A Filipino-British TikToker became an unlikely boxing star after he defeated mixed-martial artist Josh Brueckner, spurring calls for him to go pro.
Who is calling for him to turn pro, you ask? None other than IBF flyweight titleholder Sunny Edwards and lightweight boxing champ Ryan Garcia.
Man salt Papi needs to just turn professional lol #KSITemper
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) January 14, 2023
Nah I hope you realise Salt Papi can actually fight 😂 it’s not fair him fighting these man
— Sunny Edwards (@SunnyEdwards) January 14, 2023
See what I mean 😂😂😂😂😂 Salt Papi needs to turn pro an go down 4 weights
— Sunny Edwards (@SunnyEdwards) January 14, 2023
Boxing website Bad Left Hook praised the comedian-turned-boxer for displaying “a level of footwork, ability to control distance, hand speed, and timing that has simply set him apart.”
Salt Papi, who was born in the Philippines but moved to the UK when he was a teen, first rose to fame on TikTok parodying Salt Bae’s flair in seasoning his food with salt.
@theofficialsaltpapi Drippin salt on my food with shhwaaahgg #thefinest #saltpapi #bustabreezie #salting #saltbae #saltlife #foryou #foryoupage #viral #trending #xyzbca #foodie #foodtok #foodlover ♬ The Finest – Ayo Beatz
The social media star, with over 4.5 million followers, called himself a “chubby junk food lover” and weighed 210 pounds. That all changed when he took up boxing and lost over 30 pounds in a year.
Salt Papi has won two boxing matches before facing Brueckner, who also has a 2-0 boxing record and has a six-fight career in MMA.
With Salt Papi’s win going viral online, it’s likely he could face another influencer-turned-boxer later in the ring: Jake Paul. Who wants to see that happen?
