(AllHipHop News)
Triller Fight Club’s 4/17 boxing event, which was headlined by YouTuber Jake Paul defeating mixed martial artist Ben Askren by TKO in the first round, was met with mixed reactions. One thing is for sure, Snoop Dogg’s new league definitely created a lot of buzz.
According to veteran combat sports journalist Dave Meltzer, there was more online interest in “Paul vs. Askren” on April 17 than there was for WWE’s WrestleMania 37 on both April 10 and April 11. Meltzer reported comparative search stats for both events.
“This number may get larger, but the Triller show thus far has hit 5.2 million searches. For a comparison, both days of Mania combined was 750,000,” tweeted the Wrestling Observer Newsletter founder on Sunday.
WrestleMania 37 was a two-night event held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. WWE’s annual sports entertainment extravaganza has been a mainstay in American pop culture since 1985. Special guests have always been an important part of the so-called “Showcase of the Immortals.”
This year’s Mania featured Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny in his debut wrestling match as he teamed up with Damian Priest to score a victory over The Miz and John Morrison. Jake Paul’s older brother, Logan Paul, made a cameo as a ringside guest for the Kevin Owens versus Sami Zayn clash.
Triller Fight Club was filled with celebrity appearances as well. Pop superstar Justin Bieber, SNL comedian Pete Davidson, Access Hollywood host Mario Lopez, and Family Matters star Jaleel White were all in attendance. Wrestling icon Ric Flair even refereed a slapping match.
The Black Keys, Saweetie, Mt. Westmore (the Hip Hop supergroup made up of E-40, Too Short, Snoop Dogg & Ice Cube), Doja Cat, and Major Lazer were all tapped to perform in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium that night.
Not only did Snoop (born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.) hit the stage on Saturday with his fellow rap legends, but he was also part of the event’s commentating team. The Doggystyle album creator is a co-owner of Triller Fight Club too.
“I have been involved in many events across many platforms. Saturday night, which marked the launch of Proxima’s The Fight Club league, was in the top 5 of my entire career,” stated Snoop last year. “We are changing the entire game; boxing will never be the same and the audiences expect a new standard now. The Fight Club is that standard.”
