Elle Brooke returns to Misfits with big goals in mind as she rematches AJ Bunker for the middleweight title on Saturday.
It’s not often that a star gets the chance to reintroduce themselves, but that’s exactly where influencer boxing star Elle Brooke is going into her Misfits return this Saturday. Following a stint outside the company, Brooke is now the one to watch near the top of the card as she looks to make a statement in her first fight back with the influencer boxing’s biggest promotion.
“I had the best experience with Misfits the last time in my last fight with Faith (Ordway). This is a promotion that I want to be on long term so I have to come back with a bang. Win that belt. I was given an opportunity, I went to another promotion I was given a title fight, I owe everything to [Misfits] so I’m going to work hard, train hard, put the best performance on.”
🤯 @holdthatelle put in a 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐥 first round performance when she stopped Faith Ordway!#XSeries012 | January 20 | Leeds | @MF_DAZNXSeries | @PrimeHydrate | @KickStreaming pic.twitter.com/HJpMXzFGqq
— Misfits Boxing (@MisfitsBoxing) January 12, 2024
Going into 2023, Brooke was one of the more battle tested fighters in the space following two victories under the Misfits banner. With the growing interest in influencer boxing, the fledgling but now defunct organization Kingpyn offered her a deal to compete in their tournament. In the end, the entire situation ended unceremoniously with controversial terms for fight contracts and several competitors not being paid. Following the shuttering of the business, Brooke was amongst those who came forward to reveal the unfair business practices at play.
The result, however, may have played out better than even she could have imagined. Before her second fight in the tournament, a loss against the far larger (and now Misfits champion) Jully Poca, Brooke went on Piers Morgan Uncensored where her interview with the English television personality went on to be one of the most viewed interviews online from the program.
The video pushed Brooke to a new level recognition, at a time when the only influencers commanding serious crossover attention are the Paul brothers Logan and Jake and Misfits head-honcho KSI. Outside of the attention from her boxing career and Morgan’s interview, Brooke also ended the year as one of the most searched adult performers of 2023. The boost only amplified her online presence where she already has several million followers across multiple platforms.
Following the dissolution of Kingpyn, Brooke was quickly brought back into the Misfits fold where she is now an even bigger brand and personality than ever before. She wasted no time in capitalizing on it, making headlines for engaging with her upcoming and familiar foe: AJ Bunker. The two women engaged in a war of words at a press event last year and have traded barbs online with Bunker taking shots at Brooke’s OnlyFans content. But Brooke has called out Bunker for her perceived lack of effort in promoting the fight and the fact that she has copied several things Brooke has done.
“She literally did a photoshoot knocking off what I did. She is so uncreative. Misfits is a business and they need people they can rely on to promote and be good characters within the space and the roster that people are going to be invested in. You’re not going to be a good character on the Misfits roster if you’re not. If you’re A. Hypocritical and [B.} Not putting the effort in. She’s the biggest hypocrite ever.”
When speaking about Brooke’s place in the influencer boxing world, the one name she is associated with the most is fellow English content creator Astrid Wett. Wett has not entertained talks about Brooke and downplayed her countrywoman’s skills in the ring while Brooke has accused Wett of ducking opponents and refusing to meet at an ideal weight class for the two. While Brooke has said she refuses to give Wett more clout by continuing to push her for the bout, she acknowledges it is the biggest fight to be made for the two.
“That needs to happen before I did. I don’t know it just needs to happen. That is the one fight that I want and the rest of the UK wants. It’s the big money fight and there’s no other female fight that comes remotely close to how good that fight would be.”
The fight with Bunker holds significance on several levels. For one, the fact that the two made their debuts against each other allows them to demonstrate the growth they’ve made since then. Secondly, the fact that it is for Bunker’s title gives Brooke an opportunity to put immense pressure on Wett to make their fight a reality in 2024. There are several fights that Brooke has expressed interest in for the future but the chance to unseat Wett from her perch in the women’s divisions is the one that would garner the most interest and do the most for her even compared to drawing other big names in for a fight.
“Within the space I would really want to beat Astrid because that’s the one that everyone wants to see. As you said, it’s the one that’s on everyone’s kind of like fantasy boxing cards. That’s the one that’s always on there. She’s always going after me, especially after I lost with Jully she was making a video laughing at me so she’s absolutely cruel and she said she’d always beat me. Also the fact that she’s experienced, she’s already won three fights. What does it take? Even though, like Riley Reid’s super famous she’s not experienced. I don’t know how much credit I would get for fighting someone like that. Where, at least Astrid, she’s a champion. Hopefully I can win this fight and then I can become a two-weight champion.”
Whether or not the fight becomes a reality, everything begins with Brooke winning her rematch against the Love Island alum in Bunker this Saturday. While she had her hand raised in the first fight already, Brooke says she’s looking to outdo her performance in the encore.
“I think the pressure is going to be from the get-go so hopefully as soon as possible. I don’t want to leave it to the judges this time so hopefully I can get that knockout.”
