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Getting in the Ring With Ryan Kavanaugh

Viewers who check in to the TrillerVerz III event this weekend at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center will not only get a peek at Triller Fight Club’s future, but also of co-owner Ryan Kavanaugh’s vision for the future of entertainment geared at younger audiences.

Triller Fight Club is a combat sports league founded by Ryan Kavanaugh and Bobby Sarnevesht, co-founders of Triller, a music-based video-sharing social network. Triller Fight Club combines two likes of the 17-to-27 demographic – which Kavanaugh and Sarnevesht refer to as the “culture-graphic” – music and combat sports.

Big Names & Big Events

Triller Fight Club’s debut match, featuring Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020, drew 1 million views. It included a battle between former NBA slam dunk champion Nate Robinson and YouTuber-turned-fighter Jake Paul, in addition to the two boxing luminaries. Musical performances by musicians such as Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, and French Montana were interspersed between fights.

The multi-day TrillerVerz events introduce a new element: the rap battle. TrillerVerz III is a two-day event that will feature a fight card including up-and-coming New York-area boxers, a musical performance by DJ Super Cat & Friends, and a grand finale rap duel involving hip-hop veterans Big Daddy Kane and KRS-ONE.

Triller has data suggesting that 17- to 27-year-olds are interested in boxing and are talking about it online, but they aren’t watching it since the sport hasn’t altered – or changed the way it appears – in decades, according to Kavanaugh.

The TrillerVerz event this weekend will represent a shift away from early battles between big-name but older fighters, which gave Triller Fight Club unrivaled startup exposure, and toward highly competitive, title-worthy contests. These are the kind of fights that will be featured at future Triller Fight Club events. Triller understands what the market wants – competitive bouts with interesting boxers paired with top-notch musical performances and eye-popping spectacle – and he feels there is a better way forward. Triller feels that the fighters on this weekend’s show will be among the contenders of tomorrow.

A Bigger and Better Platform

Ryan Kavanaugh and Triller Fight Club seek to bring fresh vitality to the boxing world by drawing on his expertise as a highly-recognized producer in the film business known for his ability to create a visually pleasing product.

“We’re attempting to build a new platform,” says Ryan Kavanaugh. “We’re attempting to develop a new program that will reintroduce fun to boxing. Boxing, in my opinion, is first and foremost a form of entertainment. We intend to host a boxing night with musical performers, not only to establish a new platform, but also to cultivate a new audience. Boxing could use a jolt of adrenaline. That’s why I’m here.”