In his latest challenge video, YouTuber and Ninja Warrior champion Ben Polson steps out of his comfort zone and immerses himself in a sport he has never tried before: boxing. Inspired by influencer-turned-boxer Logan Paul, who recently went eight rounds with Floyd Mayweather, Polson takes on 30 days of intensive boxing training, with the goal of testing his progress in a sparring session with a pro at the end of the month.
“I suck at fighting,” he says. “I couldn’t hit water if I fell out of a boat.”
Day 1 starts with learning the fundamentals. Much like Paul, Polson is tall and lean, and his training involves using that as much as possible in his technique. “All of the movements were new to me, so it felt quite unnatural and stiff,” he says. “I soon realized how bad my coordination and cardio was.”
He also soon learned that he “couldn’t knock out a mouse” with his hook, and so he worked on developing his strength and stability in his wrists, while also improving his speed on the footwork. “Each day I was feeling fitter, faster, and focused,” he says midway through the challenge.
As the fight day loomed ever closer, however, Polson feels some recurring pain and weakness in his left wrist. After trying his usual recovery methods, including a massage gun and needling, he decides to try Logan Paul’s go-to: an ice bath.
The day before the fight, Polson is able to jump on a call with the man himself, and Paul gives him two pieces of advice. Firstly, something which is easier said than done: “Stay calm, breathe through your nose for as long as you can,” he says. “It’s hard, because you’re literally fighting another human being.” His second tip: “When in doubt, jab it out. A strong power jab can get you much further as an amateur than you think.”
Fight day arrives, and while he takes quite a few punches in the first round, Polson quickly remembers all of his training—and Paul’s advice—and, using his length to his advantage, is able to successfully land a series of jabs on his opponent.
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