few years ago would have been unthinkable.”
Boxing has shifted in the United States in part because of challenges with securing bouts between the best fighters. Money and promoters often get in the way of top boxers ever facing each other in their primes. Last week, a bout between Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford, arguably the most anticipated match of the year, fell apart after the fighters couldn’t reach an agreement for what clearly would have been the biggest moment of their careers. Crawford will now fight someone else in December, with much less luster.
“Fights that nobody wants are coming together, and fights that everybody wants are nowhere to be seen,” Varshavski said. “I think when YouTubers come together and make entertaining fights happen people are going to watch and pay attention.”
He continued: “So, I hope the traditional boxing community can learn a little bit of something from what the YouTubers do well, and the YouTubers continue learning the art in the sport of boxing.”
Paul has a 5-0 boxing record, but he has yet to defeat a professional boxer. His opponents have included mixed martial artists, another YouTuber and the former N.B.A. player Nate Robinson.
Paul has flashed some highlights with swift knockouts in four of those wins, but many still view him as an illegitimate boxer. Much of the questions around Paul’s boxing legitimacy stem from how he gained fame: through social media pranks and stunts throughout his career that have drawn controversy. Paul was accused of sexual misconduct by other social media influencers, but he has denied the allegations.
His best shot at boxing legitimacy was supposed to come in August in a fight against Tommy Fury at Madison Square Garden. But the match was canceled after Fury was not allowed to travel to the United States. Paul then replaced Fury with Hasim Rahman Jr., considered an even tougher foe because of his size and experience, but that fight was canceled after Rahman could not make the weight requirement.
“I’ve proven that people are scared,” Paul said, “scared to be turned into the biggest meme ever in the sport of boxing.”
Now, Paul will take on Silva, though the fight seemed to teeter ever so briefly late this week (in true Jake Paul fight-week fashion) as Arizona regulators considered pulling Silva from the bout after he said he had been knocked out during training. They said Thursday night that he could continue.
Silva, who turned to boxing after a 23-year career in mixed martial arts, finished as one of the most decorated fighters in U.F.C. history. Since retiring from the U.F.C., Silva has won his two professional boxing matches, but it is hard to believe that this fight will earn Paul, who is 22 years younger and has been training for boxing since 2018, legitimacy in boxing.
“That’s the sheep fans who don’t have a ton of intelligence or like a high I.Q.,” Paul said of his boxing critics. “If they can’t respect me beating Anderson Silva as like a legitimate striker or a legitimate pro boxer, then they’re just in denial, and they’re never going to respect anything or give me any credit for anything that I do.”