An American YouTube star is licking his wounds today after being dropped several times by a UFC star, humiliated by an NBA icon and pummeled by an NRL team – all in one day.
IShowSpeed, born Darren Jason Watkins Jr., is a 19-year-old YouTuber and live streamer from Ohio who is currently touring Australia and New Zealand.
With over 33 million YouTube subscribers, he has built a mᴀssive following through gaming, daring stunts, and challenges with famous athletes, such as racing Olympic champion Noah Lyles and jumping over a speeding Lamborghini.
On Monday, Speed decided to test himself against Kiwi UFC star Dan Hooker at City Kickboxing gym in Auckland.
In typical fashion for the streamer, he declared ‘Nobody in here can beat me at boxing,’ before being paired up with Hooker.
Hooker, who promised not to kick or grapple, took it easy on Speed, but still managed to drop him to the canvas several times.
UFC star Dan Hooker sparred with YouTube sensation IShowSpeed on Monday
‘He got me good,’ Speed said afterwards. ‘You a good a** fighter, I could tell you were going easy on me.’
Speed later dropped in on a New Zealand Warriors training session, and decided to run straight at defenders.
Predictably the American, who had his own personalised Warriors jersey, came off second best and had to be helped up off the turf.
Speed also paid a visit to NBL side the New Zealand Breakers and linked up with former NBA star Tacko Fall.
Fall challenged the athletic youngster to a game of one-on-one and proved to be too good – and standing at 7ft 6ins, too tall.
Afterwards, Fall helped Speed make his first ever dunk by lifting him up to the ring.
Over the weekend, the YouTuber visited Rotorua where he was given a crash course in local Māori culture.
‘New Zealand has some crazy s…,’ he said after learning the haka.
The Youtuber realised it was a mistake to run the ball at rugby league players
Australia and New Zealand marked the latest stop on his international tour after he recently filmed from South East Asia, where he went up against a professional Muay Thai fighter.
In September, boxing legend Manny Pacquiao floored the teenage social media star in a friendly ‘spar’ contest in the Philippines.
‘PacMan’ managed to send Speed to the floor with a brutal sH๏τ to the body after deliberately allowing the American to hit him with five consecutive sH๏τs.
The sparring session lasted around three minutes and ended with Manny – who was casually wearing sliders – helping Speed from the floor and hugging him.
