Oscar-nominated film The Fighter inspired Triller to give boxing ‘new look’ with Jake Paul, Tyson and amazing camerawork
OSCAR-NOMINATED film The Fighter has helped inspire Triller to give boxing a ‘new look’ – with the help of Jake Paul, Mike Tyson and amazing camerawork.
The social media app entered the boxing business with a boom last November, bringing 54-year-old Mike Tyson out of retirement to fight Roy Jones Jr.
Behind the operation is Ryan Kavanaugh, CEO of billion dollar film company Relativity Media, which has produced over 250 movies.
Kavanaugh, 46, has now launched ‘Fight Club’ with rapper Snoop Dogg, and promotes YouTuber Paul’s next fight, against ex-UFC star Ben Askren on April 17.
But they recently stunned all after bidding £4.3million to win the rights for Teofimo Lopez’s mandatory title defence against George Kambosos.
It marked their intent to become big-time players among the traditional fanbase as well as the casual audience tuning into the Paul or Tyson spectacles.
But Kavanaugh’s love affair for boxing began in 2010, when he produced The Fighter, which won two Academy awards for acting.
It starred Mark Wahlberg in the story of Micky Ward and his brother Dicky Eklund, played Christian Bale.
The film crew used traditional HBO fight night cameras, commentators and even Ward’s real-life trainer.
And it put the wheels in motion for Kavanaugh to try and merge his formula for Hollywood success into a whole new business model for boxing.
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He tells SunSport: “Being around The Fighter and watching it get made was a big eye opener about the business.
“Because it was based on a true story I really got to see first hand how much of niche and politics there is in boxing.
“I saw there was a world that could be open to so much more.
“I would say The Fighter, which was a very personal movie to me, opened my heart up to boxing which I hadn’t had before.”
Kavanaugh is treating his pay-per-view fights like a film set, introducing a unique way of watching the action for fans.
Instead of the regular, one-shot TV angle, Triller have 21 cameras around the ring, aimed to give viewers the best seat in the house.
Kavanaugh explains: “If I look at boxing from a creative perspective, it looks exactly like a boxing match did 15 years ago.
“There’s no difference, it’s like that single camera, wide angle, the same type of commentary.
“It’s made and created and built to maximize the viewing value of the front row, billionaires and celebrities who are there in person.
“We’re not competing with anyone, we’re adding a new element.
“And we’re delivering it to the house and what I mean by that it’s no longer about the front row seat, it’s about giving the home viewer the same experience as if they were in that front row.
“It’s about getting cameras in there in a way that’s not been done before. It’s creating a different experience to what anyone’s had before.”
When Triller outbid Bob Arum to take his own fighter away from ESPN’s platform, the veteran promoter applauded the online site for their move.
And with 1.6m PPVs sold for Tyson’s comeback, and 2m projected for Paul against Askren, Kavanaugh argues he will help rival promoters by having their stars cameo on Triller.
He says: “The reason I say it doesn’t compete is if one of the other boxing promoters has someone and typically that’s their boxer, they can come on to our card and we deliver an audience they didn’t have before.
“It means they will get to know that boxer, probably follow them and for the most part promoters are now welcoming us and saying, ‘This is great, how do I get one of my boxers on your cards?’.
“We can help them grow their boxers, take them from their ecosystem, put them in ours, grow their followers, give them back without touching the purism of what they do.”
Kavanaugh visions mixing celebrity fighters such as Paul, 24, in with world champions of the past and present.
But the production value, mixed in with live performers and off the cuff commentary, is all part of the plan to modernise their boxing events.
Kavanaugh reveals: “They’re real fights, but they’re not just boxing purist fights – which we have – but now bring in celebrities from all walks of like, musicians, social media star, actors.
“Both can fight and perform, and we make it a four-quadrant event.
“We told commentators, have fun, swear as much as you want, smoke pot for all we care, just make it fun.
“It’s to give boxing a new look that isn’t replacing the old one and show that there’s something for everyone but that boxing purists can still live in their own ecosystem.
“We look at it that we will bring more people into the sport.”